Interested in learning about a piece of art that will only take a few minutes of your time?
I saw a video recently about the Rosetta Stone that was done by Smarthistory. Smarthistory started as a blog in 2005 for online Western art history courses with podcasts and has now grown into the website Smarthistory.org. You can explore the site according to time frame (400 C.E. to 1960 -), various styles according to their time frame, artists and themes.
Smarthistory has been cited two years in a row in the Horizon Report (2009 and 2010). The Horizon Report is a source of information on new and emerging technologies available to education.
They have also won the 2009 Webby Award for Best Education Website.
The video about the Rosetta Stone can be seen on the Smarthistory site. Or, if you just want to look at some videos, Smarthistory also has a group page on Vimeo where you can see the video of the Rosetta Stone.
Here’s a couple of excerpts from their About page:
Smarthistory.org is a free, not-for-profit, multi-media web-book designed as a dynamic enhancement (or even substitute) for the traditional art history textbook. Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker began smARThistory in 2005 by creating a blog featuring free audio guides in the form of podcasts for use in The Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.In Smarthistory, we have aimed for reliable content and a delivery model that is entertaining and occasionally even playful. Our podcasts and screen-casts are spontaneous conversations about works of art where we are not afraid to disagree with each other or art history orthodoxy.
It’s always a good day when you can learn something and learn something for free. So, take a quick break or settle in for a while with a variety of videos that call your name.
