Smarthistory.org is a free, not-for-profit, multi-media web-book designed as a dynamic enhancement (or even substitute) for the traditional art history textbook. Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker began smARThistory in 2005. Smarthistory is made possible by generous grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Link to SmartHistory Website.
Humans have been designing and building monuments and buildings of all types and sizes from the dawn of civilisation to the extent that the built environment reflects a people's cultural, religious and political beliefs and characteristics. This free online course reviews early buildings and monuments from the Roman Empire through to the Middle Ages. It looks at examples such as Renaissance and Baroque architecture and well-known examples of 19th and 20th century buildings. Works by famous architects such as Brunelleschi, Bernini, Solomon Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are also reviewed. This course will be of interest to architecture and design professionals, and to learners who would like to pursue a career in the areas of design, architecture and the built environment. Even if you are about to design your new home, you might find inspiration by studying this course!
Great artists and their works inspire and move people even centuries after the works of art were created. This free online course reviews works of art by great artists through the centuries from Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael during the Renaissance, to artists such as Caravaggio and Jacques-Louis David as well as the artists Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso in the 19th and 20th centuries. Great works of art such as The Last Supper by Leonardo, the frescos in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo to more modern works such as Guernica by Picasso are reviewed. This course will be of interest to professionals who work in the fields of art, design and graphics, to learners who are pursuing a career in the arts and to those who just love great works of art. If you have ever stepped into an Art Museum saying to yourself that you wish you knew just a little more about how to appreciate great art, this course is for you.