Understanding Western Art: Stories, Styles, and Masterworks

Begin the course by exploring the criteria we use to define art. Look at what art does and chart the Renaissance "invention" of the artist as a singular creative genius. Consider two key works: Marcel Duchamp's controversial Fountain (a urinal displayed as an artwork), and the Venus figurines (Neolithic sculptures), as they highlight fundamental questions about the nature of art.

Starting in the ancient world, trace how the human form was perfected over the centuries. In examples of Cycladic, Sardinian, and Greek sculpture, follow the increasing sophistication of the portrayal of both the body itself and states of emotion. Study the famous Laocoön Group, an icon of emotionally expressive sculpture, and Michelangelo's David, one of Western art's towering masterworks.

Examine the visual aesthetics of the Greeks and Romans, as they applied mathematical principles to art and architecture to create balance and symmetry. See these principles in action in the Parthenon temple of ancient Athens, and the neoclassical Oath of the Horatii by 18th-century painter Jacques-Louis David. Observe how classical aesthetics have influenced Western art for millennia.

Discover how the use of symbols in Christian painting and architecture began a new chapter in the language of Western art that has shaped it ever since. Look at key Christian symbols, such as the halo, and animal imagery, as they communicate ideas through recognizable motifs. See symbols displayed in the stunning mosaics of the churches of Ravenna and in the stained glass of Chartres cathedral.

Learn how the search for color has shaped Western art. Beginning with prehistoric art, witness the challenges artists faced in recreating the colors seen in nature, and trace the history of mineral and plant pigments, leading finally to synthetic colors. See the dazzling use of color in the Très Riches Heures, a sublime 15th-century book of hours, and in Kandinsky's masterwork, Yellow-Red-Blue.

Textile production played a significant role in the early history of Western art. Travel into the fascinating story and politics of embroidery and tapestry making in the Middle Ages, arts that were largely the domain of women. See this legacy embodied in the medieval Bayeux Tapestry, illustrating the Battle of Hastings, and The Dinner Party, a contemporary textile masterpiece by Judy Chicago.