European Art, Enjoying

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
In this lesson, you'll learn how this course will enhance your appreciation and recognition of the greatest artworks of all time. You'll see the importance of the way hundreds of images included within the lessons of this course are already linked to the World Wide Web for easy exploration. We'll discuss how to make the best use of the wealth of information available about art, artists, and their fascinating times, as well as how to access world class museums like the Louvre in Paris.

Lesson 2
Today, you'll plunge into the extensive artistic contributions of Italy. In fact, this country is so rich with art that I've divided the study of Italy into two lessons. In this lesson, we'll focus on magnificent paintings and sculpture of great Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Raphael. We'll make sure to define art terminology with a few simple sentences to help you follow along.

Lesson 3
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to the monumental architecture of Italy. As with the paintings and sculpture, you'll see the buildings themselves and read a short commentary on each. This lesson is designed to give you a feel for the history and important artistic aspects associated with the architecture. You'll get the chance to explore Pompeii, which was buried by volcanic ash 2,000 years ago, in your online assignment.

Lesson 4
We'll take a walk through the fascinating museums of Paris in this lesson where you'll meet the Mona Lisa, Impressionist artists like Monet and Degas, the Cubist Picasso and Henri Matisse. Each time we enter a new country, we'll go over a brief history of artistic expression in that country. And we'll discuss art styles as we go along. You'll even understand about the style called Dada, which means "baby talk" in German.

Lesson 5
Whether you like Chateaux or the grandeur of palaces, you'll enjoy learning about the most famous ones in this lesson. Today, we'll be exploring Roman architecture in France. Don't forget today's assignment, which takes you to the architectural space of the great caves in France with their spectacular ancient wall paintings. This lesson's easy-to-use links will help you access the latest online information and images of the recently found cave called Chauvet, used by artists 30,000 years ago.

Lesson 6
In this lesson, we'll review a brief history of artistic influences in England, stemming from Roman invaders to Christian themes that mix with Celtic interlocking design. You'll see examples of all these ideas while we visit the huge British Museum. There, you'll investigate the Parthenon marble sculptures created in Greece over 2,000 years ago. Next, we'll peruse the National Gallery's collection of lush portraits and landscapes by Thomas Gainsborough and others, plus visionary works by William Blake and the bewitching women of the Pre-Raphaelites.

Lesson 7
Today, we'll explore both prehistoric sites like Stonehenge and medieval Gothic Cathedrals like Westminster Abbey. We'll visit the imposing Blemheim Palace, which will give us a chance to discuss landscape gardens of England. The palace is surrounded by acres of planned vistas and artificial lakes created by the famous Capability Brown.

Lesson 8
Today, we'll discuss the importance of print making by looking at the work of the fascinating artist, Albrecht D?rer. You'll enjoy works from the Egyptian Museum, like the beautiful bust of Queen Nefertiti. You'll get to know "Mad" King Ludwig of Bavaria and his idea of the perfect castle, Neuschwanstein. As in every lesson, you'll be able to click on the image within the lesson an be directed to the World Wide Web for more images and information.

Lesson 9
Today, you'll learn all about the great Vincent Van Gogh's works and how his alternating bouts with depression affected his artistic expression. You'll be impressed by the exquisitely painted scenes of Rembrandt and luminous works of Vermeer, as well as many other Dutch painters. We'll even visit the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art to see the dreamlike paintings of Marc Chagall, and you'll learn why some artists thought the abstract style was the essence of beauty.

Lesson 10
You'll see the importance of this lesson expressed in the glory of Vienna, where emperors, artists, and musicians joined to support and create new styles and new sounds. You'll meet artists like Gustave Klimt, who revealed his own heart in rich paintings, and you'll understand why Art Nouveau arose in the streets of Vienna. We'll take a long look at the extensive collections of these wealthy rulers, including works by Raphael and Caravaggio, whose paintings match his dramatic personality.

Lesson 11
Today, we'll go over the many different styles and artists of Spain. We'll visit the Salvador Dal? Museum to enjoy his surreal take on life. We'll also explore the work of Diego Vel?zquez, painter to the royal family, and Pablo Picasso's war-protest piece called Guernica. Then we'll go to Toledo to spend time with the ethereal works of El Greco, the Greek.

Lesson 12
In our final lesson, I want to give you a feeling for the culture of Spain through the architecture. To do this, we'll travel through time and space to see and learn about architecture from the 10th century through the 20th century. We'll look at the fantastic cathedral of Antoni Gaud?, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the extraordinary 16th century monastery palace called San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and an eight-story-tall apartment building in Barcelona that was purposely built without a straight wall or sharp corner.