AP Art History
Mr. Collins
2015-2016
Edited February 8, 2016
Course Description
AP Art History is a comprehensive study of art and the creative process
throughout history and from around the world. Because the class is taught
through a discussion and writing based approach students acquire the
vocabulary, analytical methods, writing techniques and self confidence
needed to effectively communicate the meaning of art. Students learn how
works of art from all traditions and cultures, both Western and non-Western,
are intertwined with their historical, social and creative contexts.
Attendance and the completion of all assigned work are required in this
course and are prerequisites for taking the Advanced Placement Art History
exam. Grades are based on (1) in-class categories worth 85%: major tests
(40%), matrix notes (30%) sketchbook assignments (20%), and effort/class
participation (10%); and (2) a midterm and final exam worth15%. It is the
student’s responsibility to arrange with me to retake any missed major test
within two school days of the test’s original date. The assumption will be
that every student is planning on taking the AP examination, however this is
not a requirement for the course.
Required Textbook:
Stokstad, Maryilyn, Art History, 2nd ed., 2005
Textbook Resources:
Kleiner, Fred S. and Christian J. Mamiya Gardner's Art Through the Ages,
12th ed., 2005.
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa, 1992.
Web Resources (additional research sites)
* https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-arthistory-course-and-exam-description.pdf
VERY IMPORTANT This is the AP Art History course description - all you need
to know about AP exam content, procedures, and expectations
*
www.learner.org/courses/globalart/
Fabulous website! Videos of major themes in global art
http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.html
A thorough survey of art history and related resources
http://www.artcrimes.net/
An index of art crimes and modern iconoclasm
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html
Hyper-History Online: Over 2000 files covering 3000 years of history
http://www.ciolek.com/GLOBAL/milestones.html
Global Networking: A Timeline
* http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
http://iris.nyit.edu/arthistory/pptshows.html
Art History Powerpoint Shows –NYIT-Ganis
* http://smarthistory.org/
Smart History Kahn academy
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/
Discover religious and cultural destinations around the world
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/
Digital Imaging Project – Sculpture and Architecture – Sullivan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/
BBC History of the World
* http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/
Global Contemporary artists working in their environment – thematic topics
* www.oxfordartonline.com
comprehensive art history resource
Academic site, great for research
www.artres.com - image resource
www.pbs.org/art21/ - contemporary artists
https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/project/art-project
"Cultural Institute: Art Project" high resolution images of artwork

http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/Index.htm
Art and Architecture site; contains definitions as well as illustrations for
key terms

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/teacherinstitute/summer-institute-2015/session-handouts.html
detailed surveys of Renaissance art
*=sites particularly good for weekly matrix research
The following Big Ideas and Learning Objectives are addressed
throughout the curriculum - through the matrix assignments and sketchbook
projects, daily during class time via questions and then weekly or bi-weekly
on unit tests.
Big Ideas & Learning Objectives
1. Artists manipulate materials and ideas to create an aesthetic *
object, act, or event

thinking or principles that contemplate the nature of and appreciation
of beauty
Essential question: What is art and how is it made?
Learning Objectives
1. Students differentiate the components of form, function, content,
and/or context of a work of art
2. Students explain how artistic decisions about art making shape a work
of art
3. Students describe how context influences artistic decisions about
creating a work of art
4. Students analyze form, function, content, and/or context to infer or
explain the possible intentions for creating a specific work of art
2. Art making is shaped by tradition and change
Essential question: Why and how does art change?
Learning Objectives
1. Students describe features of tradition and/or change in a single work
of art or in a group of related works
2. Students explain how and why specific traditions and/or changes are
demonstrated in a single work or group of related works
3. Students analyze the influence of a single work of art or group of
related works on other artistic production
3. Interpretations of art are variable
Essential question: How do we describe out thinking about art?
