The study of art offers a unique opportunity to develop genuine insight, sympathy, and respect for the worldview of others. Unlike literature, art objects directly engage our senses: they ask us to move closer for a better look, appreciate their varied textures, walk through the spaces they create, and respond empathetically to their imagery, design, and construction. This multi-sensory reaction is significant. It links us both to the artist and to other viewers, whose responses will be, to some degree, similar to our own. The aesthetic qualities of an art object from the past brings that past closer to the present, making it more familiar. Our initial sensorial impressions then can lead us to deeper historical investigations of the function and meaning of works of art, and the individuals and ideas they represent.
My primary task in teaching the history of art is to cultivate in students the ability to look closely and respond empathetically to individual works of art, then provide them the artistic, historical, social, and intellectual frameworks to meaningfully interpret what they see and feel. While I believe all students have the capacity to look at and respond to works of art, in my experience they do this with differing levels of confidence and preparedness. As a teacher, my central goals are to refine the visual skills students already possess, and to cultivate the underdeveloped skills of careful looking, analyzing, and interpreting. Admittedly, given the diversity of student populations today, such a task is a challenge. In my experience, that challenge can be met through four main classroom-based strategies: first, logically structured courses wherein art objects are the primary focus of different teaching styles; second, learning environments built on respect for each student as a unique individual and a personal commitment to their intellectual growth; third, classrooms understood as places of community, where students feel comfortable and open to learning about art and history; finally, dynamic interchanges where students see themselves as active participants in an intellectually active academic community. I have found that these strategies engender in students a greater appreciation and understanding of the history of art, which in turn enables them to value and respect the experience of others. In this way, the study of the history of art can help shape students into individuals who will become caring and responsible members of our global community.