6/14/2021 HUMN 100 6981 Introduction to Humanities (2215) – HUMN 100 6981 Introduction to Humanities (2215)
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Week 2: The Visual Arts
HUMN 100 6981 Introduction to Humanities (2215) OO
The Visual Arts
There are painters who transform the sun to
a yellow spot, but there are others who, with
the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into sun. —Pablo
Picasso
Still Life with a Bottle of Rum by Pablo Picasso
Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access “The Met Collection”
—
Overview
The Humanities are the study of the things that make humans special. Since the beginning
of time, people have made art. The oldest known cave paintings date back almost 40,000
years. One might say art-making and the appreciation of art are inherently human
qualities.
Today, we often think of art as precious things on display in a museum. However, that was
not always the case, and the visual arts include more than just painting and sculpture.
Architecturally crafted and designed objects—articles of daily use—may be considered art.
Art is often made to add beauty to our surroundings, but it may also be produced for
spiritual practices or rituals, to assert power, inform, or cause controversy—questioning
assumptions or pushing the boundaries. Some artists even try to change the world!
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Week 2 Checklist
Checklist
The role of art and the artist in society has changed throughout history and varies from
culture to culture. As the audience and as potential art makers, we have a role to play, too.
While an artist may imbue meaning into a work of art, meaning is made and changes
through use and circumstances. And, art can be a form of the shadows seen by those
inside the cave in Plato’s allegory, or it can lead people out of the cave. We will explore
these issues in this week’s session on the visual arts.
Learning Outcomes
Following is a list of the Week 2 outcomes, mapped to the corresponding course
outcome. The course outcomes give “the big picture,” and the weekly outcomes provide
more detailed information that will help you achieve the course outcomes.
Week 2 Outcomes
Explain the relationship of the visual arts to the humanities (1).
Identify the scope of the visual arts (1, 2).
Place the visual arts into an historical and cultural context (2, 3).
Analyze philosophical questions related to art production (1, 3).
Describe and interpret visual arts (3, 4).
Course Outcomes Met in Week 2
Describe and analyze the way human culture is expressed through works of
literature, performing and visual arts, philosophy, and religion in order to appreciate
the depth and breadth of the humanities.
Use basic vocabulary, concepts, methods, and theories of the humanities disciplines
in order to describe and analyze cultural and artistic expressions.
Identify and apply criteria in order to evaluate individual and collective cultural
accomplishments.
Examine individual and cultural perspectives in the field of humanities in order to
recognize and assess cultural diversity and the individual’s place in the world.
All images are from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Online Collection of public domain
works.
0 % 0 of 5 topics complete
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https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection
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Week 2 Study Guide
Web Page
Week 2 Learning Resources
External Learning Tool
Week 2: QUIZ
Quiz
WEEK 2 DISCUSSION: Analyzing Visual Art
Discussion Topic
Read the Weekly Overview & Learning Goals
Read, View, Review all of the Learning Resources & Links
Participate in our Discussions
Take the Quiz
Take the quiz before you post to the discussions.
Please use the Learning Resources from this module to answer the quiz questions. You
may take this quiz up to five times. Questions you have answered incorrectly will be
shown to you after each attempt. Your best grade will be recorded in the grade book.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS: Your contributions should be thoughtful
and developed. Answer all parts of the question and use concepts from the course
materials. Use a professional style of communication, with attention to grammar, spelling,
and typos; cite your sources.
Unless your instructor specifies otherwise, choose ONE of the following questions, and
give a substantive response to at least two other students.
OPTION 1: DESCRIBE AND DISCUSS A FAVORITE WORK
1. Describe a favorite work of visual art and include a picture of it in your post. Your
selection may come from the entire range of visual arts, anything from a famous
painting in a museum to an iconic architectural masterpiece to a handmade basket
or an especially well-designed object. The only restriction is that you need to have
seen the actual work of art, rather than a photo or online image.
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2. Describe the medium it represents within the scope of visual arts. Tell us about its
maker or designer. What year is it from? Where is it located? What was its
intended function? What is its significance to you?
3. Does this particular piece help you understand something about reality or is it
intended to be more of an illusion pointing to something we don’t really quite
understand, like a shadow on the wall of the cave as in the Allegory of the Cave
we looked at last week?
4. Use at least two of the vocabulary, concepts or techniques from the Learning
Resources or the module to say something more about this piece of art. Underline
or bold the vocabulary, concept or technique you use as a interpretative tool in
your post.
OPTION 2: SCAVENGER HUNT
1. Choose a theory of visual art described in this week’s Learning Resource titled “A
historical overview of ideas guiding the visual arts in the Western world: from
Plato to the present day.
2. Then find a related work of visual art represented within the Learning Resource
link to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, or any
of the Learning Resources.
3. Include a picture of the work in your post, and Discuss your interest in both and
the relation you see between them. That connection may relate to visual qualities,
history, use, or meaning.
4. Finally, point out how your response uses at least two of the vocabulary, concepts
or techniques from the Learning Resources for the module
5. . Underline or bold the vocabulary, concept or technique you use as a
interpretative tool in your post.
You will not see any other postings until you post your own.
Initial posts are due by Saturday at 11:30PM ET and at least two responses to fellow
classmates are expected by the end of the academic week on Tuesday by 11:30PM ET.
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