Art History

Writing an art history essay requires building a verbal analysis of a visual construction, according to Dartmouth College writing program director Karen Goscik. Though specific requirements can vary…

Art curators preserve and administer the collections of museums and similar institutions, as well as acquire additional works and plan exhibitions. They also conduct research and direct the…

A grotto is a natural or artificial cave usually used by humans for artistic, religious or ceremonial purposes but also for habitation. Ancient China was dotted with many grand grotto systems, most of…

The tribes that would come to form the Aztec people migrated to central Mexico from the northern city of Aztlan in the early 11th century. An amalgamation of the Colhua-Mexica, Mexica and Tenochca…

The Bloodhound Gang is an American rock band that has had moderate success since the mid-1990s. The group's early albums were filled with sophomoric lyrics and sexual innuendo and band members found…

The Pop Art movement thrived in the United States and Britain between the 1950s and the early 1970s. Unlike classical artists who typically based their paintings on classical mythology and history,…

Chinese masks are an important part of China's culture and they have been in use for thousands of years as a part of religious and spiritual observances. Chinese masks are rooted in ancient shamanism.…

Bengali art is a diverse tapestry of rich, colorful pieces that reflect the vibrant culture of Bangladesh. Bengali art spans centuries, and encompasses woodwork, terracotta, paintings, scroll…

Making a personalized card for a friend or family member offers both the gift of your time and creativity. Making a card for a Korean loved one is a simple matter of using a translation program to…

The "Roaring '20s" refers to the 1920s, when the U.S. economy prospered after World War I. This era witnessed the emergence of playwrights and lyricists in New York's theater scene. During this…

Italy has a historical artistic legacy to rival any country. For centuries artists created masterpieces of the highest order, and innovations like perspective have transformed the way art is made.…

Any student of drama and literature will spend time with Greek and Shakespearean theater. The two types of drama form the foundation of Western theater and continue to influence drama today. The…

Johannes Vermeer, also called Jan or Johan, was a 17th century Dutch genre painter from Delft. He specialized in interiors, especially portraits of women. Famous Vermeer paintings include "Girl with a…

Temporary tattoos allow you to try out the look of a tattoo without committing to a permanent mark on your body or undergoing painful application procedures. The ability to wash off your tattoo with…

Impressionism is a style of painting introduced in France in the late 19th century. Sometimes referred to as "optical realism," Impressionist paintings focus primarily on the effect that light and…

One of the main functions of art throughout the ages has been to send visual messages to the observer. From the hidden symbols in art in the ancient days to modern love notes sent through pictures,…

In both South Korea and Japan, dramas comprise a large segment of television shows. These series tend to have limited runs of 12 to 16 episodes before being replaced by a new show. Dramas running for…

Most tattoos are a point of pride for the person wearing them and are placed in locations that are easily seen. However, sometimes a tattoo has such a deep and personal meaning that you may want to…

Merriam Webster defines the term "drama queen" as "a person given to often excessively emotional performances or reactions." You've probably met someone who fits this description. Dressing up as a…

The term "Hispanic" describes Spanish-speaking people living in the United States from any background. Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in September, the month in which several Latin American…

The Roaring Twenties were a time of immense optimism for Americans. World War I had finished, and the economy was in the midst of a real boom. There was a sense of freedom and hope around the country,…

While the precise meaning of a color varies within cultures, colors carry symbolic weight and artists have used them suggestively in their artwork since antiquity. A color's meaning is sometimes…

Post-Impressionistic artwork can add a bright and striking element to any room. This technique focuses on bold colors and exaggerated shapes while maintaining some of the same style as Impressionism.…

An installation is a type of conceptual art that is in some way interactive with viewers. Conceptual art is unlike standard visual arts in that it can include a variety of different media, from audio…

Art is too often associated with paper, paint and studios or classrooms. But, art does not have to be permanent or use conventional media. A trip to the seaside offers a wonderful opportunity to…

Art takes many shapes and forms, spanning from paintings to sculptures to digital art simulations. Professional artists and people who enjoy expressing their creative side take art classes to learn…

