Yale’s “Introduction to Art History: Renaissance to the Present” art course has long been considered a perfect example of a high-quality class at the prestigious Yale University. Sadly, it’s being scrapped as woke faculty members fret over the fact that it’s too white, too male and too western.
The course is being replaced a variety of other options, including “Art and Politics”, “Global Craft”, and “Sacred Places”. Yale proclaims that these courses will be equal to the others offered by the prestigious university. Authorities add that students will now have a “diverse” overview of art without putting priority on world-famous artists.
The final rendition of the revered old course will include teachings that question the idea of Western art itself, so that students know that appreciating European art is “problematic” because “all art genres and traditions are equally deserving of study.”
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with giving art students a look at material from other parts of the world. It’s true that there are many styles of art, and talented artists hail from just about every continent. However, dumping on Renaissance-era art does art students a great disservice.
Painters such as Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, and Leonardo da Vinci were masters in their field. Their artwork has not only inspired hundreds of millions of people, but also offers insight into European history and culture. Even more importantly, Renaissance art, architecture, and science were closely linked.
Da Vinci, for instance, used scientific principles in his artwork to ensure his recreations of the human body were extremely precise. Famed architect Filippo Brunelleschi studied math to improve his engineering capabilities, while other artists put a premium on drawing people and objects as true to life as possible. These artists’ use of shadows, light, perspective, and emotion can benefit art students the world over — even if these same students don’t intend to use the same artistic painting style.
Denying students the resources to study Renaissance-era art simply because it was created by white men is, for lack of a better word, racist.
Ivy League educational institutions care far more about pushing a far-left political agenda than providing their students with a top-quality education. Defining and punishing “microaggressions” is taking priority over teaching proper English and Math, two all-important skills that are now considered by many to be “racist”. Some faculty members are campaigning for tests to be banned, as they supposedly discriminate against minorities. Others are fighting freedom of speech on campus, making life difficult for students who don’t embrace far-left talking points.
While Renaissance-era art is not the only type of art that is worth appreciating, its role in world history cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, such a common-sense approach to art (and other courses) is something that’s in short supply at educational institutions in the nation.
