Online courses directory (78)

With the failure of the French Revolution (Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, and after his defeat, a King was restored to power in France), there was a turn away from public, political life, toward personal, subjective experience. In large part, this turn characterizes the new style of Romanticism (don

This Graphic Design course builds on the introductory course and investigates the application of graphic design principals in the production process such as composition, balance, contrast and hierarchy. It is suitable for students studying graphic design, and designers and artists working in the graphic design industry. <br />

This course serves as an introduction to the Buddhist artistic traditions of South, Southeast, and East Asia, as well as the Himalayas.  It is organized into four units based on the development of Buddhist schools and artistic traditions in Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and China, Korea, and Japan.  The first unit surveys the core tenets of Buddhism, Buddhist iconography, and early Buddhist art and architecture in India.  The second unit reviews the development of Buddhist art and architecture in Southeast Asia, focusing on the patronage of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism by rulers in the modern countries of Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.  Unit three examines the particular form of Vajrayana Buddhism and its artistic traditions that developed in the Himalayas.  The final unit traces the spread of Mahayana Buddhist art and architecture into China and later into Korea and Japan via the Silk Roads.  All four units highlight the interaction between Buddhist doctrine, art, and architecture; Bud…

In common conversation, we often use the phrase “contemporary art” to refer to current artistic productionthe art being produced today.  However, in the art history field, the phrase denotes a specific period of art and artistic practice starting in the 1960s and continuing today.  It is characterized by a break from the modernist artistic canon and a desire to move away from the dominant Western cultural model, looking for inspiration in everyday and popular culture.  More specifically, many contemporary artworks reject traditional modernistic artistic media (such as painting or sculpture) in favor of a more collaborative, ephemeral, and multimedia approach that further blurs the boundaries between high and mass culture.  In its subject matter, this art also tends to reflect a shift away from purely aesthetic issues to more socially oriented concerns.  Finally, it is important to note that contemporary art should not be seen as a progression of different artistic styles but as series of different cu…

In this course, we will study the architecture of Ancient Rome, beginning with its origins in the eighth century BC, and continuing through the fourth century AD with the move of the Roman capital to Constantinople.  The course of lectures and readings outlined below will familiarize you with the major building methods and styles used in Roman architecture.  In addition, interior decoration (including the very important topic of Roman wall painting) will be addressed.  By the end of the course, you will be able to identify some of the most important works of Roman architecture and discuss the historical and cultural conditions that informed their production. An important theme throughout the first half of the course is the relationship between Ancient Rome and Greek and Etruscan cultures, which were highly influential in the formation of a distinctive Roman architecture.  Understanding the role that Roman architecture played in the eastern and western Roman provinces is also significant to this course,…

This course provides an introductory survey of the Western classical tradition, exploring music both as a phenomenon of sound and culture.  The focus of this course is the development of aural skills that lead to an understanding and appreciation of music.  Making use of live performances and streaming audio available on the Internet, we will listen to and explore some of the most important and influential repertoires and genres of music that emerged in the last four centuries: High Renaissance vocal music, the cantatas and oratorios of Bach and Handel, Mozart’s comic operas, the monumental orchestral works of the Romantic movement, and the major musical movements of twentieth-century Europe and America, revealing significant connections with contemporary pop and jazz styles.  These styles have become an enduring part of the world of music in the twenty-first century, traveling out of the concert hall and conservatory into the larger world via movies, television, and the Internet. This course will begi…

Music theory, one of our top online music classes, is the analysation of how music works - by studying the notation and language of music. Unlike other online music lessons, Introduction to Music Theory introduces the basic concepts and terms needed to discuss melody and harmony. Concepts covered include interval, major and minor keys and scales, triads, chords and beginning harmonic analysis.<br />The course is suitable for teens or adults with no background in music theory but some familiarity with reading common notation and playing an instrument (or singing).<br />

The beginning of the 21st century has been called the Information Age because of rapid increases in information and information resources. Information literacy is now a core competency mandated by higher education accreditation associations for almost all U.S. colleges and universities. It goes far beyond simple web searches and equips students with the research skills necessary to find, evaluate, and appropriately use the types of information required for college level research. This course is geared toward college students, especially those majoring in art and design, but will be useful to anyone who wants to become a more effective searcher. Students will explore the “deep web” (information not found through search engines) and experiment with various search strategies and filtering techniques. Students will also be encouraged to explore resources found in local libraries.

This Art History course investigates the role of the French avant-garde in developing and showcasing new modern forms and approaches to art and visual culture in the 19th century. The material addresses the most critical issues of modernity from Realism through Post-Impressionism. We will cover the stylistic changes that challenged academic art, the new subjects that confounded modern audiences, and the new roles and authority of the modern artist. To do this, we will focus on the European world through a series of video podcasts and online readings over five weeks. By the end of the course, you will understand the issues of modernity and the way that art and art-making addressed these issues as well as recognize the profound impact that 19th century Europe had in shaping our contemporary ideas of being “modern.”

