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Time: 33 hours
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College Credit Recommended
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Free Certificate
- Description: A work of art from an objective point of view – its physical attributes and formal construction.
- Analysis: A detailed look at a work of art that combines physical attributes with subjective statements based on the viewer's reaction to the work.
- Context: Historical, religious, or environmental information that surrounds a particular work of art and which helps to understand the work's meaning.
- Meaning: A statement of the work's content. A message or narrative to express the subject matter.
- Judgment: A critical point of view about a work of art concerning its aesthetic or cultural value.
After completing this course, you will be able to interpret works of art based on this five-step system, explain the processes involved in artistic production, identify the many kinds of issues that artists examine in their work, and explain the role and effect of the visual arts in different social, historical and cultural contexts.
First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.
Unit 1: Defining Art
How do we define art? For many people, art is a tangible thing: a painting, sculpture, photograph, dance, poem, or play. Art is uniquely human and tied directly to culture. As an expressive medium, art allows us to experience a wide range of emotions, such as joy or sorrow, confusion or clarity. Art gives voice to ideas and feelings, connects us to the past, reflects the present, and anticipates the future. Visual art is a rich and complex subject, and its definition is in flux as the culture around it changes. This unit examines how art is defined and the different ways it functions in societies and cultures.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- distinguish between the form and content of an artwork;
- explain aesthetics and the role it plays in different cultural conventions and perspectives;
- explain the difference between subjective and objective responses to art;
- define the categories of art, such as fine art, pop art, and decorative art;
- recognize, describe, and evaluate artistic styles, such as naturalistic, abstract, and non-objective; and
- discuss the capacity to reflect personally on art.
1.1: Introduction and Definitions
First, we need to ground ourselves with some key concepts to define our area of study. What do we mean by art, what is and what is not art, and why? Can anything be art based on anyone's subjective opinion, or are there some objective features of art we can generally agree on? Since art is as old as human culture, we have developed many specialized terms associated with its study over time.
- Make forum posts: 1
What has been your prior exposure to visual art? Has it been primarily from your family? School? Social activities? Personal explorations?
Do you make art? If so, what kind? What is the medium you use? What kind of style is it? Who is your audience? If you haven't made any art, have you ever wanted to? What kind?
Click on Discussion Topic 1 to post your thoughts. After posting your response, you can leave a reply to the posts of your classmates as well.
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You probably already have some ideas about what art is or how it can be defined. This first reading introduces concepts such as medium, expression, and culture, which are fundamental to discussions about visual art.
- Make forum posts: 1
How do you define art?
Click on Discussion Topic 2 to post your thoughts. After posting your response, you can leave a reply to the posts of your classmates as well.
1.2: Form and Content
Our understanding of art and how we explain it consists of a few qualities. First, there are descriptions and analyses of the features of a work of art. These are based on the perceptual qualities of the artwork (such as the composition's colors, shapes, or contrasts), the material they are made of, and the methods used to produce them. Secondly, there are interpretive aspects that are informed by culture. These interpretations can be unique to a given person, group, or society. Since most humans perceive art similarly across populations (by using our eyes and ears), there can be quite broad agreement as to the perceptual and material aspects of art, since these can be objectively verified.
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Understanding how to identify and think about the form and content of art is a basic first step toward getting the most out of your visual art experience. Read this definition and explanation of the elements of art. Here, we define form and content and begin to understand why they are important.
1.3: Aesthetics
It is hard to separate art from conversations about it, which are also called the "discourses" of art. Art is saturated with concepts, histories, schools, movements, linkages to the history of ideas, debates about the nature of beauty, or judgments about what makes art "good" or "bad". Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that deals with matters related to art. This term is based on the ancient Greek word aesthesis, which means "sensory experience". As you might expect, different cultures have produced different discourses on aesthetics: for example, what might have been considered beautiful in Indian art 500 years ago will likely be very different from what was considered beautiful in the European Renaissance or a 20th-century postmodern exhibit. The development of ideas is inextricably linked to the movements of culture, and aesthetics is affected by variations across social geographies and throughout history.
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Read this short definition of aesthetics and how it relates to works of art. Think about how it is different from a merely personal sense of taste and preferences.
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Read this section to get a better understanding of aesthetics in fine art. Pay attention to the role of aesthetics as a way of articulating ideas about art from various points of view.
