Art History Midterm at SCAD - Feeling surprisingly calm

[JoanaPhillips]

Just wanted to share a little positive vibe. I have my Art History midterm in a few hours down here in Savannah, and for the first time all semester, I'm not freaking out.

I was up late last night, walking through Forsyth Park with my study cards, and the moonlight was hitting the fountain just right. It hit me that I'm literally studying beauty. Sure, I have to remember the difference between Baroque and Rococo, and yeah, Caravaggio's chiaroscuro was dramatic, but who cares if I mix up a date? Art is about feeling, not just facts, right?

My professor is this super sweet older lady from Atlanta who cries when she shows slides of the High Museum. If I can just convey in my essay that I understand why an O'Keeffe painting makes you feel something, I think I'll be okay.

It's so humid out already, my study guide is getting all curly at the edges, haha. Good luck to everyone else taking exams in the Peach State today! Just remember to breathe and find a little moment of peace before you go in. Y'all got this.

 

[Jeffrey]

I had a moment last week, walking back from the library at 3am, and the fog was rolling in off the river. The streetlights were all hazy and the whole city looked like a tintype photograph. I just stood there for like 20 minutes, not even taking pictures, just... being in it. That's what SCAD gives you. That space to feel things.

For your exam: Baroque is about movement and drama—everything is in motion, intense emotion, stark light/dark contrast. Caravaggio was the master of that. Rococo is softer, more playful, lighter palette. Think Fragonard's "The Swing"—it's flirty and frivolous. If you can FEEL the difference, you can write the difference.

Also, your professor sounds like a gem. We need more teachers who cry at art. Shows they still care.