Learning Objectives
1. Students identify a work of art
2. Student analyze how formal qualities and/or content of a work of art
elicit(s) a response
3. Students analyze how contextual variables lead to different
interpretations of a work of art
4. Students justify attributions of an unknown work of art
5. Students analyze relationships between works of art based on their
similarities and differences
First Semester
Fall Course Syllabus
First Nine Weeks
Week One (August 18 - 21): First Days: Introduction to AP Art History
 Day One: Introduction-preparing for class
 Day Two: Introduction-elements of art with slide examples
 Day Three: Introduction-principles of design with slide examples
 Day Four: Introduction-effective note taking (i.e. Cornell notes)
Week Two: (August 24 - August 28) First Days: Introduction to AP Art
History; Global pre history
 Day One: Introduction-content & research sources
 Day Two: Introduction-writing a matrix
 Day Three: Introduction-concluding course preparation-drawing in pairs
(practicing speaking about art and drawing an image)
Global prehistory
Enduring Understanding
o 1-1. Various expression prior to written record
o 1-2. Worldwide (different continents) presence with shared features
o 1-2. Africa and Asia as earliest
o 1-3. Art understanding linked with social, physical
scientists
Essential Knowledge
o Time periods defined by geological, climate, environmental events
o Earliest tools (art) linked to small groups and their survival
o Humanity “began” in Africa and expanded outwards
o Earliest art from 77, 000 years ago – natural materials, patterning,
human and animal forms
 Day Four: Readings – Global prehistory Stokstad 1-12 , cave painting
video,

cave painting detail video
 Day Five: Readings – Global prehistory Stokstad 13-24
Stonehenge video
Week Three: (August 31 -September 4): African art; Mesoamerican art
Africa
Chapter 15 Google Earth
Africa
Enduring understanding:
o 6-2. Human beliefs and interactions in Africa are instigated by the
arts. African arts are active; they motivate behavior, containing and
express belief, and validate social organizations and human relations
o 6-3. Use and efficacy are central to the art of Africa- African arts…are
by nature meant to be performed rather than simply viewed
o 6-4. African life and arts have been deeply affected by ongoing,
cosmopolitan patters of interactions with populations around the
world and through time - AP Art History Curriculum Framework-2015-2016
Indigenous Americas
Chapter 14 Google Earth
Enduring understanding:
o 5-1.Art of indigenous Americas* is among the world’s oldest artistic
traditions…developing independently between 10,000 BCE and 1492
CE.
*Includes Ancient Mesoamerica (with similar calendars, pyramidal
stepped structures, sites and buildings oriented in relation to sacred
mountains, and highly valued green materials, such as jadeite and
quetzal feathers) ancient Central Andes, Ancient America and Native
North America - AP Art History Curriculum Framework-2015-2016
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Day One: Readings - African art Stokstad-403-421 Jenne Mosque
video, Golden Stool video
Day Two: Reading Reading – African Art Stokstad 879-901 and
Dogan mask video 1 and Dogan mask video 2 Veranda Post image
Day Three: Reading – Stokstad African Art
Day Four: Readings - Stokstad - 377-401 Mesoamerican Art;
Teotihuacan video and Chichen Itza video
Day Five: Reading – Stokstad – 835-857, Mesoamerican Art,
Tenochtitlan video
Week Four; (September 8 - 10): Mesoamerican Art; TEST-African Art
& Mesoamerican Art
 Day One: Reading – Stokstad – Mesoamerican Art, Machu Picchu
video
 Day Two: TEST #1: African & Mesoamerican art
 Day Three: Sketchbook Practice and 1st assignment
Week Five: (September 14 - 18): South Asia; TEST- Hindu and
Buddhist art; Mesopotamian Art
South, East and Southeast Asia - Hindu and Buddhist Art
Chapter 6 Google Earth
Enduring understanding:
o 8-2. Many of the world’s great religious and philosophic traditions
developed in South and East Asia. Extensive traditions of distinctive
religious art forms developed in this region to support the beliefs and
practices of these religions
o 8-3. South, East, and Southeast Asian developed many artistic and
architectural traditions that are deeply rooted in Asian aesthetics and
cultural practices - AP Art History Curriculum Framework-2015-2016
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Day One: Reading- Stokstad – 291-304; Buddhism and Buddhist Art
Day Two: Reading- Stokstad – 305-323, Hinduism and Hindu Art
Southeast Asia, Sanchi video
Day Three: Reading – Stokstad – 771-789, Southeast Asia Taj Mahal
video
Day Four: TEST #2: Hindu and Buddhist art
Ancient Mediterranean
Chapter 2 and 3 Google Earth
Enduring understanding:
o 2-1. Artistic traditions of the ancient Near East and dynastic Egypt
focused on representing royal figures and divinities and on the
functions of funerary and palatial complexes within their cultural
contexts. Works of art illustrate the active exchange of ideas and
reception of artistic styles among the Mediterranean cultures and
the subsequent influences on the classical world.
