AP Art History

Fall Semester
2018-2019 Edited September 17, 2018

Course Description

AP Art History is a comprehensive study of art and the creative process

throughout history and from around the world. Because the class is taught
using a discussion and writing based approach students acquire the
vocabulary, analytical skills, writing techniques and self-confidence needed
to effectively understand and communicate the meaning of art. Students
learn how works of art from all traditions and cultures, both Western and
non-Western, are intertwined with their historical, social and creative
contexts.

Attendance and the completion of all assigned work are required in this
course and are prerequisites for taking the AP Art History exam. Grades are
based on (1) in-class categories worth 90%: unit tests (40%), matrix notes
(35%) sketchbook assignments (15%), and effort/class participation (10%);
and (2), a midterm and final exam worth 10%. It is the student’s
responsibility to arrange with me to retake any missed test within two school
days of the test’s original date. The assumption will be that every student is
planning on taking the AP examination, however this is not a requirement
for the course.

Required Textbook (Curriculum Requirement 1a CR 1a):

Stokstad, Maryilyn, Art History, 2nd ed., 2005

Additional Textbook Resources:

Kleiner, Fred S. and Christian J. Mamiya Gardner's Art Through the Ages,
12th ed., 2005.
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa, 1992.

The following list provides Primary (CR 1b) and Secondary

(CR 1c) web accessible resources for use throughout year. Supplemental
reference and resource sites are included too.
All curricular requirements (CR) are found color-coded throughout
syllabus

* = sites particularly good for matrix research (see Matrix assignment

below)

*https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/
excellent reproductions of major artists as well as virtual museum tours

* https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-art-
history-course-and-exam-description.pdf
VERY IMPORTANT This is the AP Art History course description - all you need
to know about AP exam content, procedures, and expectations

* www.learner.org/courses/globalart/
Fabulous website! Videos of major themes in global art (CR 1c)

http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.html
A thorough survey of art history and related resources (CR 1c)

http://www.artcrimes.net/
An index of art crimes and modern iconoclasm

http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html
Hyper-History Online: Over 2000 files covering 3000 years of history (CR
1c)

http://www.ciolek.com/GLOBAL/milestones.html
Global Networking: A Timeline (CR 1c)

* http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/essays/
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Articles surveying topics in art by theme,
geographic region and time period (CR 1c)

http://iris.nyit.edu/arthistory/pptshows.html
Art History Powerpoint Shows –NYIT-Ganis (CR 1c)

* http://smarthistory.org/
Smart History Kahn academy (CR 1c)

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/
Discover religious and cultural destinations around the world (CR 1c)

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/
Digital Imaging Project – Sculpture and Architecture – Sullivan (CR 1c)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/
BBC History of the World (CR 1c)

* http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/
Interviews and profiles of global contemporary (living) artists working in
their environment (CR 1b)

* Fine arts and Music Collection found at OPRFHS Library website

comprehensive art history resource
Academic site, great for research (CR 1c)

www.artres.com - image resource

http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/Index.htm
Art and Architecture site; contains definitions as well as illustrations for
key terms

The following Big Ideas and Learning Objectives are used as a conceptual
foundation for the course and are addressed throughout the curriculum - in
the matrix assignments and sketchbook projects, daily during class time via
questions and then weekly or bi-weekly on unit tests.

Big Ideas & Learning Objectives

1. Artists manipulate materials and ideas to create an aesthetic *
object, act, or event
• thinking or principles that contemplate the nature of and appreciation of
beauty
 Essential question: What is art and how is it made?

Learning Objectives
1. Students differentiate the components of form, function, content,
and/or context of a work of art
2. Students explain how artistic decisions about art making shape a work
of art
3. Students describe how context influences artistic decisions about
creating a work of art
4. Students analyze form, function, content, and/or context to infer or
explain the possible intentions for creating a specific work of art

2. Art making is shaped by tradition and change

Essential question: Why and how does art change?

Learning Objectives
1. Students describe features of tradition and/or change in a single work
of art or in a group of related works
2. Students explain how and why specific traditions and/or changes are
demonstrated in a single work or group of related works
3. Students analyze the influence of a single work of art or group of
related works on other artistic production

3. Interpretations of art are variable

Essential question: How do we describe out thinking about art?

