Week 1
forum
Understanding Artistic Motives and Themes
This is a research, read, consider, think, and write
exercise. You may cite sources, but leave your voice in—do not use direct
quotations. We want to hear your words, not the book's or websites'. Read the Important "Mechanics for
Writing about Art" attached to this forum.
Using your course lesson and readings, fully answer the
following questions. Answer the following topic by posting to Forum Week
1. Then read all other postings and
respond to at least 2 other students. In your peer responses, use the
strategies described in the forum posting requirements below to further the
discussion.
You have a choice of
the following 2 works of art. Examine
and discuss The Lion Panel from the Chauvet cave (image below) or choose Stonehenge (image
below).
The Lion Panel from
the Chauvet cave
Stonehenge Caption
As you read your
course lesson and other readings, consider what these ancient objects reveal to
us about humans and art.
What is believed to be the function or purpose of these
objects?
What does their existence indicate about humans and art?
Think about the topic, then answer. Please avoid comments on Merlin and aliens;
we want to keep the discussions to provable/known facts. You must find a reliable online source to use
as information. PBS is always a good
suggestion for historical works.
Note: You are writing on either The Lion Panel from the
Chauvet cave --or--Stonehenge.
You may bring personal experiences into the discussion.
Please remember to always attribute any sources used to share your sources with
us. Exact citation style in your posts is not required, but an indication of
sources is required. In art appreciation
and art history, writing more is always better.
Be sure to do an internet search and cite one reliable
source of information for this topic.
Week 2
forum
Reading Masterpieces in Art: Goya and Manet
Reading and Looking
Reading Masterpieces in Art: Goya and Manet: This assignment
is designed to help you master the careful reading of sources about art images
and to help you apply the basic mechanics of analyzing and interpreting images
appropriately.
In order to participate fully in this week's forum, do the
following:
Slow down and really look at the paintings after you
complete the course readings and view the lesson.
Develop your post as a letter to a friend who has never seen
the paintings and does not have a copy of it before them; and in your letter
describe for them in very specific detail what the painting looks like and what
it says to you personally.
Find a web site that has reliable information about the
painting and refer to that source in your post. Attribute the source in any
comments you make, and provide a link to the source. Remember that you must use
italics or underlining for your titles of works of art. See Mechanics for Writing about Art and
Writing a Critique-Attached to the forum. As you discuss, be sure to read
paintings from the background to the foreground, using the terms background,
middle ground, and foreground.
Post your imaginary letter to the forum as this week's
initial post. Include at least 250 words in your initial post.
Reply to peers: Participate in the developing discussion,
responding to your colleagues' observations, using appropriate terminology and
drawing on what you're learning from your text to help the discussion grow
broader and deeper.
Choose 1 of the following paintings to write about:
TOPIC 1.) Examine and discuss in detail Francisco de Goya's
painting, The Third of May, 1808 created in 1815-16. The original painting,
which currently hangs in the Prado museum, is very large (about 10 x 14 feet),
and it was painted in 1816. It depicts the invasion by the French army into
Spain in the early 1800s. Examine your book for other images by Goya, in order
to understand his work better. Imagine
you are looking at this painting while visiting the Prado Museum in Spain. Consider what the size of the painting means
or does for/to the viewer.
Goya Painting
El Tres de Mayo, by
Francisco de Goya, from Prado in Google
--Or--
TOPIC 2.) Edouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergere,
1881-82. It is 37 1/4" X 51 1/4" and is considered his last
masterpiece. Manet was the first true modern artist, painting scenes from
contemporary life, not history, Biblical or mythological scenes. This is a
painting that represents modern nightlife in Paris. Examine this painting and
discuss the unusual components of the work. You should search for the
Folies-Bergere before you start, so that you know what the scene is about.
Consider what the size of the painting means or does for/to the viewer.
Manet image
Edouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1881-82.
