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How does art provide insights into history and the human condition? Begin to explore some of the ways that art historians analyze art in terms of form, composition, and relevance to historical and current events.

Master list of the 250

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Required works of art for AP* Art History
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Why art matters

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Why look at art?
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Must art be beautiful? Picasso's The Old Guitarist
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How art can help you analyze
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The Power to Look
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What work of art inspired you?
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Describing what you see: Sculpture (Henry Moore, Reclining Figure)
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Elements of art

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Line as an art element
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Shape and form
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Color
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Space
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Texture
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Surface and Depth
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Light and Shadow
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Principles of composition

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Balance, symmetry, and emphasis
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Movement
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Proportion and scale
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Pattern, repetition and rhythm, variety and unity
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An introduction to art history

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What is art history and where is it going?
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Introduction to art historical analysis
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How to do visual (formal) analysis in art history
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Art historical analysis (painting), a basic introduction using Goya's Third of May, 1808
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A brief history of representing the body in Western painting
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A brief history of representing of the body in Western sculpture
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The language of art history

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Contrapposto explained
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What is foreshortening?
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What is chiaroscuro?
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How one-point linear perspective works
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What is atmospheric perspective?
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The classical orders
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Naturalism, realism, abstraction and idealization
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Brief histories of art and culture

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Common questions about dates
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A brief history of the cultures of Asia
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A brief history of Western culture
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What maps tell us
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Current issues in art history

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Why You Don't Like Art History
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Art about Migration
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What Art tells us about Gender
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Should Art Be Publicly Funded?
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What Does Resistance Look Like?
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The Case for Copying
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The Case For Nudity
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Trending Artists
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Behind the Banksy Stunt
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Unit: Start here

Unit: Start here

About this unit

Master list of the 250

Learn

Why art matters

Learn

Elements of art

Learn

Principles of composition

Learn

An introduction to art history

Learn

The language of art history

Learn

Brief histories of art and culture

Learn

Current issues in art history

Learn

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