Course
Art History
History of world art: from cave paintings to contemporary art and the art market
Part of the Antiquity track — finish it for a verifiable diploma →
§ 01 — Orientation
New here?
What you'll be able to do, who this is for, how long it takes, and where to begin.
By the end, you will be able to
- 01Recognize periods and styles across art history.
- 02Read a painting instead of just looking at it.
- 03Follow modernism into contemporary art.
- 04Understand how the art market prices work.
- 05Talk about art with confidence.
Who this is for
How long it takes
- Quick orientationSkim the opening module and the cheatsheet to get the shape of it.~2 h
- Full read-throughRead every article once, in order.~2 h
- Mastery pathRead, take the quizzes, and space out your reviews.~2 weeks
- APA
Stoa. (2026). Art History [Online course]. Stoa. https://stoa.school/course/art-history
- MLA
Stoa. “Art History.” Stoa, 2026, https://stoa.school/course/art-history.
- Chicago
Stoa. “Art History.” Stoa. Accessed September 1, 2026. https://stoa.school/course/art-history.
§ 02 — Curriculum
8 modules.
Each module is a small unit. Most read in sequence — but a determined reader can begin anywhere.
- M IFrom the Cave to the RenaissanceArt as the language of civilizations: prehistoric art, Antiquity, the Middle Ages3 articles
18 minBegin → - M IIRenaissance and BaroqueThe discovery of the human being and of passions: from Leonardo to Rembrandt3 articles
18 minBegin → - M IIIThe 19th and Early 20th CenturiesRomanticism, Impressionism, the avant-garde: art discovers subjectivity3 articles
18 minBegin → - M IVContemporary ArtAvant-garde, conceptualism, and digital art: a challenge to understanding3 articles
18 minBegin → - M VClassicism, Romanticism, and Realism in 19th-Century PaintingDavid, Delacroix, Courbet and the revolution of vision3 articles
18 minBegin → - M VIEarly 20th-Century Avant-Garde: The Revolution of FormCubism, abstraction, Dadaism, and art as rupture3 articles
18 minBegin → - M VIIPostwar Art: Abstraction, Pop, and ConceptualismPollock, Warhol, Beuys, and the question “what is art?”3 articles
18 minBegin → - M VIIIContemporary Art: Market, Institutions, and the DigitalThe art market, biennials, and NFTs: who decides what counts as art?3 articles
18 minBegin →
§ 03 — Learning outcomes
4 outcomes.
Navigate the major styles and movements in world art
Analyze works of art within their historical and cultural contexts
Demonstrate understanding of the transformation of art in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries
Navigate the structure of the art market, including pricing and collecting
§ 04 — Practices