Week 3
forum
Printmaking and Photography
An Examination of 2-Dimensional Art
Printmaking and Photography
Fully answer one of the following topics:
Printmaking
Topic 1.) Investigate the artist Albrecht Dürer on the
internet. He is considered the finest printmaker to have ever lived. Discuss
Dürer and how his type of printmaking played a part in books and education
during his lifetime.
Describe mass production, its importance, and what it helped
foster.
Consider the world before prints and printing presses.
Demonstrate that you understand the difference between
making single prints and making books on printing presses.
Choose a print that appeals to you created by this artist.
Explain how it was made, giving details of the technique (details, not just: “a
woodcut”), and why you like it. Does it have social meaning, political meaning,
or does it serve a practical function?
Consider whether or not you could afford a print as opposed to a
painting. Be sure to answer all parts of the question. Find a web site that has reliable information
about Dürer’s prints, and include a link to the website in your post.
--Or choose--
Photography
Topic 2.) Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936. This
photograph is important on many levels, but examine it in the context of the
Farm Security Administration, discussing the FSA’s involvement. What was the FSA? Why was it important? Why do we consider this photograph a
significant art object? Explain the reason for its creation. Then think about
the photograph and answer the following:
Is it art and/or documentation, or both?Provide solid
details about what makes an image art or documentation, and defend your answer.
Find a website that has reliable information about Lange and/or this topic, and
provide a link to the site in your post for proper attribution.
Week 4
forum
Sculpture and Architecture
An examination of 3-dimensional media: Sculpture and
Architecture
This is a research, read, consider, think, and write
exercise. You may list sources if helpful, but use your own words.
Fully answer one of the following topics:
Topic 1.) Conduct internet resaerch. Examine and discuss all
of the following sculptures:
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Serpent Mound
Andy Goldsworthy, Reconstructed Icicles, Dumfriesshire
These are all site specific sculptures, meaning they were
designed specifically for the physical place we find them. Often they are
referred to as earthworks or land art. Examine and discuss all three of these
works. Your answer should include:
Who is the artist (if known)?
From what era and culture is the sculpture?
How is the meaning of gallery sculpture different than other
sculpture?
What gives meaning to the sculpture, or why is it important?
Think about how many galleries/museums have sculptures that
were made in an artist's studio and then sold to any place that could afford
them.
Have you been to a sculpture garden? How many of those
objects were designed for the site?
Or Choose:
Topic 2.) Examine and discuss all of the following
buildings:
The Pantheon
Alexandre Auguste Eiffel, The Eiffel Tower
Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater
Architecture is often discussed in terms of 3 dimensions, as
though it was large scale sculpture, but architecture always has a specific
function. Architecture conveys meaning and is “read” like paintings and
sculpture are “read.” Each element has a
function and a meaning; therefore, buildings communicate messages to the
viewer. During this Forum, imagine yourself in the spaces while you examine it
and discuss it. Include in your answer:
Who is the architect?
From what era and what culture is the building?
What was its function and location?
What are the building materials --what is it made of?
Are there any special construction techniques used?
Why is the building important? Be specific.
Week 5
forum
Issues of Art in Politics and Power: Ancient and Gothic Art
Understanding Historic Importance:
Issues of Art in Politics and Power: Ancient and Gothic Art
You are researching, looking, reading, analyzing, and
synthesizing information. Provide links to any sources you may use. You may
consult websites for additional information. Keep your voice in your writing,
always write in your own words.
Fully answer 1 of the following topics:
Topic 1.) Examine the following images and find websites
related to Ancient and Egyptian art:
Head of an Akkadian Ruler
Human - Headed winged Lion
Lion Hunt
Palette of Narmer
Akenaten and His Family
You must examine and discuss 2 of these, and they must be
from different cultures. Describe the two examples you selected using art
terms. Explain what they are and where they came from. Tell in detail how the
works of art you have chosen are alike and different. Please demonstrate an understanding of the
issues of cultural power differences (how is each of the cultures demonstrating
power with these objects?), not just stylistic differences.
