ARTH 1010 Images of Culture (4 Credits)

This course looks at artistic creations as an expression of cultural traditions and beliefs. Instead of viewing art as the result of unique geniuses, the fruit of inspired individuals, we explore how artistic objects reflect the ideas of the times and social values held by the society in which they appear. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1020 Highlights of Medieval Art (4 Credits)

The era known as the Middle Ages spans over a thousand years and includes many significant works in the history of art. This class endeavors to investigate the ways in which works of medieval art construct and convey meaning. In order to explore these ideas in greater depth, the class focuses on specific works of art that illustrate the rich complexities of the ways in which images convey meaning and the ways of understanding these meanings. As such, it is intended to provide an introduction to ways of reading and interpreting images. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1030 Highlights of Renaissance Art (4 Credits)

The period known as the Renaissance witnessed the production of a tremendous number of artistic masterpieces, but also the formulation of the study of the history of art and the development of art theory. This class endeavors to investigate the ways in which works of Renaissance art construct and convey meaning. In order to explore these ideas in greater depth, the class focuses on specific works of art that illustrate the rich complexities of the ways in which images convey meaning and the ways of understanding these meanings. As such, it is intended to provide an introduction to ways of reading and interpreting images. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1040 Sacred Spaces in Asia (4 Credits)

This course explores a variety of natural and man-made "Sacred Spaces" as it introduces the civilizations and major artistic traditions of India, China and Japan. Illustrated lectures consider public and private environments, their philosophical contexts and religious functions as well as the changing nature of their use and perceived meanings over time. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1050 Highlights of American Art (4 Credits)

This course introduces American art by focusing on a single work of art each week. Through readings, illustrated lectures, discussion and museum visits, we explore the social, political, historical and cultural contexts of each masterwork; learn something about the featured artist's life and artistic processes; and discover related examples of fine and popular art from the seventeenth century to the present. In the process, participants refine their ability to look, describe, analyze and critique the visual. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1060 Contemporary Art Worlds (4 Credits)

Have you ever wondered how a calf suspended in formaldehyde can sell at an art auction for nearly twenty-four million dollars? This class introduces the contemporary art world and explores how art functions within our society. Topics include the art market, the politics of museums, censorship and public funding, and popular cultural representations of the artist. We also look at how contemporary artists are engaging with some of the most important issues of our day. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 1988 Study Abroad Resident Credit (0-18 Credits)

ARTH 2801 World Art I: Prehistory to c. 1000 (4 Credits)

This is the first quarter in a three-quarter foundation course in world art. Students will become familiar with significant examples of art, architecture and material culture emerging out of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa from the Paleolithic era to approximately the year 1000. Students will consider the crucial role of these images and objects in the formation of their respective historical and cultural contexts. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 2802 World Art II: c.1000-1700 (4 Credits)

This is the second quarter of the three-quarter foundation course in world art. Students will become familiar with significant examples of art, architecture and material culture emerging out of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa from approximately the year 1000 to 1700. Students will consider the crucial role of these images and objects in the formation of their respective historical and cultural contexts. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 2803 World Art III: 1700 to the Present (4 Credits)

This is the third quarter of the three-quarter foundation course in world art. Students will become familiar with significant examples of art, architecture and material culture emerging out of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa from approximately the year 1700 to the present. Students will consider the crucial role of these image and objects in the formation of their respective historical and cultural contexts.

ARTH 2814 Medieval Art (4 Credits)

This course examines the art produced in Western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean from the 4th to 14th centuries. From the transition of the Late Roman Empire into new political and artistic climates of the Early Medieval period up through the lavish expanse of Late Gothic art we will explore the religious, political, cultural and artistic forces that shaped the creation of artistic monuments for over an thousand years. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 2840 Survey of Asian Art (4 Credits)

An introduction to major monuments, traditions and civilizations of India, China and Japan. This class may be used to fulfill the non-Western requirement for majors in the School of Art and Art History. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARTH 3300 Seminar in Art History (4 Credits)

This seminar is primarily designed to introduce students to the advanced research techniques and methods of art history. The thematic content of this course changes. Students develop skills to analyze scholarly literature, to refine research papers and to deliver oral presentations.