Art that uses movement within its structure is called kinetic art. Kinetic sculptures often use wind, a motor or stimuli from the viewer to create movement. Kineticism is a term used to describe the…

Earning a degree in one of the many career fields in music is an excellent way of taking what may be a simple hobby, like playing guitar or keeping a home project studio, and elevating it to the level…

If you are looking for a cool, new idea for a school theater project, consider using shadows or silhouettes as your actors. To do this, you can turn to puppetry. Shadow puppets have been used for…

Set design is the artistic process of turning a writer's notes and a director's vision into reality. It is the creation of a set for the actors to use when they perform a show. When you design a set,…

Puppets have for centuries provided entertainment for children and adults alike. A surprisingly versatile medium, puppetry can often be used to express a wide range of human emotions. This…

Charlotte, North Carolina, boasts some of the most popular attractions and activities, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Carowinds theme park, college and professional sports, and the U.S. National…

Art history is one of the richest and most rewarding subjects you can study in college. College undergraduate courses in art history range from the art of Oceania to Egypt, and from the art of the…

The importance of the "Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints" stems from the fact that it is the only altarpiece by Renaissance artist Raphael in the United States. The painting is housed in the New…

Roman and Byzantine mosaics developed at roughly the same time periods and thus exerted influence upon one another. However, both did possess distinct styles, techniques, subject matter, and…

First appearing as the Zulus for the 1909 New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club has survived a long and tumultuous history. Named after the African tribe, the Zulus…

Tibetan art incorporates religious imagery and symbolism into intricate paintings, sculptures, weavings and manuscripts. Tibetan art has features in common with other kinds of Himalayan art but is…

The famous Renaissance painter Raphael, less commonly known by his full name Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, is widely recognized as one of the world's greatest artists. Many of his paintings explore…

Mexican Pottery is distinguished by vivid colors, bold brushstrokes and fluid lines depicting elements of nature. Pottery designs differ from one region to another and are influenced by traditions,…

The Zulu, with a population of about 3 million members, live in south-central Africa with ties from the Congo to South Africa. Scientists, artists and sculptors all look to the Zulu people for sources…

Jazz is a broad term that describes a range of musical styles: bebop, Afro-Cuban, free jazz and jazz fusion. The use of chromatic phrases, polyrhythms and complex time signatures characterizess all…

Art takes a variety of forms that run the gamut from basic drawing and painting to sculpture and ceramics. The state of Texas has a wide variety of ways to learn about art, ranging from art museums to…

Alaskan gift shops and Inuit tribes have been claiming the native tradition of Billiken carvings for decades, but the figure was actually first created by a female teacher from Kansas City in 1908.

Art is the study of creative objects such as painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, textile arts, and architecture. Students learn about art by using their creativity to produce objects in…

Each year, technological advances affect more and more aspects of society, including those related to art and history. Colleges and non-profit organizations alike offer grant programs in the fields of…

Hispanic art has a long and colorful history. Early pieces of art have been found on the Iberian peninsula that date back to the Neolithic period. Since that time Spanish art traditions have…

Blossom Music Center, also referred to as Blossom, is one of Ohio's largest venues for musical events. Blossom is located on 800 acres of hilly land and consists of a pavilion and lawn, two plazas, a…

Antique desks can serve as ornamental pieces to fit the mood or design of a room or can be used as functional pieces. Antique desks are perfect for those looking for diversity of design or history in…

An owner's pride in his books is often signified by his placing a bookplate inside the front cover of each of them. This is particularly true of wealthy individuals with the means to afford vast…

Jade is a gemstone that Chinese culture has revered for thousands of years. The Mandarin character "yu" means jade and also refers to the link between heaven and earth, the spiritual and the physical.…

Italy has always been one of the main centers for art throughout the centuries, often influencing the whole of Europe. From the Byzantine period through the High Renaissance, Italian artists were some…

Industrial arts represents the study and practice of technical design including furniture, automobiles and toys. Industrial artists serve many purposes in society and cultivate technological…

Art Deco was an important artistic genre that included furniture design. It modernized many themes and artistic styles from past art. It contains influences from the Egyptians, Mayans, Greeks, Romans,…