Or choose:
Topic 2.) Examine images and find websites related to Gothic
art, and more specifically, architecture (from the Gothic era, not from modern
times). Select two examples to write about in your post.
If you include Chartres cathedral in your post, please note
that we consider Chartres the most perfect of the Gothic cathedrals, because it
was completed in a comparatively short time period, unlike many cathedrals that
took hundreds or more years to complete (This is mostly due to funding.).
Chartres is a fairly cohesive building with a few exceptions.
Describe the two examples you selected using art terms.
Explain what they are and where they came from. Tell in detail how the works of
art you have chosen are alike and different.
Please demonstrate an understanding of stained glass windows and the
function and purpose they served. Imagine yourself inside. If you have visited
it, please make comments!
Week 6
forum
Issues of Art in Service of Religion
1. Donatello is considered the finest of the early Italian
Renaissance sculptors. He was known for advancing the ideas of naturalism in
the sculpted human figure. Conduct internet research, then examine and discuss
two of his works, such as "St. Mark" and "David." Answer all of the following in your post:
What does the word renaissance mean?
What does humanism mean?
How might the term renaissance apply to these figures?
What correlation is there between the figures based on what
you researched about the artist?
What differences do you see between the figures?
What is the function of each of these objects, and where
were/are they found?
What do they each mean?
What techniques did the artists use, and how did they fit
into their respective cultures?
What is your personal reaction/response to these figures,
and how (if at all) do they apply to your life and past experiences?
Or choose:
2. The great Italian Baroque artist, Caravaggio, did not
follow all of the rules of proper Italian Baroque art. He chose to depict holy events with people as
being rather ordinary, in ordinary settings. Believing that ordinary people
could be called to holy service, he shunned using the obvious religious figures
and bombastic theater in his works. He
gives the viewer a dramatic quietude. The great Flemish artist Peter Paul
Rubens also worked in the same time period, but in a different country. His works are more like Italian Baroque art
and its sense of grand theater. Conduct
internet research, and carefully examine and discuss the following images from
Caravaggio and Rubens:
Caravaggio, The Entombment of Christ
Peter Paul Rubens, The Raising of the Cross
In your post, answer the following questions:
What are the similarities and differences between the two
paintings? Consider subject matter, light, backgrounds, and figures.
Where do these paintings reside/where are they located?
How do they (or did they) function?
What meaning does each one express?
What techniques did the artists use, and how did they fit
into their respective cultures?
What is your personal reaction/response to these figures,
and how (if at all) do they apply to your life and past experiences?
Research, read your course materials, and locate an
appropriate website for additional information to support your discussion. List
the sources of your information at the end of your post, providing links to
websites.
You are researching, looking, reading, analyzing, and
synthesizing information. Consult websites for additional information. Keep
your voice in your writing, always write in your own words. Be sure to do an
internet search and include one or more reliable source of information for this
topic.
Week 7
forum
An introduction to the arts of Islam, Africa, East Asia, the
Pacific, and the Americas
Art Beyond Western Europe:
An introduction to the arts of Islam, Africa, East Asia, the
Pacific, and the Americas
Select 1 work of art from the cultures of Islam, Africa, East Asia, the Pacific, and
the Americas . Fully answer the following topic
Select an artwork from one of these cultures that interests
you.
Examine and discuss it, placing it within its culture and
discuss the philosophical meanings and influence found in the work of art.
Discuss how the artist's technique may reflect his/her
society's beliefs. For example, if you
choose an African mask, do not just describe them, but state the uses,
purposes, and meanings of the art within its culture.
Answer the question: How and why would the object be used
and what did it mean in its society?
And, how was it made? Be certain you are demonstrating an understanding
of a different culture's philosophy.
Caution: Avoid the Easter Island figures or any work that
does not have an established understanding of how the art reflects a
philosophy.
Conduct an Internet search to find your chosen work of art
or the culture/religion and cite one appropriate website, giving us the link.
