Art History

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."  Pablo Picasso

Art has always challenged society and also been shaped by it. 

In Art History we take a fascinating look at art works which were seen as radical and shocking in their day.  We look at the public reaction to them as they themselves made history.

Year 12 students study 19th Century French art, the art of the French Revolution and follow art in France to later post impressionism. Did collecting Japanese prints and the invention of the camera influence art of the time?

"Art in Aotearoa" is the focus for the second part of Year 12, learning about early European landscape and portrait painters and why Maori and the land were depicted the way they were. We investigate the ‘new identity’ that emerged from New Zealand's geographic location and unique cultural heritage.

Year 13 students start with "Fauvism in France and Expressionism in Germany in the early 20th century."  They identify the rapid technological and philosophical changes on which later art movements were built. American art from 1945 is followed by modern New Zealand art during the rest of the year. 

The analytical skills that students practise in Art History are beneficial for many tertiary studies, including in Law and the Arts.