Art History

Art History
 

Art History is the study of different cultures and periods of time by examining the art and architecture which they produced, the artists who made them and the society for which they created them. The study of Art History includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and architecture.

Art History teaches visual analysis, research skills, historical knowledge, interpretation, information analysis, writing skills and critical thinking. Visual literacy is a key to many areas of study today.

The study of Art History is useful to gain a better understanding of history, society and culture.  As such, students intending to undertake careers in areas such museum studies, architecture, art and design, or tourism will find Art History a very useful subject.

NCEA Art History
 

Level 1
In Level 1 Art History there is a focus on connecting the purpose and function of art in past and present cultures, in Aotearoa and the Pacific. Students are introduced to the skills of investigating and interpreting artists' intentions in their works, including how ideas and and imagery changeover the course of history.

Level 2
In Level 2 Art History there is a focus on studying European art in the 19th century during the periods of Neo–Classicism to Post–Impressionism and Art Nouveau. This study includes changes in society and art caused by both the French and Industrial Revolutions, and how these impacted the changes made to painting, sculpture, architecture and design during that time.

Level 3
In Level 3 Art History classes can study one or two options that range from the Renaissance right through to the contemporary art. Potential topics might include the study of the Renaissance in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries, when clasics art works such as David by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man were created.  Other possibilities are the study of modernist architecture and design during the first half of the 20th century, which highlights the importance of design in early modernist thinking, or arly modernism in Europe during the same period, but focussing on the variety of approaches used by modernist painters, sculptors and printmakers.