Poland Liceum ogólnokształcące, klasa II History of art (extended level)
Chapters: 5
1. Chronology of art history
Prehistory and ancient art · Medieval art
- Ancient Art: From Cave Walls to Roman Arches – Ancient art runs from cave paintings (over 40,000 years ago) to the fall of Rome (476 CE). Prehistoric people painted animals and hands with ochre and charcoal and raised megaliths using post-and-lintel. Egypt made stiff, rule-based figures for eternity. Greece searched for ideal beauty and balance in marble temples and statues. Rome copied Greek forms but added the arch, concrete and the dome, and used art and buildings to show the power of the state.
- Medieval Art: From Mosaics to Gothic Cathedrals – Medieval art in Europe and the Mediterranean covers about 300 to 1400 CE. Early Christian art took over the Roman basilica and catacomb paintings. Byzantine art added domes, gold mosaics and icons. Romanesque churches (c. 1000–1150) have round arches, thick walls and small windows, with teaching sculpture over doors. Gothic cathedrals (from c. 1140) use pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses to build tall, thin walls filled with stained glass. Monks made illuminated manuscripts. Late Gothic painters like Giotto made art more lifelike, opening the way to the Renaissance. Art in this age mainly served faith and taught stories to people who could not read.
2. Contexts and changes in art history
Context and placing art in time and space · Patrons, influences and texts about art
- Art History: From Cave Walls to Today – People have made art for at least 40,000 years. Prehistoric art shows animals and hands on cave walls. Ancient civilisations made art for rulers, gods and the afterlife. Classical traditions arose in Greece and Rome, India, China, Africa and the Americas. The Renaissance brought perspective and realism; modern art (from about 1860) broke those rules; contemporary art uses any material. To appreciate any artwork, describe it, analyse its elements, interpret its meaning in its context, and judge why it works.
- Art Patronage: Who Pays for Art, and Why It Matters – A patron is a person or group who pays for, orders or supports art. Through history the main patrons changed: temples and churches, kings and emperors, rich merchants and guilds, then an open market of dealers and buyers, and today museums, governments, foundations, companies and online fans. Patrons often chose the subject, size, materials and even colours, and used art to show faith, power, wealth or taste. Artists slowly gained more freedom as the market grew. Collectors, critics and writers about art also shape what is valued. Reading who paid for a work helps us understand why it looks the way it does.
3. Masterpieces of architecture and visual art
Recognising and dating works · Genres, functions, symbols and iconography · Formal and comparative analysis
- Art History: From Cave Walls to Today – People have made art for at least 40,000 years. Prehistoric art shows animals and hands on cave walls. Ancient civilisations made art for rulers, gods and the afterlife. Classical traditions arose in Greece and Rome, India, China, Africa and the Americas. The Renaissance brought perspective and realism; modern art (from about 1860) broke those rules; contemporary art uses any material. To appreciate any artwork, describe it, analyse its elements, interpret its meaning in its context, and judge why it works.
- Iconography: Genres, Functions, Symbols and Attributes in Art – To read an artwork, ask four questions. What kind of picture is it (genre: portrait, landscape, seascape, still life, genre scene, religious, mythological or history scene)? How close is it to reality (realistic → simplified → abstract)? What was it made for (function: sacred, funerary, commemorative, decorative, didactic, propaganda)? What do its objects mean (symbols, allegories and attributes)? Iconography is the study of these meanings: a trident, an owl or a set of keys tells you who a figure is.
- Art Criticism: How to Look at and Judge Artworks – Art criticism is careful talk about art. A common method has four steps: describe what you see, analyse how the parts are arranged, interpret what it means or makes you feel, and judge its worth with reasons. Critics also look from different viewpoints (form, feeling, context) and use proper art words. The same method works for paintings, sculpture, buildings, dance, drama and film.
4. Great artists
Artists and their work · Comparing artists and phases
- Art History: From Cave Walls to Today – People have made art for at least 40,000 years. Prehistoric art shows animals and hands on cave walls. Ancient civilisations made art for rulers, gods and the afterlife. Classical traditions arose in Greece and Rome, India, China, Africa and the Americas. The Renaissance brought perspective and realism; modern art (from about 1860) broke those rules; contemporary art uses any material. To appreciate any artwork, describe it, analyse its elements, interpret its meaning in its context, and judge why it works.
- Art Criticism: How to Look at and Judge Artworks – Art criticism is careful talk about art. A common method has four steps: describe what you see, analyse how the parts are arranged, interpret what it means or makes you feel, and judge its worth with reasons. Critics also look from different viewpoints (form, feeling, context) and use proper art words. The same method works for paintings, sculpture, buildings, dance, drama and film.
5. Terms: structure, form, subject and technique
Describing architecture and images · Techniques of art · Architectural elements by style
- Art Criticism: How to Look at and Judge Artworks – Art criticism is careful talk about art. A common method has four steps: describe what you see, analyse how the parts are arranged, interpret what it means or makes you feel, and judge its worth with reasons. Critics also look from different viewpoints (form, feeling, context) and use proper art words. The same method works for paintings, sculpture, buildings, dance, drama and film.
- Art Materials and Techniques: Choosing the Right Media – Artists choose materials (media) for the look they want. Every paint is pigment (coloured powder) mixed with a binder that sticks it to the surface: oil for oil paint, gum arabic for watercolour, acrylic resin for acrylic, egg for tempera. Dry media include graphite pencils (H = hard and light, B = soft and dark), charcoal, pastels and coloured pencils. Wet media include ink, watercolour, gouache, acrylic and oil. Transparent media let light and lower layers show through; opaque media cover them. The support is the surface: paper (with different weights and textures), canvas, wood panel, walls. 3D processes include modelling clay, carving, construction and casting; printmaking makes many copies from one block, plate or screen. Digital media add tablets, photo and video. Good artists test materials, refine work by experimenting, and use them safely and sustainably.
- Architecture: How Buildings Stand, Look and Feel – Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and spaces for people. Every building must carry its load to the ground: by post and lintel, by the arch, vault and dome, or by a steel and concrete frame. Each age had its style: Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and modern. Architects plan with drawings (plan, elevation, section), models and CAD, and design space, light and access so that places work and feel good for everyone.