I have been in an art appreciation class for a few weeks now. So what have I learned in this class? First let me say that the art I enjoyed before the class is still the art that I prefer now. I suppose that the main thing we have been covering those far is the history of art. from Lascaux Cave to ancient Egyptian, and into the Renaissance. We have looked at art like those shown above, and talked about why it was painted, or made what was the artist thinking about. In some cases art had a purpose not just something people looked at to appreciate. The class discussed how the paintings in Lascaux Cave could have been a form of communication, or a sign of respect for what was believed to be gods. I Egypt, must art found on tombs told a story, or perhaps it was a map to help the dead get to the other side. Even into the Renaissance, what we look at as art had a purpose, a reason for its existence. Not until later in the Renaissance period, was the beauty of art admired by people. In the last few days of this class, we have begun to explore art more in depth. Now I have started to look at art as a more then just paint on a piece of paper. Knowing the lines, skill, texture and shadows, or even the color can help one find a deeper appreciation of what art is. and yes like the last two pictures show even a cake can be artistic.