Alright, well I wanted to take a moment
and introduce you to the study of art
history.  When I was younger, I used to
think history was boring because I
didn't realize how much it greatly
affected the present.  And you know, the
more I study art history the more it's
just enhanced my life.  And I mean-- I go to
an art museum, and it's not just a bunch
of dead things on the walls. The works
are alive in the sense that they
continue to teach, and they continue to
speak.  You know, they call out to us on
the walls they implore us to stop, and to
stop and consider their cultural moments
and what they cared about.  And we can
make so many connections with the
present.  And that's because historical
artwork can still inspire and can still
teach.  And if we want to make a better
society we must consider things through
the lens of history.  Marcus Garvey once
said that, "A people without a knowledge
of their past history, origin, and culture
is like a tree without roots."   So history
is important to a growing and healthy
society, and I truly believe that art
history is one of the best ways of
looking at our past.  And that's because
it's in art that you find the heart and
soul of a culture.   You see what's really
significant to a culture and what they
really cared about.  And so images in art
history is like looking at the photo
book of time.  And although we've been
looking at art historical examples
throughout this entire course, this last
section of the class really takes into
account the cultural context in which
many of these works were made.  And so
we're going to move through a brief
timeline of history in order to make
some important connections to works of
art.  And that's because in order to
really understand a work of art you have
to understand
it in its context, and you have to
consider the intentions of the people,
who made the work, who paid for the work,
and how the work functioned in all of
the context in which contributed to
its creation.   And for those of you who
thought history was just a bunch of
dates and names, you know, maybe looking
at these images will really help bring
it to life.  So join me as we take an
amazing trip back in time and look
closely at the contexts of all of these
incredible works of art through the lens
of art history.
 
