Probably the dumbest ? ever: how do we do art history?

[....]

I have a science degree and have never even taken art...  Sadly, I'm also an INTJ.  I think the art part of my brain is missing.

 

So, I bought Gardner's Art Through the Ages.  It's wonderful.  Paintings...check.  Pictures of sculpture thingies...check.  There's even a timeline at the end of each chapter.  I picked which chapters I thought we could reasonably cover.  Now what?   :confused:

 

Should I have them notebook about the chapter?  Do they even need some kind of output for art history?  Is it enough to just look at the paintings and read about them in the text??

 

How would you even give a grade for art history?

 

I read through the instructions for art history in TWTM, but the writing sounds like busywork (sorry, SWB).   :leaving:

 

 

(Thank-you for anyone with the patience to reply.)

[chiguirre]

In T's art history class at Landry with Mrs. Rapelje they have weekly discussion questions, quizzes where you name the artist or time period or significant feature of a work and have an essay question or two, and do art projects based on historic techniques (silver point, printmaking and oil painting for the Renaissance for example).

 

I highly recommend the Landry class for anyone interested in an online class. T's learned a lot and the projects have been really cool to do. The silver point was awesome.

Edited December 21, 2016 by chiguirre

[....]

That's what I was afraid of.  I am just way in over my head.

[almondbutterandjelly]

When I took Art History in college, we had to be able to match paintings to their painters.  That was huge.  Then we needed to know some of the vocabulary, like chiaroscuro and such.  And maybe be able to discuss a significant detail in a painting occasionally, like oh this is in a pyramid shape.  It's really not too bad.  Do what you're comfortable with.

[OneStepAtATime]

I second the Landry classes for Art History.  Awesome resource.

 

If you don't want an on-line thing then maybe add in The Great Courses as a spine.  There are several that might help.  

 

Also, if you could find copies of "The Private Life of a Masterpiece" I believe someone created some support materials for using that series as a spine.  If I can find the link I will post.

[OneStepAtATime]

When I took Art History in college, we had to be able to match paintings to their painters.  That was huge.  Then we needed to know some of the vocabulary, like chiaroscuro and such.  And maybe be able to discuss a significant detail in a painting occasionally, like oh this is in a pyramid shape.  It's really not too bad.  Do what you're comfortable with.

Agreed.

 

And have some clue what the historical context is.  Honestly, this is so helpful with understanding an art piece.  Not the exact date.  What the general history of the time was, what was happening around the time that the art piece was created (both locally and in the larger context) and what imagery is being represented as well as the artist and the style of the art piece and being able to match art pieces to the artist.

 

There are Quizzlet resources that can be accessed, too.

 

And DD and I both have loved dabbling in different types of art from different eras (such as making our own book, weaving, etching, oil painting, silver point, Pysanka eggs, etc.).  I am not an artist but I still had fun and it gave me a better understanding of art and even history in general.  You don't have to do a ton of this sort of thing.  Just pick one or two projects that would be fun and meaningful.  

[....]

 

And DD and I both have loved dabbling in different types of art from different eras (such as making our own book, weaving, etching, oil painting, silver point, Pysanka eggs, etc.).  I am not an artist but I still had fun and it gave me a better understanding of art and even history in general.  You don't have to do a ton of this sort of thing.  Just pick one or two projects that would be fun and meaningful.  

 

Hmmm...  They might like that.  You know how some people panic about homeschooling high school science?  I'm having the same panicky feeling about art.  Science?  No problem.  Art?   :eek: 

 

I pulled my WTM down off the shelf, too.  I'm going to reread her art history section (with a more open mind). 

[OneStepAtATime]

Hmmm...  They might like that.  You know how some people panic about homeschooling high school science?  I'm having the same panicky feeling about art.  Science?  No problem.  Art?   :eek:

 

I pulled my WTM down off the shelf, too.  I'm going to reread her art history section (with a more open mind). 

:laugh:

 

Honestly, it has ended up being an unexpectedly strong bonding point for the two of us even though I am TERRIBLE at art.  And DD HATES history.  This has given us a fun and actually meaningful way to bridge both gaps.  LOL

[RootAnn]

There have been threads like this before. (Because I've searched for them & read them.)

 

For a do-it-yourself, there are Great Courses (something like "How to Look at and Understanding Great Art" - but wait until it is 80%+ off to buy, or get it on ebay), Khan Academy has an art history section, and then read/discuss the book you have. You don't HAVE to have output. Visits to art museums are really, really good if you can swing it.

 

The Great Course thing has suggestions in the guide if you do want output.

 

My dd#2 is an artist, so she'll do an art history credit next year. I plan the Great Course and some Khan stuff. Plus, she'll keep a notebook/sketch book as she goes through the art history book I have for her. (Can't remember the name right now!!) I'll combine all that with the hands-on stuff she does all day long & call it a credit. If she goes through it quickly, I'll probably add another 1/2 credit class from an online (not-live) DVD art class. (I really need to bookmark that site that someone recommended last year.) 

[Renaissance Mom]

 

For a do-it-yourself, there are Great Courses (something like "How to Look at and Understanding Great Art" - but wait until it is 80%+ off to buy, or get it on ebay)

This course is one of our favorites! Oldest dd and I watched this, read a basic art history text, and discussed what we saw while we visited several art museums. It was easily a credit. It turned out to be one of my favorite classes of all those we did in high school.