o 2-2. Religion plays a significant role in the art and architecture of
the ancient Near East with cosmology guiding representation of
deities and kings who themselves assume divine attributes
o 2-3. The art of dynastic Egypt embodies a sense of permanence. It
was created for eternity in the service of a culture that focused on
preserving a cycle of rebirth. - AP Art History Curriculum Framework-2015-2016
o
 Day Five: Reading Stokstad – 27-38; Sumerian, Akkadian, NeoSumerian, and Babylonian art
Week Six: (September 21 - September 25): Mesopotamian Art; Egypt;
TEST-Mesopotamia and Egypt
 Day One: Reading Stokstad – 39-47: Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian,
Persian Persepolis video, Persepolis video 2 and Sasanian art
 Day Two: Reading – Stokstad – 49-59 (start at “The Predynastic”) (stop at
“The Middle Kingdom”) The Annotated Mona Lisa 8-11; pre-dynastic and
Old Kingdom Egyptian art, Great Pyramid video
 Day Three: Reading – Stokstad – 60-69, Old Kingdom Egyptian art
 Day Four: Reading – Stokstad – 70-79 New Kingdom Egyptian art;
Thebes video, book of the dead article
 Day Five: TEST #3: Mesopotamia and Egypt
Week Seven: (September 28 - October 2): Greece
 Day One: Carousel #1
Greece and Rome
Chapter 5 and 10 Google Earth
Enduring understanding:
o 2-4. The art of Ancient Greece and Rome is grounded in civic ideals
and polytheism. Etruscan and Roman artists and architects
accumulated and creatively adapted Greek objects and forms to create
buildings and artworks that appealed to their tastes for eclecticism and
historicism.
o 2-5. Contextual information for ancient Greek and Roman art can be
derived from contemporary literary, political, legal, and economic
records as well as from archaeological excavations conducted from
the mid-18th century onward
o 2-5b. The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman cultures shared a rich tradition
of epic storytelling (first orally transmitted, later written) that glorified
the exploits of gods, goddesses, and heroes - AP Art History Curriculum
Framework-2015-2016
 Day Two: Reading - Stokstad – 114-116, 121-126, 142-146 - Ancient
Greece- Humanism; Archaic Period Statuary; Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
orders; Early Classical Statuary
 Day Three: Reading - Stokstad – 107-112; 117-120, High Classical
Statuary, Statuary video; Vase painting
 Day Four: Reading Stokstad – 129-138, Late Classical Sculpture, The
Acropolis, and Acropolis video , acropolis video 2
 Day Five: Reading Stokstad – 149-157, Hellenistic sculpture
Week Eight: (October 5 – October 9): TEST-Ancient Greece; Etruscan;
Roman
 Day One: TEST #4: Ancient Greece
 Day Two: Reading Stokstad – 159-167 Etruscan art, Etruscan burial
mound video
 Day Three: Reading Stokstad -168-178, Roman art-Republic & Early
Empire; Pont-du-Gard video
 Day Four: Reading – Stokstad –-178-189, 190-202 Roman Painting,
Flavians; Roman Colosseum video -High Empire, Roman Art and
Pantheon video
 Day Five: Sketchbook #1 due
Fall Course Syllabus
Second Nine Weeks
Week Nine: (October 12 – October 16): Roman; TEST-Etruscan and
Roman; Early Christian & Jewish; Byzantine
 Day One: Reading – Stokstad – 203-209 Roman Architecture-Late
Empire, Trajan’s Column video
 Day Two: Reading – Stokstad – 210-215 Roman Architecture
 Day Three: TEST #5 – Etruscan and Roman
Early Europe and Colonial America
Early Christian, Islamic, Byzantine
Enduring understanding:
o 3-1. There is significant overlap in time, geography, practice, and
heritage of art created within this timeframe and region
o 3-1a. Medieval artistic traditions include late antiquity, early
Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, migratory, Carolingian, Romanesque
and Gothic. Contextual information comes primarily from literary,
theological, and governmental (both secular and religious) records…
o 3-1c. Medieval artists and architects were heavily influenced by
earlier and contemporary cultures, including coexisting European
cultures.
