Updated May 23, 2019
Each semester students find themselves enrolled in Art History classes for the first time. Ideally, they enrolled because they wanted
to study the history of art and are enthusiastic about the prospect.
This isn't always the case, however. Students may take Art History
because it is required, or it seems like a good choice for AP credit in
high school, or even because it is the only elective that fits into that
semester's class schedule. When one of the latter three scenarios apply
and a student realizes that Art History is not going to be an easy "A,"
questions invariably arise: how come I took this class? What's in it
for me? Why should I study art history?
Why? Here are five compelling reasons to cheer you.
1. Because Every Picture Tells a Story
I would argue that this is the single most fun reason to study Art
History, and it doesn't just apply to pictures (that was merely a catchy
headline for folks who were Rod Stewart fans back in the day).
You see, every artist operates under a unique set of circumstances
and all of them affect his or her work. Pre-literate cultures had to
appease their gods, ensure fertility and frighten their enemies through
art. Italian Renaissance artists had to please either the Catholic
Church, rich patrons, or both. Korean artists had compelling
nationalistic reasons to distinguish their art from Chinese art. Modern
artists strove to find new ways of seeing even while catastrophic wars
and economic depression swirled around them. Contemporary artists are
every bit as creative, and also have contemporary rents to pay -- they
need to balance creativity with sales.
No matter which piece of art or architecture you see, there were
personal, political, sociological and religious factors behind its
creation. Untangling them and seeing how they connect to other pieces of art is huge, delicious fun!
2. Because There Is More to Art History than You May Think
This may come as news, but art history is not just about drawing, painting, and sculpture. You will also run across calligraphy, architecture, photography, film, mass media, performance art, installations, animation,
video art, landscape design, and decorative arts like arms and armor,
furniture, ceramics, woodworking, goldsmithing, and much more. If
someone created something worth seeing -- even a particularly fine black
velvet Elvis -- art history will offer it to you.
3. Because Art History Hones Your Skills
As was mentioned in the introductory paragraph, art history is not an
easy "A." There is more to it than memorizing names, dates, and titles.
An art history class also requires you analyze, think critically, and write well. Yes, the five paragraph essay will rear its head with alarming frequency. Grammar and spelling will become your best friends, and you cannot escape citing sources.
Listen, I can practically hear you groaning from here, but don't despair. These are all excellent
skills to have, no matter where you want to go in life. Suppose you
decide to become an engineer, scientist, or physician -- analysis and
critical thinking define these careers. And if you want to be a lawyer,
get used to writing now. See? Excellent skills. I promise.
4. Because Our World Is Becoming More and More Visual
Think, really think about the amount of visual stimulation
with which we are bombarded on a daily basis. You are reading this on
your computer monitor, smartphone, iPad or tablet. Realistically, you
may own all of these. In your spare time, you might watch television or
videos on the internet, or play graphic-intensive video games. We ask
our brains to process immense amounts of images from the time we wake
until we fall asleep -- and even then, some of us are vivid dreamers.
As a species, we are shifting from predominantly verbal thinking to
visual thinking. Learning is becoming more visually- and less
text-oriented; this requires us to respond not just with analysis or
rote memorization, but also with emotional insight.
Art History offers you the tools you need to respond to this
cavalcade of imagery. Think of it as a type of language, one that allows
the user to successfully navigate new territory. Or, at least, find the
location of a public restroom. Either way, you benefit.
5. Because Art History Is YOUR History
Each of us springs from a genetic soup seasoned by innumerable
generations of cooks. It is the most human thing imaginable to want to
know about our ancestors, the people who made us us. What did
they look like? How did they dress? Where did they gather, work, and
live? Which gods did they worship, enemies did they fight, and rituals
did they observe?
Now consider this: photography has been around less than 200 years,
film is even more recent, and digital images are relative newcomers. If
we want to see any person that existed prior to these technologies we
must rely on an artist. This isn't a problem if you come from a royal
family where portraits of every King Tom, Dick, and Harry are hanging on
the palace walls, but the other seven-or-so billion of us have to do a
little art-historic digging.
The good news is that digging through art history is a fascinating
pastime so, please, grab your mental shovel and commence. You will
discover visual evidence of who and where you came from -- and gain some
insight on that genetic soup recipe. Tasty stuff!
