Book Title: Learning Premodern History Through Art

by Maria Americo

Book Description: Art is one of the most powerful modes of expression, storytelling, and the sharing of information that we have as humans--especially in earlier historical periods. This textbook empowers students to learn about premodern history through art. In Each piece of the 50 artworks in this book, arranged geographically and chronologically, will be used to teach the reader one seminal fact about the history of the time and place from which it comes. Our art pieces will unlock truths about our human past in terms of economics and trade, technological advancements and access to natural and other resources, the development of artistic styles and ideas, religion and ritual, lived experience and everyday life, gender and sexuality, and so much more. And anyone can "read" art. In terms of learning how to “read” art, each piece will include a number of interactive questions designed to encourage you to look at and see the art more deeply, notice its details, begin to build a vocabulary of color theory, symbol, and iconography, analyze it historically, and—most importantly of all—respond to it emotionally. Art is emotion. Art is made by humans just like us, to communicate messages of emotional expression to other humans. In Learning Premodern History Through Art, you are invited to allow art to speak to you across space and time.