Learning Objectives
1. Students identify a work of art
2. Student analyze how formal qualities and/or content of a work of art
elicit(s) a response
3. Students analyze how contextual variables lead to different
interpretations of a work of art
4. Students justify attributions of an unknown work of art
5. Students analyze relationships between works of art based on their
similarities and differences

First Semester
 Fall Course Syllabus
First Nine Weeks

Week One: (August 21 - 24): First Days: Introduction to AP Art History

• Day One: Introduction-preparing for class
• Day Two: Introduction- writing a matrix
• Day Three: Introduction- elements of art with slide examples
• Day Four: Introduction- principles of design with slide examples

Week Two: (August 27 – August 31) First Days: Introduction to AP Art

History
• Day One: Introduction- principles of design with slide examples
• Day Two: Introduction- principles of design with slide examples
• Day Three: Introduction- content & research sources
• Day Four: Introduction- effective note taking (i.e. Cornell notes)
• Day Five: Introduction-concluding course preparation-drawing in pairs
(practicing speaking about art and drawing an image)

Global prehistory

Week Three: (September 4-6): Global pre-history, TEST

• Day One: Global prehistory (CR1c) Thinking in symbols video, (CR1c)
cave painting video 1(CR1c) cave painting video 2
• Day Two: Global prehistory, (CR1c) Stonehenge video (CR1c)
• Day Three: TEST - Global Prehistory

Africa
Week Four: (September 10 - 14): African art
• Day One: Sketchbook introduction
• Day Two: African art Great Zimbabwe video, (CR1c) Jenne Mosque
video, (CR1c) Golden Stool video (CR1c), lost wax technique video (CR1c)
• Day Three: African Art African Art Dogan mask video 1 (CR1c) and
Dogan mask video 2 (CR1c) Mask video 3, (CR1c) Veranda Post image
(CR1c)
• Day Four: African Art video of Veranda Post artist Olowe (CR1c)
• Day Five: African Art

Week Five: (September 17 - 21): Africa Test; Indigenous Americas

• Day One: TEST African Art

Indigenous Americas
• Day Two: Indigenous Americas Mesa Verde video , (CR1c) Mesa Verde
video 2
• Day Three: Indigenous Americas; Teotihuacan video, (CR1c)
Teotihuacan video 2 (CR1c) and Chichen Itza video (CR1c)
• Day Four: Indigenous Americas, Tenochtitlan video (CR1c)
• Day Five: Indigenous Americas City of Cuzco (CR1c) video, Machu
Picchu video (CR1c)

Week Six: (September 24 - 28): Indigenous Americas TEST; Ancient

Mediterranean
• Day One: TEST Indigenous Americas

Ancient Mediterranean
• Day Two: Mesopotamian, Mesopotamian overview video, (CR1c)
Hammurabi’s code video (CR1c)
• Day Three: Mesopotamian Persepolis video, (CR1c) Persepolis video 2
(CR1c) and Sasanian art
• Day Four: Egypt: pre-dynastic
• Day Five: Egypt: Old Kingdom, Great Pyramid video, (CR1c) Great
Pyramid Video 2, (CR1c) Amun-Re video (CR1c) Nefertiti video (CR1c)

Week Seven: (October 1 - 5): Ancient Mediterranean

• Day One: Egypt: New Kingdom Egyptian art; Thebes video, (CR1c)
book of the dead article (CR1c)
• Day Two: Ancient Greece: Humanism; Archaic Period Statuary; Doric,
Ionic and Corinthian orders
• Day Three: Ancient Greece: Early Classical Statuary
• Day Four: Ancient Greece: High Classical Statuary, Statuary video
(CR1c); Vase painting
• Day Five: Ancient Greece: Late Classical Sculpture, The Acropolis, and
Acropolis video , acropolis video 2 (CR1c)

Week Eight: (October 8 - 12): Ancient Mediterranean; Sketchbook

• Day One: Ancient Greece: Hellenistic sculpture, Samothrace sanctuary

video (CR1c) Nike of Samothrace video 1(CR1c)
• Day Two: Etruscan art, Etruscan burial mound video (CR1c)
• Day Three: Roman art-Republic & Early Empire; Pont-du-Gard video
(CR1c)
• Day Four: Sketchbook #1 due

