Assignment I: Art History
Part 1: Briefly define art history as an academic field based on your understanding of the readings in the textbook Introduction. Next, discuss two of the natural and human threats to artworks that concern contemporary art historians. Provide specific examples of threats, the artworks involved, and how these threats affect the interpretation of the works by art historians. Your discussion should be based on the information in the textbook Introduction and throughout the textbook and lecture readings of the first four lessons.
Part 2: Explain the construction of megalithic architecture and dome building, tracing its history from pre-historic art to the Renaissance. Begin your discussion describing the architectural innovations of the tomb in Newgrange, Ireland and connect these innovations with subsequent examples of the tholos tombs in Greece, to the Pantheon in Rome and conclude with the Florence Cathedral. Your discussion should include a definition of terms you use as defined in the textbook readings and demonstrate an understanding of the connections these buildings have in common.
Works of architecture to include in your Part B discussion:
• Tomb, Newgrange, Ireland. c. 3000-2500 BCE. Located on page 29 in the textbook.
• Interior of tholos tomb, Mycenae, Greece. c. 1300-1200 BCE. Located on page 100 in the textbook.
• Pantheon, Rome. 110-128 CE. Located on page 148 and 149 in the textbook.
• Filippo Brunelleschi, Dome of Florence Cathedral. 1420-1436 CE. Located on page 307 of the textbook.
Assignment II: Art History
Part 1: In this first portion of the assignment you are asked to analyze the iconography of the artworks listed below. Defined in the textbook, iconography is an understanding of the subject matter and symbols of an artwork (Stokstad and Cothern, 2016, pg. 6). Based on your understanding of the cultures and time periods you have encountered over the past 4 lessons of textbook readings, analyze the following artworks in terms of their iconography.
• Adam and Eve, Albrecht Dürer, 1504. Engraving. Located on page 357 of the textbook.
• The Founding of Tenochtitlan page from the Codex Mendoza, Aztec, 1545 CE. Located on page 411 of the textbook.
• The Hip Pendant Representing an Iyoba ("Queen Mother"), Nigeria, c. 1550 CE. Located on page 433 of the textbook.
• Tar Beach, Faith Ringgold, 1988. Acrylic on canvas, and pieced cloth. Located on page 572 of the textbook.
Part 2: Compare and contrast the function of the above works. Focus your analysis on how each artwork functioned spiritually and/or politically in their original context. Your discussion should include the importance of the artwork at the time of its creation for the viewer at that time. For instance, you could address issues such as, was the artwork used as a visual teaching of a concept, was it used as an historical record to document an event? Compare and contrast the function of the four artworks and distinguish the connections that can be made, pointing out patterns you find.
Conclude your essay with a short discussion on the use of symbols in the 21st century to communicate, applying what you learned regarding the use of symbolic imagery throughout the centuries of art studied in the past 4 weeks. (Think of advertising logos or emojis etc. when considering 21st century examples.)
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.