Screen capture from Art Authority's YouTube video. (click to view video)
This announcement by Seton Hill University is welcome news:
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With the start of a new school year, art history students at Seton Hill University will be using “Art Authority for iPad” as an integral part of their classes, the app’s creators and the University announced Monday. The app is a key part of a pilot program aimed at understanding how the iPad and the app can aid, extend and transform the traditional learning environment.
Sure the art listed on Art Authority is heavily Eurocentric and the graphics look cheesy, but I suspect it’s only a matter of time before it diversifies and improves (are competitors far behind?).
The app’s website outlines the extent of their artistic resource:
A comprehensive collection of works by over 1,000 of the Western world’s major artists, from ancient times to today. At your fingertips! Organized by period and artist, Art Authority’s 40,000+ paintings and sculptures are downloaded as needed and displayed chronologically for each artist, with detailed captioning. In-depth information about the periods and artists is also available.
Obviously this program isn’t a panacea for the frustrations experienced by art history students looking for proper images but it will probably help.