1.4: Subjective and Objective Perspectives
Interpretations of art can be subjective. Art is often controversial, mysterious, socially significant, or personal. These interpretations depend on other factors, such as the cultural background of the artist or viewer, the use of symbolic material, or the artistic consumption habits of its audience. The perceptual and material dimensions – the objective aspects of an artwork are described as its form, whereas the interpretive (subjective) components are its content. These categories, form and content, derive from Greek antiquity, where philosophers made the distinction between what something says (the content) and how something is said (its form).
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This page will help you differentiate between subjective and objective ways of looking at art. When you think about this difference, focus on how to distinguish aspects related to the medium of the artwork itself, compared to your own reactions and experience of it.
1.5: Artistic Roles
Art performs certain common functions, such as recording faces and places – this will be familiar to anyone today who takes pictures with their smartphone. Images can also serve scientific purposes, such as capturing images of galaxies or microscopic organisms. Churches and temples are also full of artistic images that convey religious, mythical, and spiritual ideas.
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This article gives an overview of the social roles that art can perform. As you read about art's various roles in society and culture, think about concrete examples that you can identify in your own everyday experience.
1.6: Artistic Categories
Taking a broad view of the diversity of artistic practices, we can create categories of art that include art that is in the museums (such as paintings and sculptures), art we find on the streets (such as graffiti or billboards), art on our persons (such as jewelry, clothing, and fashion), and art in our homes (such as embroidery and rugs). Similarly, we can organize art into the categories of fine art, popular art, or decorative art, depending on the roles it fulfills along these social dimensions. We might consider a work of art important for cultural preservation and reflection (fine art), a type of popular communication (pop art), or a handicraft that ornaments or decorates items in our lives (decorative art).
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This article discusses the general categories of art. Note the conditions that define each category and how we distinguish them from each other.
1.7: Artistic Styles
We often expect art to depict something specific, such as when a portrait must resemble a certain person. We call this art's mimetic role, which comes from the Greek word mimesis and refers to creating a representation of something. But we also know that art often takes great creative liberties in representation. Many works impart all strong stylizations to the objects they represent. We call these artworks abstractions because their main goal is not to produce "accurate" mimesis. Finally, we have all experienced works of art that do not resemble anything at all from our everyday experiences. This kind of art may work with geometries, colors, or materials in ways that do not lend themselves to a clear interpretation. We call this kind of art non-objective because it foregoes any ties to objects we recognize.
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The search for truth in art is not limited to making accurate representations in the classical tradition of mimesis. After you view these examples that use widely-different approaches, you will see how individual artists use general and identifiable styles to communicate their ideas.
1.8: Cultural Styles
With much artwork, you have a sense of its cultural background as soon as you see it. Sometimes a certain amount of expertise may be required. For example, something may seem "old and tribal" at first glance. You may not know what part of the world it is from until you read the description cards or consider the name of the museum wing it inhabits. Art embodies cultural values and beliefs. Cultures rely on their art as artifacts to serve as repositories for their values and beliefs. In this way, art and culture rely on each other for their full understanding.
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Read this text which explores how cultural identity influences and is often shaped by artistic expression. Pay close attention to this theme of art and identity. It recurs throughout this course.
1.9: Perception and Visual Awareness
We see biologically and neurologically – our eyes send information about the external world to the brain's visual processing centers. But we also see in personal ways that are informed by our social and cultural background. Both ways of "seeing" are important in art. For example, artists are highly sensitive to the nuances of form and color. They are also attuned to the ways certain audiences may react to their work. Artists often purposely challenge our usual ways of seeing and looking to produce extraordinary effects we are not accustomed to.
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Read this article which helps clarify a major theme of this course: subjective versus objective analysis. An acute sense of visual awareness and perception is important to help you understand and enjoy art.
Unit 1 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.