Week Nine : (October 15 - 19): Ancient Mediterranean

• Day One: Roman art: Painting, Flavians, Roman Colosseum video

(CR1c)
• Day Two: Activity Day!
• Day Three: Roman art: High Empire, Roman Art and Pantheon video
(CR1c)
• Day Four: Roman art: Late Empire, Trajan’s Column video (CR1c)
• Day Five: Roman art: Architecture

Second Nine Weeks

Week Ten: (October 22 - 24): Ancient Mediterranean

• Day One: Roman art: Architecture

• Day Two: Ancient Mediterranean Test review
• Day Three: Ancient Mediterranean Test review

Week Eleven: (October 29 – November 2): Ancient Mediterranean

TEST; Early Europe and Colonial America

• Day One: TEST Ancient Mediterranean

Early Europe and Colonial America

• Day Two:Late Antiquity: Pilgrimage video, (CR1c) Speyer Cathedral
video (CR1c)
• Day Three: Byzantine, Hagia Sophia video (CR1c)Byzantine drawings
(CR1c)
• Day Four: Byzantine, San Vitale video (CR1c)
• Day Five: Early Medieval

Week Twelve: (November 5 - 9): Early Europe and Colonial America;

Sketchbook

• Day One: Early Medieval, enamelling technique video

• Day Two: Romanesque, Pilgrimage video, (CR1c) Speyer Cathedral video
(CR1c)
• Day Three: Romanesque
• Day Four: Gothic, Bayeux Tapestry video (CR1c); and Chartres Video,
(CR1c)Chartres Video II, Chartres Video III, (CR1c) Amiens Cathedral
video (CR1c)
• Day Five: Sketchbook #2 due

Week Thirteen: (November 12 - 16): Early Europe and Colonial

America

• Day One: Gothic

• Day Two: Early Renaissance 13th & 14th Centuries
• Day Three: 15th Century Northern Europe, Cordoba video, (CR1c)
Alhambra video, (CR1c) Islamic design (CR1c)
• Day Four: 15th Century Italy, Pazzi Chapel acoustic video, Medici
family as art patrons (CR1c)
• Day Five: 15th Century Italy, Italy Massacio, (CR1c)

Week Fourteen: (November 19 - 20): Early Europe and Colonial

America

• Day One: 16th Century Northern Europe, Burial of Christ image (CR1c)
• Day Two: 16th Century Northern Europe, Isenheim Altarpiece video
(CR1c)
Week Fifteen: (November 26 – November 30): Early Europe and
Colonial America; Field Trip

• Day One: 16th Century Italy, Sistine Chapel tour(CR1c)

• Day Two: Field Trip
• Day Three: 16th Century Italy, Vasari survey of Michelangelo in Lives of
the Artists read from start through section on the David (CR1b)
• Day Four: 16th Century Italy
• Day Five: 16th Century Italy

Week Sixteen: (December 3 - 7): Early Europe and Colonial America;

Activity Day; Sketchbook

• Day One: 17th Century Europe, Baroque St. Peter’s, Rome video(CR1c)
• Day Two: Activity Day!
• Day Three: 17th Century Europe, Baroque carving marble video(CR1c)
• Day Four: 17th Century Europe, Baroque Versailles Video (CR1c); and
Versailles Video 2 (CR1c)
• Day Five: Sketchbook #3 due

Week Seventeen: (December 10 - 14): Early Europe and Colonial

America Test

• Day One: 17th Century Europe, Baroque Vermeer video (CR1c)

• Day Two: Early Europe and Colonial Americas- Test Review
• Day Three: Early Europe and Colonial Americas- Test Review
• Day Four: TEST Early Europe and Colonial America
• Day Five: TEST Early Europe and Colonial America

Week Eighteen: (December 17 - 21): Mid Term Exam Review and Mid
Term Exam

• Day One: Mid Term Exam Review

• Day Two: Mid Term Exam Review
• Day Three: Mid term exams
• Day Four: Mid term exams
• Day Five: Mid term exams
_______________________________________________

Course requirements in addition to daily/weekly

curriculum
The following are projects and activities that students complete throughout
the course. All AP Curriculum Requirements are addressed in some form
across all of these curricular components.
- explanation and copies of all activities are available on my website

