detail of cave painting at Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc
Smarthistory is an open-access, multi-media alternative to the traditional art history textbook. As one of the best 50 websites of 2011, you’ll want to bookmark it and refer to it often in your art history classes.
How does Smarthistory work? Search the world of art history by time period, artistic style, or specific artist. The articles are written by art historians and accompanied by great images of the artwork, videos, and links to additional, related resources. Besides overviews of historical eras, you’ll find in-depth material on things like Stonehenge, the Rosetta Stone, the artist Donatello, and the Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Ecstasy of St. Theresa, 1647-52 (Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome)
Each day more images, multimedia, and articles are being added to the website as art historians around the world share their expertise. Smarthistory will not only help you study, you’ll have fun doing so!
Joseph Beuys, Fat Chair, 1964-1985 (Tate Modern)