Unit 2: Who Makes Art – Process and Training
In this unit, we explore artistic processes in their social contexts, covering individual artists turning their ideas into works of art, forms of collaborative creative projects, public art, and the role of the viewer.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
Unit 3: How Art Speaks – Finding Meaning
Art asks us questions and conveys meaning. It expresses ideas, uncovers truths, manifests what is beautiful, and tells stories. In this unit, we begin to explore the meaning behind particular works of art within the context of various styles and cultures. We introduce the conceptual tools professional art critics use to interpret art. During this activity, you will provide your own interpretation of a piece of art. You should return to this activity after you have completed this course and review your response.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
Unit 4: How Art Works – The Principles of Visual Language
In this unit, we study the terms used to describe and analyze any work of art. We will explore the principles of design – how the artist arranges and orchestrates the elements they use. Just as spoken language is based on phonemes, syntax, and semantics, visual art is based on elements and principles that, when used together, create works that communicate ideas and meaning to the viewer. We can think of them as the building blocks of an artwork's composition – the organized layout of an image or object according to the principles of design.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
Unit 5: Artistic Media
Artists find all sorts of ways to express themselves and use almost any resource that is available. Making extraordinary images and objects from various but somewhat ordinary materials is a mark of creativity. Using charcoal, paper, thread, paint, ink – and even found objects such as leaves – artists continue to search for ways to construct and deliver their message. In this unit, we look at artworks created from two- and three-dimensional media and artworks made using different types of cameras.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
Unit 6: Architecture
In this unit, we explore architecture, its history, and its relation to visual art. Architecture is the art and science of designing structures and spaces for human use. Architectural design is an art form realized through considerations of spatial design and aesthetics. Related to sculpture, architecture creates three-dimensional objects that serve human purposes and form visual relationships with the surrounding areas.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.
Unit 7: Our World – Nature, the Body, Identity, Sexuality, Politics, and Power
In this unit, we explore how artists express and interpret our world. If nothing else, visual art provides an avenue for self-expression. As a primary source of inspiration, artists express attitudes, feelings, and sentiments about their environment through personal experiences, social interaction, and relationships with the natural world. In short, art helps us perceive and react to our place in the world. In Unit 1, we referred to description as one of many roles art adopts, but description is often imbued with the artist's subjective take on the world. In this unit, we examine how art operates as a vehicle for human expression – a kind of collective visual metaphor that helps us define who we are.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.
Unit 8: Other Worlds – Mortality, the Spirit, and Fantasy
Humans use art to capture ideas about worlds outside our own. Art can be a vehicle for myth, which uses narrative to convey truths about human nature. Art also expresses hard-to-articulate aspects of spiritual worlds, which are products of religious practices. Cultures use iconography to symbolize abstract ideas, such as dreams, love, power, and emotion, and societies call on the artist to create them. Art also plays a significant role in rituals and ceremonies. In this unit, we explore how artists materialize human thought, belief, and imagination through art.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
Unit 9: Art in Time and Place – The Western and Near Eastern World
The era and location where a work of art was created often determine the formal and stylistic aspects of the piece. In this unit, we study the evolution of art in time and place in the Western world. We will help you develop the tools you need to identify major formal and stylistic trends that punctuate the timeline of Western art history. This approach will allow you to witness the relationship between works of art and their specific social-historical contexts. You will also see a certain continuum that runs through Western art from Ancient Greece to modern times.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 14 hours.
Study Guide
This study guide will help you get ready for the final exam. It discusses the key topics in each unit, walks through the learning outcomes, and lists important vocabulary. It is not meant to replace the course materials!
Course Feedback Survey
Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses. If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org.
Certificate Final Exam
Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.
To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.
Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.
- Receive a grade Receive a pass grade
Saylor Direct Credit
Take this exam if you want to earn college credit for this course. This course is eligible for college credit through Saylor Academy's Saylor Direct Credit Program.
The Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam requires a proctoring fee of $5. To pass this course and earn a Credly Badge and official transcript, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam. Your grade for this exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again a maximum of 3 times, with a 14-day waiting period between each attempt.
We are partnering with SmarterProctoring to help make the proctoring fee more affordable. We will be recording you, your screen, and the audio in your room during the exam. This is an automated proctoring service, but no decisions are automated; recordings are only viewed by our staff with the purpose of making sure it is you taking the exam and verifying any questions about exam integrity. We understand that there are challenges with learning at home - we won't invalidate your exam just because your child ran into the room!
Requirements:
- Desktop Computer
- Chrome (v74+)
- Webcam + Microphone
- 1mbps+ Internet Connection
Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a Credly Badge and can request an official transcript.
- Desktop Computer