Art thru History

How about bringing art into history class and using it as a learning tool????

Great way to get away from the old fashioned “names and dates” method of teaching history, right? Add some visual art and people are interested in history again!

What materials would have been available and used for different timelines of history?What was in style?Understand the world they lived in. Most think of art as part of the present—as something people can see and touch.One or more artists made a piece of art  at a certain time and in a specific place, even if no one now knows just who, when, where, or why. Although created in the past, an artwork continues to exist in the present, long surviving its times. The first painters and sculptors died 30,000 years ago, but their works remain, some of them exhibited in glass cases in museums built only a few years ago.Art appreciation and collection does not require knowledge of the history of an artwork but Art history does.

  The aim of art history is to determine the original meaning of artworks. Art historians seek to understand why the art look the way it does but also of why the artistic events happened at all. What unique set of events gave rise to a particular piece of art.Art objects are historical documents that can shed light on the peoples who made them and on the times of their creation in a way other historical documents cannot. Art history is constantly expanding and now includes, computer-generated images, whereas in the past almost anything produced using a machine would not have been regarded as art.The material used for a statue or painting—bronze, plastic, or oil-based pigment etc... may not have been invented before a certain time.A painter might have painted a person or a kind of hairstyle, clothing, or furniture that was in style only at a certain time.

One thing I have noticed over time is people are very visual.Most scientists agree that about 75% of your learning occurs through your vision..Most would rather look at a picture than read about it. People like using the part of the brain that is emotional and creative to organize information in a personal and simultaneous way.
They visualize an image of something in their mind when trying to remember it.It is said The greatest form of art appreciation is imitation. These visual learners may also be artistic and enjoy visual art and design,have a strong sense of color, and is very color-oriented. The online environment is well suited for this type of learner because graphical representations of information can help them remember concepts and ideas. With exposure to art periods, styles and various artists, you can develop a greater understanding of composition, line, form, and other creative elements.

I use this when looking at art and it helps me to determine if the art is good or bad ....therefore making it a personal experience.

"If one wants to reach younger people at an earlier age to shape their minds in a critical way, you really need to know how ideas and emotions are expressed visually"

- Martin Scorsese

Old family photos found in shoe boxes and on the back pages of old albums can inspire you to understand history. The photos make for subject matter many people can relate to.As you start looking at the faces of people in the photos, the details, “it makes you really think about what they were like and what their lives were like.Other people will identify with them because they had their own family photos and were reminded of them.It’s a way of discovering your  identity, reconnecting and maintaining your connection with your family and  past and a way to connect with people looking at them  with you too.......