Module 2: History of Western Art

This module provides a structured overview of Western art history, tracing artistic development from prehistoric markings and early civilizations through to contemporary innovations. You will explore how styles, techniques, materials, and themes evolved across eras and how art reflects the cultural, political, and religious forces that shaped each period.

Why This Module Matters

To understand any artwork fully, you need to know where it sits in the broader flow of history. This module helps you recognize defining artistic traits of major periods and movements, understand why those shifts happened, and identify the threads that connect centuries of visual culture.

• Develop a clear understanding of the major movements, transitions, and breakthroughs in Western art.
• See how style, technique, and meaning evolve across time in response to social, scientific, and cultural change.
• Build a foundational timeline that strengthens all future art analysis.

By the end of Module 2, you’ll be able to identify periods, place artworks in context, and recognize the key characteristics that define each stage of Western art history.

What You’ll Learn

• Major Art Periods & Movements
  A chronological overview from prehistoric art to modern and contemporary eras.
• Stylistic Development
  How visual language shifts from the Renaissance to modern times.
• Technique & Material Change
  The evolution of materials, practices, and technologies shaping art.
• Cross-Disciplinary Context
  Connections between painting, sculpture, architecture, and applied arts across eras.

What You’ll Do

• Map Artistic Shifts
  Create a timeline to track how ideas, forms, and techniques evolve.
• Study Influential Artworks
  Analyze defining pieces that represent turning points in art history.
• Contextual Interpretation
  Connect artworks to the social, scientific, religious, and political contexts of their time.
• Identify Period Traits
  Develop the ability to recognize styles and movements by visual characteristics alone.

Module Content

This module covers the following topics:

• Art History
• Earth & Rock
• The First Civilizations
• Entering the Modern World
• Renaissance to Baroque
• Rococo to Neoclassicism
• Romanticism to Innovation
• The School of Paris
• The Gradual Revolution
• Making the Modern & Contemporary

Module Outcomes

By completing Module 2, you will:

• Understand the major artistic movements that shape Western art history.
• Be able to visually recognize key stylistic traits across periods and movements.
• Place artworks within chronological and cultural context with confidence.
• Be well prepared for deeper analysis in later modules.

Guidance Every Step of the Way

Our expert tutors will guide you through the full sweep of Western art — from prehistoric marks to contemporary expressions. They’ll help you recognize and articulate different art‑historical periods, understand how technique, medium, style and context evolve over time, and compare works across eras. Tutors will support you in analyzing pivotal paintings, sculptures, architectural works and applied arts, helping you place them in their historical, cultural and social backgrounds. Through constructive feedback you’ll build confidence in using period‑specific visual vocabulary and deepen your ability to interpret art with greater insight and awareness.