Week 8
forum
DQ1 Course Wrap-Up
Forum
What have you gained from studying art appreciation during
this course?
What do you know now that you did not know before taking
this class?
Do you have a favorite artist that we studied, if so, who is
that, and why?
Do you think that your learning about art in ARTH200 was
beneficial to your thinking about your own life experiences? If so, please
explain.
During the course, what (if any) connections to your life,
work, or other pursuits did you make in learning the subject matter?
After completing ARTH200, what role does art serve in your
life?
Have your perceptions or experiences with music changed as a
result of the course? If so, how?
INSTRUCTIONS:
Initial posts must be 250+ words, using correct grammar and
spellcheck, posted by Thursday 11:55 p.m. ET each week. Part of the requirement
for a substantive post is to bring something new to the conversation. Read the
forum prompt and fully answer it, demonstrate understanding of the
lesson/content, include evidence from firsthand experience, reference to the
course materials, and apply what you’re discussing to work, life, and reality.
For Peer replies, respond substantively to at least TWO of
your classmates for full credit, with 100+ words each post. This helps build a
friendly and collegial environment in our class, and its part of your forum
grade. Substantively answering questions that the instructor (me!) asks during
that week's discussion DO count toward your participation points. Making
substantive posts will make the discussion more interesting and educational for
everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Use spell-check and check your word count.
If you do quote from a source, please list the source at the
bottom of your post.
Your responses should be a friendly greeting and include two
or more of the following:
Asking a thoughtful question
Share additional content or sources
Share your insight and experience/offer perspective
Give encouragement and making other connections to the topic
The purpose of peer replies is to develop academic
discussion and take our thinking to a deeper level in applying this week's
topic.
DQ2 Exploring the
Figure in Modern Art
Early Modern Masters: Picasso and Matisse: Exploring
the Figure in Modern Art
Fully answer both of the following topics:
Examine and discuss Picasso's Early Cubist painting, Les
Demoiselles d' Avignon (to view, visit
https://www.moma.org/explore/conservation/demoiselles/). Answer the following
questions:
What is cubism?
What is the painting about?
What does the title mean?
Why do we see shattered forms?
Is it possible to describe it from the background?
What did this painting do for the art world? Use your art terminology to discuss it and
its importance.
Does this style appeal to you, or not?
Examine and discuss Henri Matisse's Early Expressionist
painting, The Joy of Life (to view, visit https://www.henrimatisse.org/joy-of-life.jsp),
which was also revolutionary for its time. Answer the following questions:
How are the two significant paintings (Picasso’s and
Matisse’s) different in the depiction of the human figure?
What was Expressionism about?
What is "the Fauvist vision?"
What did this painting do for the art world? Use your art terminology to discuss it and
its importance.
Does this style appeal to you, or not?
INSTRUCTIONS:
Initial posts must be 250+ words, using correct grammar and
spellcheck, posted by Thursday 11:55 p.m. ET each week. Part of the requirement
for a substantive post is to bring something new to the conversation. Read the
forum prompt and fully answer it, demonstrate understanding of the
lesson/content, include evidence from firsthand experience, reference to the
course materials, and apply what you’re discussing to work, life, and reality.
For Peer replies, respond substantively to at least TWO of
your classmates for full credit, with 100+ words each post. This helps build a
friendly and collegial environment in our class, and its part of your forum
grade. Substantively answering questions that the instructor (me!) asks during
that week's discussion DO count toward your participation points. Making
substantive posts will make the discussion more interesting and educational for
everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Use spell-check and check your word count.
If you do quote from a source, please list the source at the
bottom of your post.
Your responses should be a friendly greeting and include two
or more of the following:
Asking a thoughtful question
Share additional content or sources
Share your insight and experience/offer perspective
Give encouragement and making other connections to the topic
The purpose of peer replies is to develop academic
discussion and take our thinking to a deeper level in applying this week's
topic.