ARTH 3400 Portfolio* Professional Development and Creative Practices in Art History (4 Credits)

Portfolio is a professional development and creative practices course, introducing the practicalities of staple jobs for Art History majors and minors as well as the range of other possible career tracks and additional academic studies. The course combines an inquiry-based classroom experience with a signature seminar format and guest lecture series. Such a teaching+learning approach will not only improve your criticality but also strengthen your adeptness at investigation and analysis; deepen your knowledge of concepts, principles, and platforms for today’s creative industries; expand your professional networks; and provide hands-on, career-oriented experiences as you prepare your own portfolio for the contemporary marketplace.

ARTH 3652 Internship (1-4 Credits)

By arrangement, advanced undergraduate art history students may intern in an art gallery, small museum, historic house, non-profit art organization, archive or library. See guidelines and contract form in the School of Art and Art History office.

ARTH 3656 Curatorial Practicum (4 Credits)

Students will work in curatorial teams to plan and execute an effective exhibition of contemporary art. This process may include choosing a theme and selecting works of art, researching artists and themes, budgets, scheduling, developing an exhibition checklist, modeling the gallery, visual exhibition design, conservation and collections management factors, shipping, installation, educational outreach to the public, publicity and other issues related to exhibition planning.

ARTH 3661 Learning in Museums (4 Credits)

Comprehensive introduction to museum education. Examines informal education, learning theories, interactive education, exhibits and programs. Cross-listed with ANTH 3661.

ARTH 3701 Topics in Art History (1-4 Credits)

Selected themes and topics from the history of art. Content changes and course may be repeated to a maximum of 12 credits.

ARTH 3702 Topics in Contemporary Art (4 Credits)

This course offers an in-depth exploration of contemporary art and critical theory from a cross-disciplinary, global perspective beginning in the 1960s. We couple intensive reading and writing assignments to meetings with guest creatives and thinkers, visits to local art spaces, and roundtable discussions about new research. The particular art historical topic varies from year to year.

ARTH 3813 Arts of the American West (4 Credits)

This class covers a wide range of art objects and styles from the 17th century to the present in the West of the United States, from buffalo robe paintings and baskets to cowboy art and contemporary abstract landscapes. Particular attention is paid to the diversity of art traditions--Native American, Spanish and Mexican, European, Asian and Latin American--as they converge in this geographic space.

ARTH 3815 Puritan, Shaker, Hindu: Material Religion in North America (4 Credits)

The diversity of religious experience and spirituality is emphasized in this historical examination of image and artifact in North America. Beginning with sacred indigenous arts and including Puritans, Shakers, Judaism, Mormons, Ghost Dance religion, Buddhists, Hindus, and others, this class considers the ways in which different spiritual worldviews are expressed through and shaped by the art and objects people create and the environments they build. It looks at the encounters between cultures in colonial and post-colonial contexts that result in ever changing material forms of religion. Students learn through slide-lecture-discussions, reading, small group discussions, research papers or presentations, and field trips.

ARTH 3817 Gothic Art (4 Credits)

This course examines the art of the Late Middle Ages in Europe, from roughly 1140 to 1400. Gothic architecture, sculpture, painting, stained glass and the sumptuous arts (metal, textiles) are examined within their broader social, political and religious contexts. Particular attention is paid to the Gothic Cathedral - that quintessential window into the medieval world--its beliefs, aspirations, social and political realities.

ARTH 3818 Art of Renaissance Europe (4 Credits)

This course provides an examination of the artistic cultures in Europe during the Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries). Depending upon the quarter, this course will be a general survey of European art during the Renaissance or a more focused exploration of a sub-period, such as painting in fifteenth-century Italy. Chronological and geographic factors determine the overall theme and structure of the course. Students gain both a sound knowledge of key artistic monuments of the period, as well as a conceptual framework according to which they may organize their knowledge. This class may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

ARTH 3822 Northern Renaissance Art (4 Credits)

This course explores the dramatic developments in the arts (particularly panel painting, manuscript illumination and sculpture) in Northern Europe from around 1350 to 1550. From lavishly decorated Books of Hours and the development of stunningly naturalistic oil paintings on panel in the early 15th century through the development of printing and the rise of self-portraiture, genre and landscape depictions, this class traces the important role played by Dutch, Flemish, German and French artists in the transition from late medieval to early modern artistic forms and practices. The role of art in shaping and expressing religious, civic, political and economic concepts are explored, as well as the rise of the social and intellectual standing of the artist. Among the artists examined include Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Albrecht Dürer, Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