o 3-2. Medieval art (European, c. 300-1400 C.E.; Islamic, c. 300-1600
C.E.) derived from the requirements of worship (Jewish, Christian or
Islamic), elite or court culture, and learning. - AP Art History Curriculum
Framework-2015-2016
 Day Four: Reading – Stokstad – 217-232 Christian Symbols and Life of
Jesus and Early Christian Architecture
 Day Five: Reading – Stokstad – 233-240, Byzantine Art, Hagia Sophia
video, Byzantine drawings
Week Ten: (October 19 – October 23) Byzantine; Islamic
 Day One: Reading - Stokstad – 241-259, Byzantine Art
 Day Two: Reading – Stokstad – 261-289, Islamic Art and architecture
Day Three: Reading – Stokstad – 261-289, Islamic Art Alhambra video
1, Alhambra video 2 Cordoba video, Blue Mosque video
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Week Eleven: (October 26 – October 30) Romanesque and Gothic
 Day One: Reading – Stokstad 453-471, Romanesque, Pilgrimage video
 Day Two: Reading – Stokstad 472-489, Romanesque, Speyer Cathedral
video
 Day Three: Stokstad 491-506 Gothic, France and; Bayeux Tapestry
video; Chartres Video, Chartres Video II, Chartres Video III
 Day Four: Reading –Stokstad 507-516 Gothic, England, Germany
 Day Five: Sketchbook #2
Week Twelve: (November 2 – November 6) TEST-Early Christian
through Gothic and Islam; 14th Century Italian
 Day One: TEST #6 – Early Christian through Gothic and Islam
 Day Two: Carousel #2
Europe 14th and 15th Centuries
Enduring understanding:
o 3-3c. The advent of the Age of Exploration in the late 15th century
resulted in the emergence of global commercial and cultural
networks via transoceanic trade and colonization. European ideas,
forms, and practices began to be disseminated worldwide as a
result of exploration, trade, conquest, and colonization.
o 3-4. The arts of 15th century Europe reflected an interest in
classical models, enhanced naturalism, Christianity, pageantry, and
increasingly formalized artistic training - AP Art History Curriculum
Framework-2015-2016
 Day Three: Reading –Stokstad-529-543, 14th Century Italian
 Day Four: Reading –Stokstad -544-559, 14th Century Italian
Week Thirteen: (November 9 – November 13) 15th Century Northern
Europe; 15th Century Italy
 Day One: Reading –Stokstad 561-571, 15th Century Northern Europe;
Limbourg Brothers and Public Devotional Imagery
 Day Two: Reading- Stokstad 572-581, 15th Century Northern Europe;
Private Devotional Imagery
 Day Three: Field Trip-Art Institute of Chicago
 Day Four: Stokstad 581-591, 15th Century Northern Europe
 Day Five: Reading – Stokstad-593-602, 15th century Italy & Humanism
Week Fourteen (November 16 – November 20) 15th Century Italy
 Day One: Reading – Stokstad-593-602, 15th century Italy & Humanism
 Day Two: Sketchbook #3
 Day Three: Reading – Stokstad-613-620, 15th century Italy Massacio,
Holy Trinity video
 Day Four: Reading – Stokstad-621-629 15th century Italy
 Day Five: 15th century Italy; Review Early Renaissance Timeline And
Images,
Week Fifteen: (November 23 – November 27) TEST-Early Renaissance;
16th Century-Italy
 Day One: TEST #7 - Early Renaissance
Europe 16th Century
Enduring understanding:
o 3-5. The 16th – century Protestant Reformation and subsequent
Catholic Counter Reformation compelled a divergence between
northern and southern western European art with respect to form,
function, and content. - AP Art History Curriculum Framework-2015-2016
 Day Two: Reading - Stokstad 632-644, 16th century Italy
Week Sixteen: (November 30 – December 4) Continue 16th Century
Italy & 16 Century Northern Europe
 Day One: Reading - Stokstad-645-655, 16th century Italy, Sistine
Chapel tour
 Day Two: Reading – Stokstad-655-667, 16th century Italy
 Day Three: Reading - Stokstad-668-675 16th century Italy; Medici and
Michelangelo
 Day Four: Reading – Stokstad- 677-692, 16th century Northern Europe
 Day Five: Reading – Stokstad-693-707,16th century Northern Europe,
Burial of Christ image
Week Seventeen: (December 7 – December 11)16th Century Mannerism
TEST-High Renaissance and Mannerism; Exam review
 Day One: 16th century Italy - Mannerism
 Day Two: Review For High Renaissance Italy Test
 Day Three: TEST #8 - High Renaissance and Mannerism
 Day Four: Review for exams
 Day Five: Review for exams
Week Eighteen: (December 14 – December 18); Exam Review; semester
exam
 Day One: Sketchbook #4
 Day Two: Review for semester exams
 Day Three: semester exams-date TBA
 Day Four: semester exams-date TBA
 Day Five: semester exams-date TBA
Supplements to curriculum - all available on my website:
1) Matrix- A matrix is a chart that asks students to
analyze each of the 250 pieces of required art in the AP curriculum.
