1. Prehistoric Art
1.1. Discovering Antiquity
1.1.1. Times inscribed on Greek and Roman structures, sculptures, coins
1.1.2. Archeological interpretation trace: - Culture history - Identify artifacts style, time, and place
1.1.3. Theorist developed ages: The Drift, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age
1.2. The Dawn of Art
1.2.1. Archeologist analysis of artifacts make assumptions about their use
1.2.2. European myth of meaning of archeological remains
1.3. Prehistoric Myths
1.3.1. Women held original positions of power and evolved to male supremacy
1.3.2. Gendered research emphasized solar vs. lunar elements.
1.3.3. Lewi Morgan and E.B. Tylor (Important Anthropologist) - Claimed matriarchal origins - Described Iroquois connection and matriarchal societies
1.4. The Politics of Prehistory
1.4.1. Artifacts and art are extremely political
1.4.2. Native American Prehistory in a Colonized Country
2. Primitive Art
2.1. Savages and Anthropologists
2.1.1. Primitive used by British to describe Aboriginal peoples; and represent primal stage in human evolution.
2.1.2. Characteristics of small societies
2.1.3. European believed “primitive” societies represent window to their own origins
2.2. Evolution, Diffusion, and Speculation
2.2.1. Largely speculative based on collections of colonial agents, not firsthand experiences or research
2.2.2. Pitt Rivers evolutionary analysis 1874-1884
2.2.3. Typology-arranging artifacts from around the world in sequence
2.3. Identifying Cultures, Areas, and Styles
2.3.1. 20th Century anthropologist collected empirical facts among colonized Native North Americans, Africans, and Pacific Islanders
2.3.2. Cultural areas still used even after colonial America and Manifest Destiny has altered cultural landscape
2.4. The Survival of Evolution and Diffusion
2.4.1. Barry Craig (2005) researched shield in Papua New Guinea
2.4.2. "'Primitive art' has gone through several transformations in recent generations" (Burt 65).
3. The Origins of Art
3.1. New Worlds and Histories
3.1.1. "The revival of ancient knowledge and skills produced new theories of history" (Burt 8).
3.1.2. The riches brought home to Europe helped shift the balance of power in society, challenging the political and intellectual certainties of the state and church" (Burt 8).
3.2. Industrial and Intellectual Revolutions
3.2.1. 18th century classified fine arts as: Painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and dance
3.2.2. Artifacts were collected and classified as curiosities of God’s creations
3.2.3. Carl Linnaeus devised system of classification
3.3. British Museum
3.3.1. The origins of the museum system give us clues of the social and cultural significance
3.3.2. British Museum distinguished from Natural History Museum
3.3.3. British Museum: Collecting and Classifying
3.4. Politics and Commerce, Art and Craft
3.4.1. National museums are a source of national pride
3.4.2. Art has always been investment opportunities
4. Oriental Art
4.1. Orientalism
4.1.1. Europeans did not understand the art, but appreciated the sophistication as “Oriental art”
4.1.2. Orient is European construct Europe's greatest and richest colonies
4.2. Islamic Art: An Orientalist Stereotype?
4.2.1. "Islamic art has continued to flourish in museums and universities in Europe and North America” (Burt 40)
4.2.2. Islamic art that is portrayed is identified as decorative not fine art.
4.2.3. Islamic Art is viewed as homogenous
4.3. Indian Art: Decorative and Denigrated
4.3.1. Concentrated on naturalistic images rather than aesthetic form
4.3.2. Archeological categories of specific periods: Brahmanical, Buddhist, Muhammadan
4.4. Chinese Art: Unrecognized Connoisseurship
4.4.1. Luxury artifacts were allocated according to official regulation controlling quality and quantity
4.4.2. The Europe Trade
4.4.3. Chinese tea and porcelain in high demand from Europeans
5. Classical Art
5.1. The Obsession with Ancient Greece
5.1.1. Greek reimagines Parthenon marbles
5.1.2. Greek Statues also used to proliferate racial superiority
5.2. Biblical Antiquity
5.2.1. European claims heritage to Ancient Civilization
5.2.2. Two areas: Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia
5.2.3. French and English competed for in acquiring and replicating Ancient Egyptian style
5.3. Classical Art History
5.3.1. Art is part of a Zeitgeist- spirit of the age, spirit of a culture
5.3.2. Hegel believed: Art should idealize nature Art should not portray it exactly
5.4. Classicism and Eurocentrism
5.4.1. Art historians personal and cultural judgements
5.4.2. No interest in cultural relativism