ARTH 3823 17th-Century European Art (4 Credits)

This course considers European arts of the 17th century. Depending upon the quarter it may be a general survey of European art during the seventeenth century or a more focused exploration of a sub-period, such as Italian Baroque or the Old Dutch Masters: Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals. This class may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

ARTH 3825 Abstract Expressionism (4 Credits)

In the years immediately following World War II, American art flourished through a generation of artists whose work successfully moved beyond (and at its best, matched) the substantial innovations of modern artists working in Europe around the time of World War I. From richly varied backgrounds and equipped with a deep understanding of art history, these artists forged careers during the Depression and, though fiercely independent, united in the late 1940s with the goal of establishing a new American modern art. Their monumental, highly singular, expressive abstractions (and near-abstractions) gave rise to the movement called Abstract Expressionism, which dominated American painting in the 1950s and beyond.

ARTH 3832 19th-Century Art (4 Credits)

This course surveys the major art movements in Europe from the late 18th century to the end of the 19th century. Major painters, sculptors, printmakers and architects of the following movements will be presented: Neo-classicism, Romanticism, Academic Painting, Realism, the Pre-Raphaelites, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau. Their works will be studied in light of the social, political and cultural milieu in which they appeared. Special attention will be paid to representations of race, class, gender and colonialism.

ARTH 3834 Global Contemporary Art (4 Credits)

This class explores contemporary art, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, performance art, installations, and new media, through the lenses of identity, the body, time, place, language, and spirituality. These narratives provide threads of continuity across time and place, but we will also focus on individual artistic interpretations as we delve deeper into cultural specificities and audience reception around the world. We will identify and analyze connections between recent art theoretical perspectives and the emergence of various art trends. This course considers the role of the international art market, global art fairs, artist retrospectives, and recent museum and gallery exhibitions as participatory elements in the construction and discussion of contemporary art.

ARTH 3838 Connoisseurship (4 Credits)

In this class the historical roots, theoretical and philosophical underpinnings, and actual practice of connoisseurship are studied using objects from the museum's collection.

ARTH 3839 Topics in Modern Art (4 Credits)

Selected themes and topics from the 18th century to the present. Topics change, and the course may be repeated to a maximum of 12 credits.

ARTH 3840 Sacred Arts of Asia (4 Credits)

This course explores the sacred art and architecture of Asia, including but not limited to India, China, and Japan. Major religious traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, are viewed through the lens of artistic development; indigenous religious traditions and philosophical constructs, including Shintoism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Bon are also explored for their influence in art, architecture, and visual culture more broadly in and between Asian regions.

ARTH 3862 Olmec to Aztec: Mesoamerica (4 Credits)

This course is an introduction to the art and archaeology of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica from about 2000 BC to AD 1521. The course explores the early royal art of the Olmec, the colossal pyramids of Teotihuacan, the manuscripts of the Mixtec, and the imperial power of the Aztecs. This class presents a timeline of Mesoamerica and investigates how the various civilizations of Mesoamerica shared aspects of world-view, cosmology and daily life. Students will be able to identify and discuss how these elements manifested in the art and architecture of Mesoamerican cultures. Furthermore, the course investigates issues of shamanism, kingship and power, warfare, gender, and human sacrifice.

ARTH 3863 Kings and Cosmology: Maya Art (4 Credits)

This course is an introduction to the art and archaeology of the Maya from about 300 BCE to 1200 CE, although the beliefs and traditions of the living Maya will inform this study of the past. The Maya are perhaps the most famous of the several cultures comprising what is known as Mesoamerica. A highly advanced culture, they built soaring temples, carved elaborate portraits of their kings and developed a complex writing system including a calendar. The course explores these things with a constant eye to understanding the Maya worldview, cosmology and daily life. By the conclusion of the class, students should be able to read their intricate pictures, discuss the strategies of powerful Maya rulers and understand how Maya art and architecture reflect their concepts of time and the cosmos.

