The Art Historian is a high quality multimedia CD‐ROM designed to supplement college‐level art history and art appreciation education courses. It is comprised of two CDs (volumes 1 and 2) and works in both Macintosh and Windows environments. It is currently available in version 3.2. The historical coverage is broad and encompasses the entire history of art. Volume 1 contains sections on Prehistory, Ancient Near East, Egyptian, Aegean, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Early Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, Early Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic art. Volume 2 contains sections on Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Modern, Asian, African, and Oceanic art.
These sections are intended to complement a general survey course that covers Ancient to Medieval Art (v.1) and the Renaissance to the Modern periods (v.2). Each section contains images from that art period, lecture notes, and a multimedia presentation on that particular
art period. The student can view the images with or without the lecture notes and can zoom the image to full screen size. The lecture notes also link to similar art works of the
same time period, artist, or location.
Probably the most useful feature of The Art Historian is the ability to compare two pieces of art at the same time. The Compare button allows the student to place two pieces of art on the screen, along with their lecture notes, for comparison and analysis. Finally, there is a Self‐test section included on the CD, where the student can test him or herself on the entire content of The Art Historian or on a single section. Students can choose either multiple choice questions, flash cards, or essays. Questions can also be asked at random or exclusive. An index provides the user with a complete compilation of the contents of the CD.
I was extremely impressed with the contents and the capabilities of this product. Not only is this an excellent multimedia supplement for college art instructors for introductory appreciation courses; but it is an extremely useful introduction to art for K‐12 students. Most of the art works contained in The Art Historian are well known; but there are also esoteric and unique pieces which often are not seen because of their inaccessibility due to location or current condition.
This CD was compiled by a select group of art historians and computer professionals; and they have worked exclusively on the content, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of this product. It is therefore a work of scholarly love and excellence, not subject to the whims or concerns of current publishing conglomerates. Every college art department should obtain and provide access to this CD for its introductory art appreciation and history classes. Parents who would like their children to experience the entire history of art will find this CD well worth its weight in gold. I highly recommend this product.
