AP Art History Summer Assignments - St. Cecilia Academy

AP Art History Summer Assignments –
Mrs. Goldammer
Hello! I hope you are as excited as I am about the coming year of Art History!
The purpose of this class is to prepare students for success when taking the AP Art
History test in the spring and is based on The College Board’s criteria.
But. . .
. . . .Do we study art history because we love memorizing dates, names, and places?
. . . Does the discipline of art history have practical application only in the context of a
museum or a historical site?
. . . Or is there some other reason?
I believe that in developing an understanding of your world and your own place within
that world, your sense of sight plays an invaluable role. The visual arts remind us of how
images impact us daily, both consciously and unconsciously, by influencing how we
construct identity and perceive meaning. Visual literacy is crucial in communicating with
others and in receiving messages that dictate our own actions. In regard to history, images
can actually impact world events. How we process information filtered through our sense
of sight can be one of the most compelling reasons for studying visual imagery
The study of art history is a study of perception. No subject is left untouched, for visual
imagery addresses every facet of our human lives. No other subject -in my mind- holds a
greater fascination!
The AP Art History Exam consists of multiple-choice and free-response questions. The
free-response questions are more heavily weighted, emphasizing the importance for
students to engage in a dialogue when looking at works of art. Writing about art can be
quite different than writing in other subjects. An essay that simply describes a work of art
is often dull and useless; therefore, I’ll be encouraging you to offer insights when writing
in response to a particular issue or question. We will work to develop this skill
throughout the year, and we will write frequently. You will also take comprehensive
exams throughout the year so that you’ll be well prepared for the AP Exam at the end of
the school year.

To prevent you from writing essays that simply describe a work of art, I’ll be
encouraging you to focus on five areas in your writings and in class discussion:
• subject matter
• function
• artistic decision making
• contextual analysis
• cultural impact
Contemplating these five factors will help you to see art as a meaningful part of your life.
(Looking at these five areas won’t just apply to masterpieces but also to images and
objects found in our everyday world that we consider to be art).
The Texts:
-You will need to purchase the following texts which will all be used in your summer
reading.
Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History, By Helen Gardner, Fred S.
Kleiner, Christin J Mamiya - Cengage Learning (2008) - Hardback - 1104 pages - ISBN
0495093076
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented
Architecture, By Ross King - Penguin Books (2001) - Paperback - 194 pages - ISBN
0142000159

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, By Ross King - Penguin USA (2003) - Paperback
- 304 pages - ISBN 0142003697
1. Please read Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and The Pope’s Ceiling. As you
read pay particular attention to innovations, new artistic developments and technological
advances. As in an English class, annotate/highlight/take notes, marking key passages
that offer historical information of importance. Also mark key historical figures. You
will be tested over these two books the first week of school, which will constitute your
first test grade of the class.
2. Please read the first three chapters in your Gardner’s textbook (Intro: What is Art
History? P. 1- 13, Ch. 1 Art Before History P. 15- 28, and Ch. 2 The Ancient Near
East P. 32- 50) and answer the questions on the review sheets that accompany this letter.
This assignment will be collected the very first day of school.
If you have any questions my email is goldammerl@stcecilia.edu
Happy Reading and Have a Wonderful Summer!!
Mrs. Goldammer