German History Through Art

Description

German History Through Art

Perhaps more well-known for composers such as Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, Germany has a rich history in the visual arts. While influenced by the major art movements in France, Italy and the rest of Europe, Germany was and is a very regional country where a single national art style never developed. This provided fertile soil for experimentation and art that influenced other European styles in turn. In German History Through Art, students will explore major historical periods through the art that was created and the ideas that inspired them.

We will look at major art from the period each week and discuss what we see. We will learn a little about the artists and their motivations, and especially about the time period in which they lived. Students will be able to see how a relatively small movement in Weimar, Germany sought to reflect the unity of the arts, thereby influencing modern industrial design, architecture and the furniture of IKEA. They will also understand why Adolf Hitler so aggressively controlled art and literature in his attempt to define a national German identity.

Most importantly, students will be able to see art as an expression of ideas and ideals set within a historical context. 

Students will create a small presentation in which they choose one artist or art movement to explore in more depth. Homework will be focused on helping them narrow down a topic, research their project and put it together into a short presentation.

Materials required: none. All material will be provided by the teacher.