From sunsets to double rainbows, nature’s full of beautiful things. So it’s not surprising that artists have found inspiration in Mother Nature for millennia. What is surprising is the wide variety of human concerns that nature art has...

Short-sightedness may be the greatest threat to humanity, says conceptual artist Katie Paterson, whose work engages with deep time -- an idea that describes the history of the Earth over a time span of millions of years. In this lively...

For centuries, “official” art spaces have shaped whose work gets taken seriously. But there are no required qualifications for making art! In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll explore amateurs and outsiders. We’ll learn how...

In which we meet Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich and receive the assignment to make an IMPRINT. We filmed with Sopheap at Indianapolis Fabrications while he was in town installing a new work for the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

We may be on vacation this week but that doesn't mean that The Art Assignment is! Nature permitting, we're going to try to answer some of our favorite questions submitted by you, dear viewers.

The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, is considered one of the most important surviving structures of Classical Greece. Originally dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, it has changed hands many times throughout history, serving as a...

Trace the storied history of the game of chess, from its origins in 7th century India to the computer software we use today. -- The attacking infantry advances, their elephants already having broken the defensive line. The king tries...

A close reading of WH Auden's peom Musée des Beaux Arts

How the Golden Ratio was discovered and used through time, from architecture to art to music. Maths - Measurement A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts...

With the help of co-author Christina Boszik, I weigh in on the debate around the Parthenon Marbles.

Here we discuss the influential artist Euclid of Alexandria and his peerless work The Elements.

In this video I will teach you how to EASILY create an Acetone Image Transfer From a Magazine, nice and quick! This tutorial will have you making image transfers in no time, using items you have at home. All

You need is: 100%...

Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day. Why I study art.

Hatshepsut was a powerful female pharaoh of Ancient Egypt who used effective propaganda to ensure a long and prosperous rule. She ruled 18th dynasty Egypt from c. 1479 – 1458 BCE. Timestamps: 0:00 Early Life 1:57 Claiming the Throne 6:53...

An explanation of Mark Bradford's abstract landscape paintings

The term Kafkaesque has entered the vernacular to describe unnecessarily complicated and frustrating experiences, especially with bureaucracy. But does standing in a long line to fill out confusing paperwork really capture the richness...

What exactly makes a poem - a poem? Poets themselves have struggled with this question, often using metaphors to approximate a definition. Is a poem a little machine? A firework? An echo? A dream? Melissa Kovacs shares three recognizable...

The legendary Battle of the Red Cliffs marks the end of the four century old Han dynasty. Poverty, famine and floods lead to uprisings such as the Rebellion of the Yellow Turbans. The weakened empire got split into smaller regions after...

In downtown areas of major cities, clusters of competing theaters—such as MGM, Loew's, and RKO—often lined main streets, creating vibrant entertainment districts. These theaters, with their elaborate marquees and luxurious interiors,...

This video tutorial will teach you how to safely and successfully carve linoleum for printmaking or for bas-relief painting. I will demonstrate carving Wondercut linoleum from Dick Blick using Speedball linoleum block cutters (gouges...

Did you know you can fold an entire tree out of only one square of paper? It’s true! Grab a square of paper and some scissors and create a tree with me!

This virtual lesson was made during the March 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak. Hopefully, it will inspire people who are stuck at home to draw some bubbles using colored pencils!

This video is a formal analysis of the composition of Piero della Francesca’s painting The Flagellation of Christ. It moves through competing theories regarding the subject of the painting, and then does a geometric analysis of the...

We visit the Gardens of Versailles to look at the extraordinary work of Andre Le Nortre, and Absolute Monarchy through the lens of Garden designing.