Brief
_Honors Art History was a class I took as a freshman during
spring quarter 2009. I had tested out of the first quarter of the three class
series through AP credit and high school and was looking forward to the continuation
of my Art History learning in college.
My Experience
_The class is through the college of DAAP
and focused on Art from the middle ages and forward. The honors class was
smaller and not just based on rote memorization of artists, movements, and
individual works but rather focus on the impact of art on western culture,
politics and life. Due to the small nature of the class, much more emphasis
could be placed on analysis of individual works and individual interpretation
of what was learned.
This class was required when I was an Industrial Design major for obvious reasons. However it has actually turned out to be an invaluable class and source of knowledge in International Affairs as well. Art is indicative of the state of the world whenever it was made. It is no coincidence that at the time of the enlightenment works of art became not only more realistic and less religiously based, but celebrated the birth of human intellect, skill and at times, arrogance. At times, art can even be more attuned to the subtle social structures, institutions and politics than most history books. This is probably due in no small part to the natural ‘rebellious’ nature of artists. Though he seems tame by today’s standards and is now respected as an intellectual “renaissance man”, Leonardo da Vinci was a highly unique and quirky man that embroiled himself in more conflicts than most know.
Learning about the sometimes obscure connections between the depictions we view and the importance behind such art has taught me the value of analytical tools. My ability to interpret a non-representational painting by Kandinsky and appreciate what other works to which it led is just as valuable in the political field as I find relationships between the turmoil in the middle east and centuries old wars between eastern and western cultures for land and material.
This class was required when I was an Industrial Design major for obvious reasons. However it has actually turned out to be an invaluable class and source of knowledge in International Affairs as well. Art is indicative of the state of the world whenever it was made. It is no coincidence that at the time of the enlightenment works of art became not only more realistic and less religiously based, but celebrated the birth of human intellect, skill and at times, arrogance. At times, art can even be more attuned to the subtle social structures, institutions and politics than most history books. This is probably due in no small part to the natural ‘rebellious’ nature of artists. Though he seems tame by today’s standards and is now respected as an intellectual “renaissance man”, Leonardo da Vinci was a highly unique and quirky man that embroiled himself in more conflicts than most know.
Learning about the sometimes obscure connections between the depictions we view and the importance behind such art has taught me the value of analytical tools. My ability to interpret a non-representational painting by Kandinsky and appreciate what other works to which it led is just as valuable in the political field as I find relationships between the turmoil in the middle east and centuries old wars between eastern and western cultures for land and material.