Koreans have a diverse, rich art history dating back thousands of years. Traditional artists became involved in numerous disciplines ranging from pottery and sculpture to painting and calligraphy.…

Although sand and water art began as a way for regular beach dwellers to make money from tourists, the art form has since grown to receive international acclaim as distinguished form of sculpture. All…

The history of Haitian art began in the 1940s when an artist (and schoolteacher) relocated to Haiti from California. After establishing an art school and training center, he discovered several…

North Korean art and culture has undergone many transformations through the years. Early cultural influences such as Buddhism heavily influenced the art of the area prior to embracing cultural changes…

Sand art (the formation of creations, pictures and imagery) is an admired activity seeped in history and with many different cultural components. It involves varied techniques, materials and has…

There are key trends and differences in Native American art throughout North America and there are varying influences Native art has assumed over time. Native American art is a unique yet diverse form…

Born of frustration, Post-Impressionism is a paradox; much like a child enamored with some of the qualities of its parents, yet disdainful of others, the movement borrowed heavily from its…

Modern sculpture arose in tandem with similar artistic trends in painting, drawing, and printmaking. Like artists working in other media, sculptors of the modern era tended to share interests in…

The Swiss art historian, Heinrich Wolfflin, delineated the principles of art history in his influential book Kunstgeschichtliche Grundbegriffe (The Principles of Art History), first published in 1915.…

Flowers have grown on every continent for over 100 million years. Scientists estimate that 270,000 species exist today. Floral design is one of the earliest methods of creative expression. Many…

Many artists consider drawing and sketching as fundamental to the artistic process. Brief sketches can help develop a finished painting or sculpture, but these and more finished drawings can also…

The Zulu are South Africa's largest ethnic group, numbering around 10-11 million people in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, though some live in Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Zulu…

Cubism stands as one of the most famous—and possibly misunderstood—movements in twentieth-century art. Like Impressionism, which came before it, Cubism investigates the nature of reality…

Since the debut of video as a new technology, artists have been inspired by its potential as a means of artistic expression. Although video art can take many forms, it distinguishes itself from film…

Mexico's pottery industry emerged after the Spanish conquest of the region. Twenty-first century Mexican ceramicists produce items like dishes and kitchen utensils as well as sculptures and folk art.…

The aesthetic philosopher Friedrich Schiller believed that the capacity to appreciate beauty was tied to our capacity for morality and our human dignity. People who lose the capacity to appreciate…

The first martial arts film began in Hong Kong, China, in the early 1900s. During this time, western cultures influences were predominant in the country causing a decline in traditional value and…

Early Christian and Byzantine art refers to a body of work produced by or for the Christian Empire for the first five centuries A.C.E., or After the Common Era. When Emperor Constantine moved the…

Miami, Florida, is one of the few cities to act as an oasis for Art Deco, a transient form of art that thrived during the tumultuous decades of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. Like many…

Small inanimate objects--often arranged on a table--make up the typical subjects of still life art. The term usually applies to painting but can refer to any art medium including drawing and…

Heraldry, the fine art of armorial bearings, such as coats of arms or heraldic badges, dates back at least to the early-mid 12th century. The varieties of coats of arms have greatly expanded, but the…

High school drama offers students the chance to learn about the human condition, literature within a historical context, and art history within the context of theatre, as well as giving students a…

Dallas, Texas has witnessed the recordings of hundreds of blues artists, including famous names like Huddie William Ledbetter (Leadbelly, to blues fans). Today, the city and surrounding area strive to…

Art in Asia has a rich, extensive history. Interest in art from the eastern half of the world has been the subject of much curiosity and scrutiny in recent years, owing to recent buying trends in the…

Ceramic art has a history that spans the globe. Each culture and society has placed a unique stamp on the art form from the development of new firing techniques, glazes and even the industrialization…

Carrboro, North Carolina, is a small cultural hub in Orange County, just 30 minutes northwest of Raleigh, and Carrboro adjoins Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina. Carrboro and…

People native to areas formerly ruled by Spain, known as Hispanics, have a long, proud artistic tradition, one that takes many forms. Because the cultures of the artists producing this art are very…

