This course aims to (1) introduce artistic creativity as one of the best inventions of the human mind and the sense of beauty as an important dimension of being humane; (2) introduce major principles and theories of art to help students understand various artistic creative processes and their products; (3) enhance students' critical thinking on artistic phenomena and their reflections on the artistic developments in different social and cultural contexts; (4) encourage students to develop their own artistic abilities, and prepares them to create, appreciate, understand and review works of art critically; and (5) enhance students' knowledge and understanding of Chinese and Western aesthetics, and the classical and modern masterpieces produced from these aesthetic theories.