Homeschool Review: The Master and His Apprentices #hsreviews #ArtHistory #ArtAppreciation #ChristianArtHistory #HomeschoolArtHistory

My Favorite Son took an online Art Appreciation course last semester for college credit and it was definitely not the easiest of classes.  He took it as an intensive class which meant he did a semester's worth of work in just half of a semester.   He put a lot of work into what he originally thought would be an easy elective and ended with an entirely new appreciation for all things artsy.  It was the kind of class that really opens your eyes to the things around you, and to be honest, I think the entire family learned along with him as he shared his observations about famous works of art with us and asked for our opinions of the pieces he was studying.  Because we were all involved with learning alongside my son and we realized that we actually enjoyed art, I was thrilled when the opportunity arose to review The Master and His Apprentices:  Art History from a Christian Perspective from The Master and His Apprentices.

For purposes of our review, we received the Digital Edition of both the Textbook and the Teacher Guide which included PRINT/PHOTOCOPY RIGHTS for our household.  Of course you know that I'm a "hard copy" kind of gal, so it will come as no surprise to you that I am printing the chapters as we come to them.   As with most things, after I print, I 3-hole punch and add to a binder.  BUT . . . just so you know going into the rest of this review, I would LOVE to have the hardcover textbook as well.  It is a coffee table-sized book with over 500 full-color pictures and I can just picture us thumbing through it together for years to come.

The Master and His Apprentices:  Art History from a Christian Perspective offers a visual history of the world covering painting, sculpture, architecture and more in its 380-pages.  Beginning with an introduction of art which includes the explanation that GOD is the MASTER and we are all HIS apprentices, the course teaches art terminology and shares the specifics of art as a profession.  The Master and His Apprentices teaches art hisotry through a timeline by arranging artwork and art pieces in chronological order by geographical location.  The artwork is described (and pictured as often as possible) through the eyes of Biblical/Christian history and a general world history.  Students read through this timeline and view the accompanying pictures in order to connect important time periods and historical events.

"One of the primary advantages of studying art history is that it provides a visual timeline (on paper or in our minds) that can be used to help connect other important periods and events."

Divided into 19 chapters, The Master and His Apprentices starts at the very Beginning with Biblical Creation (chapters 1 and 2), visits Ancient Cultures (chapters 3 - 5) and Classical Antiquity (chapters 6 - 8), stops in the Middle Ages (chapters 9 - 12), explores the Renaissance (chapter 13 - 16), and ends at the Baroque Era & Beyond (chapters 17-19) all the while offering praise and glory to GOD as the original ARTIST from whom all talent comes.  Although the course is designed to offer a full high school elective credit in Art History (36 weeks), there is so much information packed into its pages that you could easily use it for a high school World History credit, as well.  I am aslo enjoying studying through it myself as a supplement to my personal Bible study.  Reading the descriptions and explanations provided helps me to visualize GOD's Word in a new way.

Because I have printed the chapters in black and white thus far, we are making sure to utilize the digital format in order to see the rich colors throughout the text.  My printed copy is useful for answering the questions found on the worksheets in the Teacher's Guide -- my daughter prefers reading from the paper copy.  The Digital Teacher's Guide (116-pages) tells you exactly what needs to be done when.  It offers instructions for use in a classroom setting and a home setting and has a detailed syllabus to ensure that your student stays on track.  There are discussion questions, worksheets, and exams provided, as well as instructions for papers.  Answers are included for the worksheets and tests.  These are the things that make up the "nuts and bolts" of the course.  It is SO MUCH MORE than "nuts and bolts," though.

I always find it most interesting when life lines up with our homeschooling.  How about you?  Does that happen very often for you?  Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church and we spent the week teaching about Babylon during the time that Daniel was being held in captivity.   Part of the Bible lessons taught about the use of cylinder seals and all of the kids in attendace got to see them in action.  Now mind you, we didn't have a real cylinder from Ancient Near East, but we were able to make one using the reverse intaglio method.  Ours was made from a foamcore tube and foam sticker pieces were added to make the reverse raised design.  Everyone had the opportuinity to roll the cylinder seal to create a continuous design to mark their property.  Talk about perfect timing.  What I especially like is that an Art History course was the tool used to reinforce what is being taught at church.  

We try to be as authentic as possible with our decorations at VBS and The Master and His Apprentices text proved to be invaluable help to us as we designed King Nebuchadnezzar's palace.  Our replica of the Babylonian grandeur included the Ishtar Gate with animal mosaics (blue background and all) and crenelations along the tops of the towers.  We even attempted to portray the elaborate construction with our interior palace rooms.  (Check out our "Persian" rug in Daniel's living quarters pictured below.)  Yes, it was all built out of cardboard, but it was inspired by the examples shown in the textbook.  Fun, huh?

One important thing to note:  I have found that the readings and discussions in the text of The Master and His Apprentices are right on point with the readings and discussions from both the World Civilization and Art Appreciation textbooks that my son used in college classes last semester.  That said, I firmly believe that a student who utilizes The Master and His Apprentices in its entirety will be well prepared for college courses.   Furthermore, a side-by-side study of this text in conjunction with the Bible will certainly help any scholar better understand GOD's Word.

There’s so much to love about The Master and His Apprentices:  Art History from a Christian Perspective.  The beauty of the book makes it suitable for easy reading and admiring, but the depth of knowledge shared makes it perfect for deeper study and understanding.  It is "safe" for all ages (there's no crazy, weird art or nudity included) and it combines history, science, and art for a well-rounded resource.  It is a complete course.   The Master and His Apprentices is truly a "living" textbook and I cannot wait for us to explore its pages even more.  I anticipate that there will be a few field trips this year inspired from our studies.

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I was given the opportunity to review the  The Master and His Apprentices:  Art History from a Christian Perspective from The Master and His Apprentices as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   Make sure that you visit the  Crew Review to see what other members of the Crew thought of this fabulous Art History course, too.  You can click on the picture below to jump right over there.  

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