Build your earth science vocabulary and learn about cycles of matter and types of sedimentary rocks through the Education Portal course Earth Science 101: Earth Science. Our series of video lessons and accompanying self-assessment quizzes can help you boost your scientific knowledge ahead of the Excelsior Earth Science exam . This course was designed by experienced educators and examines both science basics, like experimental design and systems of measurement, and more advanced topics, such as analysis of rock deformation and theories of continental drift.

At its core, this course is about providing students with a broader understanding of music as a uniquely human activity. This will be accomplished by discussing the music you actually listen to, learning about various dimensions and elements of music, and creating your own music. No previous experience making music is necessary. This course is designed for individuals at all levels of musical understanding and experience. The fundamental assumption underlying the course design is that ALL people are innately musicians, whether that musicianship is expressed in the form of listening, performing, or creating music. Ever since you were born (and even before) you have been developing an expertise in music based on your own personal musical experience. This is similar to how you have been developing a language expertise that is dependent on your individual experience with the language(s) that you speak. It is your own individual musical expertise that forms the entry point into this course and on which this course is built. These are the course’s four learning goals: Acquire a more robust understanding of the various dimensions of music Acquire a richer language for talking about (describing and evaluating) music Integrate those understandings to create and evaluate your own music Apply this musical language to describe and evaluate music of others The entire course is framed around answering one basic, but deceptively complex, question: What is music? The course is structured to help answer this question by approaching it from various perspectives, including the following: Music as Human Activity Music as Metaphor Music as Emotion Music as Physics Music as Form Music as Culture Within each module, you will do each of the following: Learn new material through various media, including course readings, presentations, videos, websites, etc. Actively participate in discussions, which are designed to give you opportunities to apply and broaden your knowledge of this new material. Demonstrate your knowledge by completing short quizzes on the material (only some modules). Create musical products of your own, with support and help embedded within the course itself (you do NOT need to be able to play an instrument or have previous experience making/writing music). Review, evaluate, critique, and discuss projects from your peers.

This course is an exploration of visual art forms and their cultural connections for the student with little experience in the visual arts. It includes a brief study of art history, and in-depth studies of the elements, media, and methods used in creative thought and processes. In this course, you will learn how to develop a five-step system for understanding visual art in all forms, based on the following: 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 expressed by the subject matter. Judgment: A critical point of view about a work of art concerning its aesthetic or cultur…

This course serves as an introduction to the major artistic and architectural traditions of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East.  This course will explore how artifacts and monuments can be used to study the history and culture of the ancient world.  It is divided into two units that chronologically focus on the art, architecture, and archaeology of each region.  The first unit examines Ancient Egyptian tombs, monuments, and art from the Early Dynastic (c. 3100-2650 BCE) through the Roman (30 BCE- 4thcentury CE) periods.  The second unit focuses on Ancient Near Eastern artistic and architectural traditions from the late Neolithic (c. 9500-4500 BCE) through the conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BCE) by Alexander the Great. After completing this course, you will be able to identify the major characteristics of Egyptian and Near Eastern art and architecture, more specifically what types of objects and buildings were made and used by Egyptians and Ancient Near Eastern peoples.  You wil…

This course is an introduction to the major methodologies that have been and are used by art historians.  Although not a history of art history per se, it is organized in a roughly chronological order that traces major methodological developments within the discipline from the birth of art history in the nineteenth century through the late twentieth century.  By focusing on several outstanding historical and critical readings, as well as secondary discussions of different types of art historical analysis, the student will be introduced to some of the major methodologies that have shaped the field: formalism, biographical analysis, connoisseurship, technical analysis, iconographical analysis, psychoanalysis, Marxism and the social history of art, feminism, post-colonialism, and semiotics.  The course will also examine how artworks are displayed in modern art museums. After completing this course, you will be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of different art historical methodologies and explain…

This course will introduce you to the art and architecture of the African continent from the prehistoric to the present. The objects, images, and sites featured in this course represent a small cross-section of the diverse ethnic and artistic heritage in Africa. This course emphasizes the role of art as manifested in the lifestyles, spiritualities, and philosophies of particular African societies, while also breaching aesthetic principles and the study and display of African art. Many works produced in Africa are used for spiritual purposes that include ritual and performance. The study of masks and ceremonies will enable you to become more familiar with the significant role art plays in the everyday lives of the citizens of African nations. For example, most traditional African art was not meant to be displayed, but rather viewed in use and in motion, especially in mixed-media masquerades. Body adornment and textiles have long been important forms of visual communication and expression in Africa, whereas pai…

