Art History

Art History introduces students to the creative, inspirational and rich world of art in a historical context. In the means of artwork analysis Art History students will learn about cultural, societal, ideological, political, philosophical and scientific changes in a range of societies through the ages. Students will be able to interpret and evaluate how various historical events and changes in society impacted on artwork and how they influenced their style and subject matter. Students will learn to analyse their visual experience throughout the range of artistic styles and techniques. While studying Art History students will develop their analytical and problem solving skills, decision making skills, written and oral communication skills and creative thinking skills that are useful in any field of their future study. Art History is a combination of Visual Art, History, Social Studies and a little bit of Geography. In this subject, students become aware of a wide variety of influential visual cultures around us, they will learn about diverse groups of people, places and time periods.

All students are welcomed to study NCEA Level 3 Art History at Trinity Catholic College. No prior knowledge is required. Interest in reading and confidence in essay writing is essential plus some experience in Visual Art, History, Geography and Classics would be advantage.

Course Content

Early Modernism 1900 - 1940

Early Modernism is one of the most exciting periods in the history of Art. Modernist movement brought a deliberate rejection of styles of the past and focussed on big changes in the Western society. One of the biggest characteristics of this period is innovation and experimentation in forms, materials and techniques in order to create artworks that better reflect issues of contemporary life.

Styles: Cubism, Fauvism, Orphism, Futurism, German Expressionism, De Stijl, Dada, Surrealism

Artists: Picasso, Matisse, Delaunay, Boccioni, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Kollwitz, Mondrian, Brancusi, Duchamp, Hoch, Miro, Magritte, Dali

Places: Paris, Milan, Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Barcelona, New York etc.

Careers

You can work in areas such as: