Course Overview:

The AP® Art History online course is equivalent to a two-semester college survey course exploring the nature of art, art making, and responses to art. In this comprehensive AP® Art History online course, students will embark on a captivating journey through the history of art, spanning various cultures and time periods. By investigating the specific course content of 250 works of art characterized by diverse artistic traditions from prehistory to the present, students develop an in-depth, holistic understanding of the history of art from a global perspective. Students become active participants in the global art world, engaging with its forms and content. They experience, research, discuss, read, and write about art, artists, art making, responses to, and interpretations of art.

Semester A

In Semester A, the course begins with foundational elements of art and principles of design, setting the stage for an exploration of prehistoric art, ancient civilizations like Sumer, Babylon, and Egypt, as well as the artistic achievements of Greece and Rome. The course then delves into early Christian, Byzantine, and Islamic arts, followed by the transition from the early medieval to Gothic periods. 

Semester B

In Semester B, students will explore the evolution of art from early modernism to the 20th century, including movements like Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. The course also takes students on a global tour of art, from Asia to the Americas, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. It concludes with a study of contemporary art forms and media. 

This course offers a rich and diverse overview of art history, providing students with a deep appreciation of artistic expression across cultures and time.