(1) Matrix- This is the core research, analysis and

survey document for the course content. A matrix is a chart that asks
students to analyze each of the 250 pieces of required art in the AP
curriculum (CR5). These are assigned in groups per each content area and are
due in two submissions: (part a) half way through a unit and (part b) on the
day of a unit test. An image of each art piece is in the center of the document
and a set of eight topics is in the surrounding space. Students are to fill in a
response to each topic according the following sequence:
1. Identification: (artist, title, date, size, country of origin; period/style):
Materials and Technique: (how is the art made):
2. Form: Explain what elements of art & principles of design are present in the artwork:
color, shape, form, texture, line, space and balance, emphasis, rhythm
3. Function: What was the artist’s intended use for the artwork? What was its actual
use?
4. Content: What is the subject of the artwork; what is the “story” being told in/by the
artwork? What are its various components?
5. Context: Historical & cultural influences on the work.
6. Themes and art piece comparisons: Enduring
Understanding/Big Ideas evident in artwork (and how?)
7. Personal Opinion of the artwork
8. Sources for matrix-must include at least two sources; primary and/or
secondary sources (CR 1b & CR)

• AP Curricular Requirements - Learning Objectives (LO) - are

addressed in Matrix (CR4):
o LO 1.1, LO 1.2, LO 1.3, LO 1.4
o LO 2.1, LO 2.2, LO 2.3
o LO 3.1, LO 3.2, LO 3.3, LO 3.4, LO 3.5
as well as research source requirements: ( include both CR 1b & CR 1c)

Matrix sample format is on next page

Student Name:_________________________
1. Identification: (artist, title, date, size, country
of origin; period/style): Materials and
Technique: (how is the art made):
AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
LO 3.1
4. Content: What is the subject of the artwork; what is the
“story” being told in/by the artwork? What are its various
components?
AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
LO 2.1, LO 3.1, LO 3.4
(CR 1b & CR 1c)
2. Form: Explain what elements of art & principles of design 3. Function: What was the artist’s intended use for the
are present in the artwork: color, shape, form, texture, line, space artwork? What was its actual use?
and balance, emphasis, rhythm
AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
AP Curricular Requirements addressed: LO 1.1, LO 1.4, LO 3.3
LO 1.1
5. Context: Historical & cultural influences on the work.
AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
LO 1.2, LO 1.3, LO 2.1, LO 3.2, LO 3.4
(CR 1b & CR 1c)
Place picture(s) of the artwork here
AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
LO 3.1
Matrix format
AP Art History
This document, by the way it’s organized, meets
AP Curricular Requirement: LO 1.1
6. Theme(s) evident in artwork (and how?) 7. Personal opinion of the artwork.
AP Curricular Requirements addressed: AP Curricular Requirements addressed:
LO 2.2 LO 3.2
Compare/Contrast to Another Work- (CR7) with
Revised Collins 2014
explanation!
8. Sources used for matrix- cite at least two.
AP Curricular Requirements addressed: (CR 1b & CR 1c)
LO 2.3, LO 3.5
 (2) Sketchbook Assignments – (six per year)
Includes AP Curricular Requirements 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 – (CR1), (CR5), (CR6), (CR7), (CR8)

AP Art History
Sketchbook Comparison Assignments
2018-2019

The goal of the sketchbook assignment is to help you improve your ability to analyze, via
writing and illustration, the central themes, artistic elements, enduring understanding and
essential knowledge statements (CR5) & (CR6) & (CR8), opinions of primary and
secondary sources (CR 1b and CR 1c), and countless messages of art history (Big Ideas,
Essential Questions, Learning Objectives) (CR2). You are to work through this process
by comparing and contrasting two pieces of art on a large poster board format. (CR7)

Process:
Answer the specific question/theme for each pair by:
• Referencing specific parts of each image
• Identifying relevant elements of art and principals of design found in each image
• Combining both writing and drawing around each image
• Providing historical, cultural, social context including relevant enduring
understanding and essential knowledge statements (CR8)

Requirements:
• Your images (full color) are to appear face to face on your poster board
• you are to fill the entire page with information
• Major topics are to have headings
• You are to include some drawing in each analysis
• You are to use and cite at least 3 research sources (CR 1b and CR 1c).

