Describe the historical development of the humanities from the pre-historic era to the present.

Visual Arts

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Describe the historical development of the humanities from the pre-historic era to the present.
  • Describe how the visual arts developed in the 17th through 20th centuries.
• Competency 2: Examine the forms of expression that instantiate the arts and humanities.
  • Explain the aesthetic principles expressed in the visual arts.
• Competency 3: Integrate the humanities with everyday life.
  • Illustrate the use of visual arts in commercial design.
  • Assess how visual images in advertising influence our buying habits.
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively in forms appropriate to the humanities.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Assignment Instructions

Write an essay in which you explain the aesthetic principles expressed in visual arts and describe how they changed from the Baroque period through the early 20th century. What basic features were preserved through the centuries, and which changed dramatically? How do you think artists choose which styles to employ in their own work?

Next, consider how these styles are exemplified in commercial design during our own time. Collect visual images from websites and advertisements, like those in the studies, and explain how they incorporate traditional elements of visual design. Are our decisions to purchase items of clothing, jewelry, automobiles, appliances, and services influenced significantly by the visual forms in which they are presented?

Although your paper should offer a general thesis about the use of visual arts, much of the support you offer in its defense will involve details chosen from the specific examples you select. As you write, look for ways to tie everything together with your own view of the role that the visual arts continue to play in our everyday lives.