Augustus of Primaporta. Painted Garden, Villa of Livia. Head of Augustus. Sculpture from the Parthenon's East Pediment. Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. Ancient Greek Temples at Paestum, Italy. Dying Gaul. Ara Pacis. The Standard of Ur. Dionysiac frieze, Villa of Mysteries, Pompeii. East and West Pediments, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina. Colosseum. Myron, Discobolus (Discus Thrower), Roman copy of an ancient Greek bronze from c. 450 B.C.E.. Nike of Samothrace. Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi . The Pergamon Altar. Arch of Titus. Great Lyre from the "King's Grave" at Ur. Hadrian's Villa: A Virtual Tour. Parthenon Frieze. Maritime Theatre at Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli. Neo-Assyrian Art: Human Headed Winged Lion and Bull (Lamassu). The Parthenon: Metopes. Pair of Centaurs Fighting Cats of Prey from Hadrian's Villa. Mixing Vessel with Odysseus Escaping from the Cyclops' Cave. Erechtheion: Caryatid and Column. Column of Trajan. Ishtar Gate and Processional Way . Medea Sarcophagus, 140 - 150 C.E.. Equestrian Sculpture of Marcus Aurelius. Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus. After Praxiteles, Venus (Roman Copy). Apollonius, Boxer at Rest, c. 100 B.C.E.. Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf). Seated Scribe. Arch of Constantine. Digging Through Time. Thutmose's Bust of Nefertiti. House Altar with Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Three Daughters. Ramesses II. Alexander Mosaic. The Colossus of Constantine. Rosetta Stone. Hellenistic Art at the Metropolitan: Eros Sleeping and An Old Market Woman. Bodhisattva from China. Geometric Greek Krater. Exekias, Attic black figure amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing a game. Buddha of Medicine Bhaishajyaguru (Yaoshi fo). Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer). Barberini Faun, c. 220 B.C.E.. New York Kouros. Japan, Muromachi to Momoyama period Negoro ware ewer. Ancient Rome. Temple of Portunus. The Pantheon, Rome.

Humans have been making art for tens of thousands of years, long before there was writing. Why was Egyptian art obsessed with death? Why did the ancient Greeks seek the perfect human form? How did the ancient Romans use art as state propaganda? Why was the naturalism of ancient Greek and Roman art abandoned with the rise of Christianity? This topic explores the art of the ancient world, from the Venus of Willendorf to a 6th-Century Chinese Bodhisattva. Prehistoric Art: Paleolithic Origins. Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf). The Neolithic Revolution. Jade Cong. Prehistory: Proto-writing. Prehistoric Art Quiz. Introduction. Ancient History: The Alphabet. Sumerian Art: Standard of Ur. Sumerian Art: Great Lyre from the "King's Grave" at Ur. Akkadian Art: Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. Babylonian Art: Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi. Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions (Assyrian). Assyrian Art: Human Headed Winged Lion and Bull (Lamassu). Neo-Babylonian Art: Ishtar Gate and Processional Way. Ancient Near Eastern Art. Introduction. Egyptian Art. Materials & Techniques. Ancient Near Eastern & Ancient Egyptian Art. Old Kingdom: Seated Scribe. New Kingdom: House Altar with Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Three Daughters. Portrait Head of Queen Tiye with a Crown of Two Feathers. New Kingdom: Thutmose's Bust of Nefertiti. Judgement in the Presence of Osiris, Hunefer's Book of the Dead. New Kingdom: Ramesses II. Ptolemaic: Rosetta Stone. Ancient Egypt. Ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient Greek and Roman Art. Geometric: Terracotta Krater. Archaic: Exekias, Attic black figure amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing a game. Archaic: Exekias, Dionysos Kylix, c. 530 B.C.E.. Archaic: Mixing Vessel with Odysseus Escaping from the Cyclops's Cave. Archaic: New York Kouros. The Classical Orders. Archaic and Early Classical: Ancient Greek Temples at Paestum, Italy. Archaic and Early Classical: East and West Pediments, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina. Early Classical: Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer). Classical: Myron, Discobolus (Discus Thrower), Roman copy of an ancient Greek bronze. Classical: Parthenon Frieze. Classical: Sculpture from the Parthenon's East Pediment. Classical: Parthenon Metopes. Classical: Caryatid and Column from the Erechtheion. Late Classical: Lysippos, Farnese Hercules, 4th century B.C.E. (later Roman copy by Glycon). Late Classical: Lysippos, Apoxyomenos (Scraper), c. 330 B.C.E. (Roman copy). Late Classical: After Praxiteles, Venus (Roman Copy). Hellenistic: Barberini Faun. Hellenistic: Dying Gaul. Hellenistic: Nike of Samothrace. Hellenistic: The Pergamon Altar. Hellenistic: Apollonius, Boxer at Rest. Hellenistic: Alexander Mosaic. Hellenistic: Laoco

This is a transitional period. In the art of Florence and Siena there is a move away from medieval abstract depictions of space and the human body as artists began to focus on the illusion of mass and space and the expression of human emotion. With hindsight, it is possible to trace elements of Renaissance art back to this period. This century saw the creation of the beautiful poetry of Dante and Petrarch, but it is also the century that saw the worst outbreak of the Bubonic plague (known then as the Black Death) which wiped out close to half the population of Europe

This is the century that sees the full realization of the Renaissance and the end of the medieval way of thinking about the world. The Humanist rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture is supported by the wealth accumulated in prosperous cities such as Bruges, Florence, and Venice. New wealth and increasing trade created a demand for an art based on the world we see. The second half of the century saw the invention of the printing press, and Columbus