Many of the AP Curricular Requirements are addressed in the persuasive essay;

some will be, however, by default.

o LO 1.1, LO 1.2, LO 1.3, LO 1.4

o LO 2.1, LO 2.2, LO 2.3
o LO 3.1, LO 3.2, LO 3.3, LO 3.4, LO 3.5
___________________________________________________
Example of Sketchbook Assignment, below
 AP Art History
Sketchbook Assignment #1:
Assigned: September 11, Monday
Due: September 29, Friday

Theme (s): Human Image in Art, History and Memory (Sculpture - “old-
new” connections)
Focus Questions: Compare ancient Greek Seated Boxer (ca. 100 - 50 B.C.)
with Seated Youth (1917) by Wilhelm Lehmbruck. How is emotion
conveyed by each figure? Analyze how historical and cultural contexts
inform our understanding of both works. Must directly reference
Lehmbruck’s poem on your response (LO 1.2, LO 1.3, LO 2.1, LO 2.2, LO 2.3, LO
3.1, LO 3.3) (CR6)

Required secondary source for Seated Boxer: http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-

museum/now-at-the-met/features/2013/the-boxer by Seán Hemingway, Curator,
Department of Greek and Roman Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (CR 1c)

Required primary (for Lehmbruck poem) & secondary source for Seated Youth:
http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection/art-object-page.54383.html by John
Walker, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (CR 1b & CR 1c)

Typical samples of a Sketchbook Comparison

AP Art History
 Sketchbook Comparison Assignment
Content guide for students
2018-2019

_____ Analysis connects the artwork to its historical context

_____ Style and technique are analyzed and discussed in each work

_____ Responses address key components related to the central question(s):

(Purpose/function of each work; location of each work; artist’s point of view
about the art and its impact on society - political, social thinking)

_____ Quality of argument in support of the pivotal points with specificity

_____ Analysis address the works in comparison to each other. (CR7)

_____ Evidence of overall balance between visual and written information

_____ Incorporation of visuals references, drawings and alternate views of the artwork:
(are they helpful in enhancing understanding and meaning of the work?)

_____ Degrees of illumination, innovation and clarity of the page layout design
(including thoughtful use of color, placement of images, directional arrows, etc.)

_____ Evidence of investment of time, effort and thought put into the assignment

_____ Use of three (3) (both CR 1b & CR 1c) research sources, documented and cited

_______________________________________________________

Key: 4=Excellent 3=Good 2=Fair 1=Poor

Total Points: ___________________ Grade: _______________

Name: _______________________________________________

AP Art History
 Sketchbook -sample grading guide

Theme (s): Human Image in Art, History and Memory (Sculpture - “old-
new” connections)

Focus Questions: Compare ancient Greek Seated Boxer (ca. 100 - 50 B.C.)
with Seated Youth (1917) by Wilhelm Lehmbruck. How is emotion
conveyed by each figure? Analyze how historical and cultural contexts
inform our understanding of both works.

________________________________________________________________________
_____ Analysis connects the artwork to its historical context

_____ Style and technique are analyzed and discussed in each work

_____ Responses address key components related to the central question(s):

(Purpose/function of each work; location of each work; artist’s point of view
about the art and its impact on society - political, social thinking)

_____ Quality of argument in support of the pivotal points with specificity (CR8).

_____ Analysis address the works in comparison to each other.

_____ Evidence of overall balance between visual and written information

_____ Incorporation of visuals references, drawings and alternate views of the artwork:
(are they helpful in enhancing understanding and meaning of the work?)

_____ Degrees of illumination, innovation and clarity of the page layout design
(including thoughtful use of color, placement of images, directional arrows, etc.)

_____ Evidence of investment of time, effort and thought put into the assignment

_____ Use of three research sources documented and cited (CR6). (CR 1b, & CR 1c)

Key: 4 = Excellent (A) 3.5 = Good 3 = Fair 2.5 = Poor

(A=36-40) (B=32-35) (C=28-31) (D=24-27)

Total Points: ______________________ Grade:

Name:__________________

(3) Activity Day

 (two during fall semester)
Each carousel day is devoted to exploring the course content in a flexible
way that gives students additional opportunity to see artwork from the
broadest possible perspective. Topics to cover on these days are driven by
student needs or interests or teacher concerns or observations at a particular
time in the semester/syllabus.

Possible student needs or interests or teacher concerns or observations:

o Interest in sharing artwork seen on a trip
o Review of curriculum that is unclear
o Semester content review
o In depth discussion of a particular piece of art or content theme
o Chance for additional test review