ARTH 3864 Buddhism(s) and Arts (4 Credits)

This survey examines the history, practices, ritual contexts, aesthetics and artistic traditions of Buddhism including architecture, calligraphy, sculpture and painting, in terms of its social and historical context, political and religious functions, as well as issues including artistic production, changing techniques and symbols, and the market/audience. The primary goal is to understand Buddhism as reflected in art and culture.

ARTH 3867 The Circle and the Four Corners: Native North American Art (4 Credits)

This course is designed as an introduction to the art and architecture of the native peoples of North America from the earliest signs of humans in North America to the present. Cultures covered include those from the Southwest, the Northwest, the Southeast Ceremonial Complex, the Plains and contemporary Native American artists. By the conclusion of the class, students will understand the cultural sequence and geographic dispersion of native North America. Students will also understand how the various civilizations of North America shared aspects of world-view, cosmology and daily life, and be able to identify and discuss how these elements manifested in the art and architecture of native North American cultures.

ARTH 3868 Art of the Andes (4 Credits)

This course is designed as an introduction to the art and architecture of the native Pre-Columbian peoples of the Andes. Cultures covered include Chavin, Nasca, Wari and the Inca.

ARTH 3871 Women in Art (4 Credits)

This course considers the roles of women in art and explores the impact of race, class and gender on art produced from the Middle Ages to the present with discussions of women artists, women patrons and images of women. Cross listed with GWST 3871.

ARTH 3872 Introduction to Conservation (4 Credits)

This lecture course familiarizes the student with the concepts and challenges of conservation, its role in museums and the care of collections. Specific emphasis is given to the materials, structure, deterioration and preservation of material culture. Field trips to various museums and/or workshops to make appropriate display mounts and storage containers enhance the understanding gained from readings and lectures.

ARTH 3875 History of Collections (4 Credits)

This course traces the history of collections from the Renaissance to the present, addressing the interconnections between artists, patrons, dealers, art markets, provenance, connoisseurship and the historical development of museums and private collections. Each week's readings of journal articles and chapters focus on different types of collections or themes, including royal and imperial collections, cabinets of curiosities, excavating and transporting antiquities, British country estates and the Grand Tour, the establishment of national museums, the relationship between American collectors and dealers, ethnographic objects in Western collections, Nazi looting, restorers and forgers, and artists' collections, to name a few.

ARTH 3880 Mosques and Aniconism: Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250 (4 Credits)

What is ‘Islamic’ in Islamic art? An introduction to art and architecture in the Islamic lands from the days of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century until the Mongol conquest of the Middle East in the mid-13th century. The course surveys mosques, palaces, madrasas, and tombs, and also calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, and painting in historical and literary contexts. It covers a vast geographical area, from Spain in the west to Iran and Central Asia in the east, and discusses both common and unique characteristics of architecture and figurative representations in these regions. Emphasis will be given to the early Islamic period in Greater Syria and to artists’ response to Byzantine and Sassanid (pre-Islamic Persian) art and architecture.

ARTH 3881 Dragons and Sultans: Islamic Art and Architecture 1250-1600 (4 Credits)

Art and architecture in the Islamic lands from Genghis Khan in the 13th century to the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. The course consists of three parts. First, it examines the changes that occurred in Islamic art as a result of artists’ acquaintance with East Asian art and culture (14th century). Second, it discusses art and architecture in Central Asia and Afghanistan under Timurid rule (late14th-15th century), followed by an overview of the artistic achievements in the Early Modern Islamic lands under the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals (16th century). The course explores works of art in historical, cultural, and literary contexts, and points to the unique characteristics of each geographical region, as well as to pan-Islamic form and content. Among the topics that will be discussed: the architect Sinan and his legacy, the response of Islamic painting to European art, and representations of royal and religious concepts.

ARTH 3910 Art History Travel (4 Credits)

A travel course to selected locations to study major monuments and collections of art and architecture. Location and content change. This class may be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits. Prerequisite: instructor's permission.

ARTH 3988 Study Abroad Resident Credit (0-18 Credits)

ARTH 3991 Independent Study (1-10 Credits)

This class should be used for individual study of a special topic that is not offered in the art history curriculum described in this catalog. Permission/registration form is available from the Office of the Registrar.

ARTH 3995 Independent Research (1-4 Credits)