How To Look at and Understand Great Art

What does it take to truly know what you're seeing when you look at art? What technical skills and knowledge are needed to unpack the hidden significance of paintings, sculptures, prints, and more? These 36 lectures take you on an in-depth exploration of the practical skill of viewing art through the lenses of line, light, perspective, composition, and other crucial elements of craft and technique. Award-winning professor and art scholar Dr. Sharon Hirsh gives you the specific visual and interpretive knowledge you need to approach great artworks, find their deeper meanings, and reach startling new levels of appreciation. In building your viewing skills, the opening lectures give you practice with the core technical tools for understanding visual art: color, line composition, and signs and symbols. Then, you'll apply your technical knowledge to major works in each genre, exploring various types of drawings, the vast spectrum of sculpture, and the important traditions within painting.