[GoVanGogh]

I love art and very much wanted to go into an art field. Alas. Life got in the way.

DS is science-bent and, because of a physical disability, is not artistic. He appreciates the historic side of art and likes to view art, but don't even attempt to get him to try anything remotely artistic.

We are doing art history for his fine arts elective.

Half will be world art history and half will be specific to the region he is studying as a foreign language.

We are using/doing:

Great Courses DVDs, specifically the one mentioned above and the one on The Louvre

Lots of field trips to art museums where I afterward purchase postcards to display in house and study specific pieces and artists using various resources

Discussing what we liked and didn't like about each exhibit or artist

Coffee table books I have picked up cheap at Half Price Books and library's used book sale

 

Our library has a ton of DVDs on art - artists, specific art periods, etc. I am adding those in as we have time or hit a time period in world history.

 

I recently bought a book called something like "Writing about art." I hope to add that in at some point.

 

I am spreading our art history over several years, but will do most during summers.

 

Edited to add: if you live in an area with art museums, be sure to check for homeschool days and teacher resources available online. Many art museums have tons of info online about current exhibits. One of our favorite art museums sends members a beautiful glossy magazine quarterly. We get a membership every other year or so, whenever we can string a number of exciting exhibits together.

Edited December 22, 2016 by GoVanGogh

[HollyDay]

Instead of Art History, could you do Art Appreciation or Fine Arts? 

[....]

Instead of Art History, could you do Art Appreciation or Fine Arts? 

 

Because I am trying to add 2 weekly composer studies into this + going through the Gardner's textbook, I was going to call it Introduction to Fine Arts.  ?   But, I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.  I think I'm making it too complicated.

 

 

Edited to add:

 

I wish my teenagers liked the Great Courses.  I rented one from our library for our astronomy class over the fall and they almost mutinied.  *shrug*

 

Edited December 22, 2016 by Evanthe

[historymatters]

This may be helpful: On "Secrets of the Dead" on PBS, there's currently an episode streaming called " Van Gogh's Ear".

 

If you have Roku, it's streaming until 1/10/17.

[lllll]

nm 

 

Edited December 24, 2016 by ..Kathy..

[Plink]

As an art history program director, my best advice is to DO LESS!  You have Gardner's.  Great.  Use it.  Don't try to add on too many projects, writing assignments, or other forms of output that your child dislikes.  Nobody is going to be looking at your 15yo's transcript to see how much art history they've learned.  

 

Your one goal is to portray art history as anything but drudgery - kids learn best when they are enjoying themselves.  Read about the artists' lives, laugh about their quirks, look for trends in the evolution of their work, go to a museum, tie it in with your history, science, and literature lessons, do whatever it is that fits with your personality, but most importantly just learn about the artist, look at the artwork, and talk about it.   If you can get your kids to look forward to hearing the story behind a piece of art, then you have done art-history right.  There is plenty of time for them to be tested on periods and styles later.  

 

 PS: It is okay to tell your kids that you really don't understand someone's artistic style or like their work.  You will get better conversations with honesty than by pretending to see depth where you see a blank canvas. 

[mom31257]

I plan to do this for art history with ds.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/020183

 

http://rainbowresource.com/product/sku/020184

[HollyDay]

Because I am trying to add 2 weekly composer studies into this + going through the Gardner's textbook, I was going to call it Introduction to Fine Arts.  ?   But, I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.  I think I'm making it too complicated.

 

 

Edited to add:

 

I wish my teenagers liked the Great Courses.  I rented one from our library for our astronomy class over the fall and they almost mutinied.  *shrug*

Take a look at Harmony FIne Arts for some ideas. 

 

 

[....]

As an art history program director, my best advice is to DO LESS!  You have Gardner's.  Great.  Use it.  Don't try to add on too many projects, writing assignments, or other forms of output that your child dislikes.  Nobody is going to be looking at your 15yo's transcript to see how much art history they've learned.  

 

Your one goal is to portray art history as anything but drudgery - kids learn best when they are enjoying themselves.  Read about the artists' lives, laugh about their quirks, look for trends in the evolution of their work, go to a museum, tie it in with your history, science, and literature lessons, do whatever it is that fits with your personality, but most importantly just learn about the artist, look at the artwork, and talk about it.   If you can get your kids to look forward to hearing the story behind a piece of art, then you have done art-history right.  There is plenty of time for them to be tested on periods and styles later.  

 

 PS: It is okay to tell your kids that you really don't understand someone's artistic style or like their work.  You will get better conversations with honesty than by pretending to see depth where you see a blank canvas. 

 

I'm going to have to print out your post and keep it with our Gardner's text!  Thank-you.  I felt much better after reading this!

 

And I ended up ordering "famous painting" cards this morning.  I'm going to have the kids go through those as well.

[PollyOR]

As an art history program director, my best advice is to DO LESS! .......

 

Thank you!

[mumto2]

I have an old edition but was able to buy a study guide to go with it.

[SilverMoon]

We just read and discussed Sister Wendy's Story of Painting and American Collection. Then we watched the correlated videos. Done.