Art 2211 Art History I: To 1300

Welcome to Art 2211, the first in the series of four art history survey courses offered by College of DuPage. Art 2211 looks at the art and architecture created by the ancient and medieval cultures traditionally linked to the Western heritage. Highlights include the ancient Egyptian expressions, Classical Greek sculpture, Roman architecture, Byzantine icons, European manuscripts and Gothic cathedrals. Although by no means a comprehensive list of cultures or topics in this course, the listing should give you a sense of the material you will encounter in your upcoming studies.

Course Description

Chronological survey of Western visual culture from the remote past through the High Gothic. Examines major examples of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts within their historical, social, political, cosmological, and aesthetic contexts. (3 semester hours)

General Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to do the following:

Describe the purposes for art in ancient and medieval societies
Identify specific works of art by artist, culture, and/or regional style
Locate specific works of art in the historical context
Identify components and meanings of visual symbol systems
Recognize aesthetic features distinctive to individual historical cultures
Explain relations between visual arts and cosmological constructs
Explain relations between visual arts and sociopolitical constructs
Describe technical and structural processes
Analyze relations between aesthetic features and cultural values
Review current trends in the study of ancient and medieval art

Topical Outline

Prehistoric Art in Europe
Art of the Ancient Near East
Art of Ancient Egypt
Aegean Art
Art of Ancient Greece
Etruscan and Roman Art
Jewish, Early Christian and Byzantine Art
Early Medieval Art of Europe
Romanesque Art
Gothic Art of the 12^th & 13^th Centuries

Assessment

The semester grade is based on the total points earned for the ten units. You will have three assignments for each unit with a total of 50 points possible for the unit. The assignments for each unit include a 20-point Web-based Research essay (250-500 words), a 10-point Style Analysis essay (250 words), and a 20-point quiz composed of multiple choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions. The grading scale for all assignments and for the semester grade is 100-90%=A; 89-80%=B; 79-70%=C; 69-60%=D; below 59% receives an F and no credit for the course.