ARTH - Art History

A chronological survey of art from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages (c. 1400), with an emphasis on art in the western tradition. The course will focus on the dynamic relationship between artistic form and cultural context.

A chronological survey of art from the Renaissance (c. 1400) to the present, with emphasis on the western tradition. The course will focus on the dynamic relationship between artistic form and cultural context.

Introduction to the role of modern microcomputers in personal, entertainment and corporate communications. Discussion of the role computers have played in social change and how this is reflected in popular culture. Also addresses the use of computers in the creative environment including digital audio, video, multimedia production, the Internet and the World Wide Web.

A thematic and topical course exploring women's roles as both productive subjects and depicted objects in western visual culture.

An introduction to the history of western art from the late Roman Empire (c. 300) through the Middle Ages (c. 1400), including architecture, manuscript illumination, metalwork, sculpture, and textile production. The focus of the course is on the interactions of images and audiences in producing meaning within specific historical circumstances.

An introduction to the history of western art from the end of the Middle Ages (c. 1400) through the High Renaissance (c. 1600), focusing on painting, printmaking, and sculpture from Italy and the Netherlands. The course locates the artistic movement of the Renaissance within the dramatic cultural and social changes that mark the Early Modern period in European history and seeks to place the material within a global context.

A survey of 19th century European and American art and visual culture including such movements as Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

The course will explore aesthetic responses to early-20th century political, industrial, social and economic change. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the production and reception of 20th century European and American "avant-garde" art including; Constructivism, Cubism, German Expressionism, Dadaism, Futurism and Surrealism.

Painting and sculpture between 1820 and 1920 - when it evolved from objective realism to modernist abstraction - is explored in the context of changing artistic and cultural values. Permission of the department.

The course examines the shifting constructs of race, power, and representation in American art and mass media from the colonial era to the present day. Its primary focus will be an analysis of works produced by Black American artists, but students will also examine how white artists and intellectuals have attempted to define and represent "blackness" from the 19th to the 21st century.

An introductory-level lecture course designed to introduce students to the formal issues involved in the production and perception of moving images. The course provides students with an understanding of aesthetic concepts that support the making of films, digital cinema, videos or video games. It reinforces the use of aesthetic vocabulary and demonstrates how audiences interact with, and are manipulated by, film language and syntax. Therefore, the course is useful for students who wish to enhance their skills in the making of films and videos as well as for students who wish to refine their ability to deconstruct motion pictures for critical and analytical purposes.

An introduction to art and architecture produced by the Precolumbian cultures of Mesoamerica. The course will survey the most important ancient civilizations of Middle America (Olmec, Monte Alban, Teotihuacano, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec) from the earliest complex settlements to the time of the Spanish conquest.

An introduction to the history of art that examines a specific geographical area and chronological span during a study abroad experience. The course provides the student a thorough grounding in the major art works and artists involved, adding the concrete dimension of direct observation and personal experience of the places and motifs that informed various movements. The two to three week study/travel abroad includes readings, discussion, a daily journal, and a written interpretation of themes and ideas in art.

A thematic or topical course on the art of the Mediterranean basin between 3000 BC and 300 AD. Specific course contents will vary and may include Egyptian funerary monuments, Greek and Roman sculpture, and topics such as ritual/magical uses of images, gender and sexuality in representations of the body, and the continuing legacy of the Classical tradition.

A thematic or topical course in European art between 300 and 1400 AD: specific course contents will vary and may include medieval manuscripts, Byzantine icons, Gothic cathedrals, and topics such as the cult of the saints, the lives of medieval women, and interactions with the Islamic world.

A thematic or topical course on European art in the 15th and 16th centuries. Specific course contents will vary and may include early Netherlandish painting, Italian painting and sculpture, early print-making, and topics such as the changing social status of the artist, the impact of European exploration and conquest, and the lives of Renaissance women.

Art and architecture of Baroque and Rococo Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, with a focus on Italy, France, the Netherlands, and England.

An in-depth examination of art and related concepts and theories since the mid-20th century.

The course teaches students how to use qualitative methods in film criticism and analysis. Lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of the critic and the process of criticism. Among the methods taught are narrative criticism, contemporary non-narrative criticism, genre criticism, auteur criticism, evaluating issues when adapting a novel into film, and a method of identifying documentary styles and formulas (established by Eric Barnouw).

An introduction to and examination of the various investigative and interpretive methods used by art historians. The course is divided into two equal parts, the first on traditional methodologies along with their contemporary critiques, and the second on a range of "new" art histories. At the end of the course, students will be both competent in traditional methods and cognizant of contemporary debates within art history as a discipline.

The nature of art history, the themes and ideas it investigates, and readings in some key classic authors, are the main topics of the course.

Offers studio art, design and art history majors practical experience in art-related research and writing. Students will be introduced to various methods of scholarly research and critical writing styles related to their individual interests within their major concentration.

The course will study writing for new media projects like web sites, CD-based interactive products and video games as well as traditional projects such as films. The course is designed to look at various structures and approaches that emphasize "visual writing". Students will devise, design, and "pitch" a project proposal.

Graphic design from the 19th century to the present with emphasis on European and American sources. Discussion of illustration, photography and the impact of technology in design. Examination of events, ideas, movements, designers and other individuals that have historical significance and influence on contemporary graphic design. Students without prerequisite may enroll with instructor's permission.

Course examines both traditional and contemporary visual effects techniques including the creative and planning processes required for the execution of various types of effects, such as models and miniatures, mattes, composite effects, computer animation, and process projection. Course also provides a forum on the creative problem-solving and planning techniques used by effects makers, including a wide range of kinds of equipment and uses.

A thematic or topical course on the art of Ancient Mesoamerica. Specific course content will vary and may include focal issues related to art produced by the Olmec, Mixtec, Teotihuacano, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations. The time frame covered will vary from circa 1500 BCE to 1500 CE.

Selected areas of history of art supplementing the regular program.

An in-depth examination of 20th and 21st century visual culture and related concepts and theories. The specific period and thematic emphasis of this art history course may vary and include the study of one or more artistic forms such as painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, film, and design.

The course allows the student firsthand knowledge of the duties involved in operating a gallery. Such duties may include but are not limited to assisting the director in picking a schedule, contacting artists, creating the advertising and mounting the exhibitions. Students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

This course is designed for students to become familiar with the instructing process. The student will assist the instructor of an art history course in the classroom throughout the semester. Course work includes attendance at all scheduled classes for the course, assisting students during lab or study sessions as well as taking an active role in classroom critiques, discussions and studio maintenance. Permission of the instructor of the accompanying course is required.

Directed research in specific areas of art history, stressing depth of inquiry. Subject of study chosen in consultation with department, and students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

Independent research in specific areas of art history, stressing depth of inquiry and development of topic. Subject of study chosen in consultation with department, and students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

Students work with Art History scholars and/or faculty to assist with on going research projects. Students gain valuable research skills along with insights into the academic professions. Art History majors only and students may enroll with instructor's permission.

The course allows the student to receive credit for professional experiences related to some aspect of their field of study. Enrollment is to be arranged with an appropriate instructor, by permission only.