Puppets are one of the oldest forms of theater, and shadow puppetry in particular has a rich history in both Asia and the west. Historians trace the origins of shadow puppets to China, at least as…

The various Asian cultures of China, Japan and Korea all have made significant contributions to the art world. Asian art not only features the individuality of each nation but also a collective…

Land Art is a modern art movement that explores the relationships between art and the environment in which it exists. Because most Land Art is outdoors, it evolves as a direct result of nature. This…

The word mural originates from the Latin word murus or "wall." Thus, mural art refers to any form of visual expression created on a wall. Mural art is a longstanding public art form that has expressed…

The history of metal art extends almost as far back as archeologists can dig. Metal art has crude beginnings in the form of hammering daily metal objects. Design slowly emerged on cups, bowls, vases,…

Digital art is an art created on the computer in digital form. The medium of computer art was developed during 1960s and opened new possibilities for abstract and figurative art.

In 1921 the Mexican government commissioned artist Diego Rivera to paint a series of frescoes for public buildings, initiating the renowned Mexican Mural Renaissance. Below are six locations in Mexico…

Oriental art is one of the major branches of art classification, along with European art, art of the Americas, African art and Middle Eastern art. The development or distinct artistic styles in Japan,…

Different types of music degrees exist at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. Obtaining various degrees can open many different career opportunities in the competitive field of music.

Mexican art history begins with the art of the Aztecs, and it culminated in the 1920s during the Mexican Art Movement lead by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Discover the art born in Mexico with tips…

Landscape art usually illustrates scenery and panoramas such as valleys, mountains, forests and rivers. Most landscape compositions include the sky and the weather but occasionally distant views of…

Salvador Dali, an early 20th century Spanish artist, is associated with the Surrealist movement, though it had been founded many years before Dali became a popular artist. Surrealism was concerned…

From an artist's perspective, art history is useful in determining how other artists developed and comparing that to one's own art. Learn about the subject of art history with information from an…

Chinese art has existed for thousands of years and has various periods much like Western art history. These periods are divided into the dynastic rule of Chinese emperors, each with different styles…

The feminist art movement uses feminist theory to discuss and create art. Since it began, the feminist art movement has brought new insight to the art world and helped female artists access a larger…

Tattooing is an art form that consists of decorative markings on human skin. Tattoos exist in many cultures and have a long history.

Pinup art is art depicting physically attractive females. Vintage pinup art commonly refers to photographs, paintings, illustrations and other art forms in this genre created before 1960.

Greek theater began in the 6th century B.C., and it has become a cornerstone in the performing arts. Understand the history of acting through the study of Greek theater with help from a performing…

Body art has been a fascination for centuries. Tattoos are not always preferred due to their permanent nature. Temporary body tattoos offer a fun option. It's a process that's rich in history and full…

Feminist art began to grow in the 1960s and '70s, when women started creating artwork that expressed their femininity, political views and personal accomplishments. Discover the work of famous…

In Tracey Chevalier's novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring," the author writes a fictional account of the circumstances under which painter Johannes Vermeer may have created his masterpiece,…

There was a time when getting a degree in art history meant you had great conversation at cocktail parties. Times have changed--there are fewer cocktail parties! Luckily, opportunities have increased…

Art can be considered a universal language. People travel to various parts of the world just to see and admire great works of art. An artist's creation can end up being considered a masterpiece.…

Gang tattoos are used by gang members to show loyalty and membership in a specific gang. They also reflect the gang member's life choices and gang-related accomplishments, like their specialty areas…

The artistic forms of the Choctaw tribe present a complete expression of living. The traditional and ancient arts and crafts that come from these Native Americans combine history, culture,…

Art history combines the study of artists' lives and works with the culture, politics and religious atmosphere of the artists' time. An art history timeline places world events and artwork in…

Art history is the study of sculpture, painting, architecture, photography and film throughout the ages. Art history examines the cultural, religious and philosophical attitudes of each time period…

Art dealers can make profound changes in the landscape of art and the lives of artists. Art dealers are the backbone behind great artists and have been integral in unveiling many creative artistic…