These are assigned in groups per each content area and are due in two
submissions: half way through a unit and on the day of a unit test. An
image of each art piece is in the center of the document and a set of
eight topics is in the surrounding space. Students are to fill in a response
to each topic according the following sequence:
1. Identification: (artist, title, date, size, country of origin; period/style):
Materials and Technique: (how is the art made):
2. Form: Explain what elements of art & principles of design are present in the artwork:
color, shape, form, texture, line, space and balance, emphasis, rhythm
3. Function: What was the artist’s intended use for the artwork? What was its actual
use?
4. Content: What is the subject of the artwork; what is the
“story” being told in/by the
artwork? What are its various components?
5.
6.
7.
8.
Context: Historical & cultural influences on the work.
Themes: Enduring Understanding/Big Ideas evident in artwork (and how?)
Questions you have about the artwork
Personal Opinion of the artwork
1) Sketchbook Assignmentssix throughout the year
AP Art History
Sketchbook Comparison Assignments
2015-2016
The goal of the sketchbook assignment is to help you improve your ability to
analyze, via writing and illustration, the central themes, artistic elements and
countless messages of art history. Your challenge is to work through this
process by comparing and contrasting two pieces of art.
Process:
Answer the specific question/theme for each pair by:
 Referencing specific parts of each image
 Identifying relevant elements of art and principals of design found in
each image
 Combining both writing and drawing around each image
 Providing historical, cultural, social context
Requirements:
 Your images (full color) are to appear face to face in your sketchbook
 you are to fill the entire page with information
 Major topics are to have headings
 You are to include some drawing in each analysis
 You are to use at least 3 research sources which are also clearly listed
______________________________________________________
Sketchbook Assignment #1:
Assigned: September 10, Thursday
Due: October 9, Friday
Theme (s): Human Image in Art, History and Memory (Sculpture - “oldnew” connections)
Focus Questions: Compare ancient Greek Seated Boxer (ca. 100 - 50 B.C.)
with Seated Youth (1917) by Wilhelm Lehmbruck. How is emotion
conveyed by each figure? Analyze how historical and cultural contexts
inform our understanding of both works.
AP Art History
Sketchbook Comparison Assignment
Content guide
2015-2016
______
Responses directly answer the question(s) asked
______
Stylistic and technical analysis are provided
______
Analysis connects the work to its historical context
______
Specific parts of each image are directly referenced and
indicated throughout
______
Analysis address the works in comparison to each other
______
Evidence of balance between visual and written information
______
page layout is organized, and visually interesting and
“readable” i.e. pictures are clear, text is linked to image, quality
penmanship is evident (i.e. handwriting is readable!!)
______
Evidence of investment of time, effort, and thought throughout
assignment
______
At least one part of your response is in sentence (paragraph)
form
________
Use of three (3) research sources. (listed on page)
_______________________________________________________
Key: 4=Excellent
3=Good
2=Fair
1=Poor
Total Points: ___________________ Grade: _______________
Name: _______________________________________________
AP Art History
Sketchbook #2 - grading guide
Due: Friday, October 30, 2015
Theme (s): War, History and Memory, Point-of-View, Narrative, Power (Public
Monuments – “old/new” connections)
Focus Questions: Compare and contrast Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, 198183, with Trajan’s Column from ancient Rome, dedicated 112 CE. How do both works
being situated outdoors affect the viewing experience of the audience? Explain the
ways in which each artist approaches the telling of the story and how point-of-view
suggests the impact of the political or social ideology at the time.
________________________________________________________________________
_____ Analysis connects the artwork to its historical context
_____ Style and technique are analyzed and discussed in each work
_____ Responses address key components related to the central question(s):
(Purpose/function of each work; location of each work; artist’s point of view
about the art and its impact on society - political, social thinking)
_____ Quality of argument in support of the pivotal points with specificity
_____ Analysis address the works in comparison to each other.
_____ Evidence of overall balance between visual and written information
_____ Incorporation of visuals references, drawings and alternate views of the artwork:
(are they helpful in enhancing understanding and meaning of the work?)
_____ Degrees of illumination, innovation and clarity of the page layout design
(including thoughtful use of color, placement of images, directional arrows, etc.)
_____ Evidence of investment of time, effort and thought put into the assignment
_____ Use of three (3) research sources, documented and cited
Key: 4 = Excellent (A)
(A=36-40)
3.5 = Good
3 = Fair
2.5 = Poor
(B=32-35)
(C=28-31)
(D=24-27)
Total Points: ______________________
Grade: ______________________________
Name: __________________________________________________________________
2) Carouselfour throughout the year
Each carousel day is devoted to exploring the course content in a way
that gives students additional opportunity to see the artwork from the
broadest possible perspective.