"Reading Art" is, in fact, much of what art history is all about. When art historians study and write about the art of the past, they are primarily interested in describing works of art within their historical and cultural contexts. they are concerned with understanding the arts of the past as visual reflections of historic time periods, cultures, interests, and ideas. Studying art in this way requires that the viewer learn the language of art, a non-verbal language. The language of art is a visual language; one must learn to listen with the eyes and to read without words. ~article excerpt