Art History
Chair: R. Tripp Evans
Department home page: http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/Acad/Art/
The Department of Art and Art History is composed of two interdependent major programs, studio art and art history. Students majoring in each of these programs fulfill coursework in both sides of the department, and some declare double majors in both studio art and art history.
The art history program at Wheaton examines the artistic traditions of all periods and places, as well as the full spectrum of visual media. While our curriculum is particularly strong in the history of architecture, printmaking and painting, it also encompasses the history of sculpture, photography, decorative arts, graphic media and many aspects of material and performative culture. To develop and sharpen students' visual literacy, we emphasize close, object-based study in our own collection and in local museums, and encourage specialized research in areas of the student's choice.
Because our approach is founded upon the intersection between art history and social history, we encourage the practice of a politically responsible art history--one that weighs and interprets the stories these works tell concerning their cultures of origin, and that considers the works' meanings within the contemporary world. Our program's emphasis upon critical thinking and its strong commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry prepares students for a variety of specialized professions, including architecture, museum and gallery work, conservation/preservation, graduate work in art and architectural history, teaching, law and business.
Major
Print a major planning worksheet
The art history major consists of at least 12 semester courses including:
Arth 401 Seminar
Great Work I Arth 101 and Great Works II Arth 102 or their equivalents Arth 201/Arth 202.
Beginning in the Fall of 2008, the former introductory course known as Great Works 1 Arth 101/Arth 201, taught in the fall, and Great Works II Arth 102/Arth 202, taught in the spring, will be replaced by a new year-long introductory survey known as "Arts of the Western Tradition" Arth 111/Arth 211, taught in the fall, and "Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas" Arth 198, taught in the spring.
For all Art History and Studio art majors/minors who have NOT yet taken Great Works I and Great Works II, these new Arth 111 and 198 courses replace the Arth 101/Arth 102 requirement. For students who declare beginning next year, these new Arth 111 and 198 courses now constitute our required year-long survey for the major/minor.
Two semester courses in Studio Art:
One must be either Two-Dimensional Design Arts 111, Three-Dimensional Design Arts 112 or Drawing I Arts 116.
The other may be any 100- or 200-level Studio Art course. Any 100-level Studio Art course must be taken before the senior year.
Seven additional courses.
Majors must take at least one semester course from each of the following five groups, and two semester courses from the non-Western category:
Ancient Art
One of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 255 Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture
Arth 273 Greek Art and Architecture
Arth 274 Visualizing Power in Ancient Rome
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture
Medieval Art
One of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 231 Italian Medieval Art and Culture
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture
Arth 352 Early Medieval Art and Culture
Arth 353 Castles, Cathedrals and Monasteries
Early Modern Art (1400-1700)
One of the following:
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 218 Print Cultures in Early Modern Japan
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender, and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 232 Art and Architecture of the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy
Arth 241 Northern Renaissance Painting 1400-1550
Arth 270 The Art of the Print
Arth 332 Art and Architecture of the 16th Century in Italy
Modern Art (1700-1900)
One of the followling:
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 218 Print Cultures in Early Modern Japan
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender, and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 260 American Art and Architecture: Colonial to 1865
Arth 270 The Art of the Print
Arth 275 Arts in an Age of Revolution: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism
Arth 276 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
Contemporary Art (1900-present)
One of the following:
Arth 263 African American Art
Arth 312 Contemporary African Arts
Arth 314 Modern Architecture
Arth 317 Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism
Arth 318 Art since 1945
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
Arth 360 American Art and Architecture: 1865 - 1945
Non-Western Art
Two of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 212 African Visual Cultures
Arth 218 Print Cultures in Early Modern Japan
Arth 221 Arts of India
Arth 223 Islamic Art
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender, and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 255 Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture
Arth 256 Native North American Arts and Culture
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture
Arth 312 Contemporary African Arts
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
For the major the college requires at least three courses at the 300 level or above.
Students may elect up to 16 credits in art. It is urged that students take a course in European history prior to 1800. Students who plan to do graduate work in art history are strongly advised to develop a reading knowledge of German and French. Italian may sometimes be substituted.
Minor
Print a minor planning worksheet
A minor in art history consists of Arth 101 and Arth 102, or Arth 111, Arts of the Western Traditions, or Arth 201 and Arth 202, or Arth 211, Arts of the Western Traditions (Enhanced), and three additional courses, at least one of which must be at the 300 level. The minor is designed to provide a cohesive chronological survey of art history, augmented by in-depth study of three areas in which the student has a particular interest. Studio art majors may minor in art history by taking three additional art history courses beyond the three required for the studio major (for a total of six).
Courses
101. Great Works I
A chronological survey of architecture, sculpture and painting from prehistory through the proto-Renaissance of the 14th century. Emphasis on historical/cultural context and stylistic analysis of works of art. The course is team taught, with faculty lecturing in their areas of specialization. Two short papers based on original works at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Three hours lecture and one hour discussion section per week.
Connections:
Conx 20047 Molecules to Masterpieces
102. Great Works II
A continuation of Art 101, covering architecture, sculpture and painting in Western art from the early Renaissance to the present. Emphasis on historical/cultural context and stylistic analysis of works of art. The course is team taught, with faculty lecturing in their areas of specialization. Three hours lecture and one hour discussion period per week.
Connections:
Conx 20025 The Math in Art and the Art of Math
Conx 23008 Italian Culture, Language and Society
105. Art in East Asia I
The course examines the art and architecture of China, Japan and Korea. Lectures will survey East Asian art chronologically and thematically, beginning with Neolithic ceramics, and ending with developments in Buddhist and secular art and architecture in the 9th and 10th centuries. We will be concerned throughout with issues pertinent to the wider study of visual and material culture, including the interpretation of meaning from objects and images; the relationship between archaeology and modern nationalism; cultural interconnections and the diversity of individual cultural traditions; reflections of social stratification in material culture; issues of style and artistic intent; and the interplay between literary, visual, and performative artistic production.
(Sean McPherson)
106. Art in East Asia II
The course examines the art and architecture of China, the Japanese archipelago and the Korean peninsula. Lectures will survey East Asian art chronologically and thematically, from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) in China, the Heian Period (794 - 1185) in Japan, and the Koryo Dynasty (918 - 1392) in Korea, through recent developments. We will examine both canonical works of art and architecture, as well as popular visual culture and "folk" art production. We will be concerned throughout with issues pertinent to the broader study of visual and material culture, including the meaning(s) expressed by or derived from objects and images; transnational influences and cultural hybridity in art production; the artistic contributions of regional and ethnic minorities and women; material and visual culture as a reflection of and legitimation for social stratification; art as a forum for social protest and change; issues of style and artistic intent; the interplay between material, visual, and performative art forms; and the relationship between art and cultural identity.
(Sean McPherson)
111. Arts of the Western Tradition
(This course will be replacing Arth 101)
Arts of the Western Tradition is an introductory course designed for students who seek a survey of Western art and architecture and an understanding of critical approaches to visual culture. This course covers the entire Western visual culture from prehistoric to 20th-century productions and approaches them from interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical perspectives. Lectures focus upon a set of forty works chosen as paradigms of their particular period, style, or regional school. In addition, students will be exposed to a number of supplemental works within each lecture that will deepen their understanding of the primary works under discussion. Students will be trained to place works of art and architecture within their historical contexts, while also developing a critical vocabulary and familiarity with a variety of interpretive discourses.
Required of all Art History Majors who have not taken Arth 101. (If you took Arth 101 Great Works I and not Arth 102 Great Works II, or vice versa, please speak with Professors Fleming or Lane before signing up for this course.)
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming, Evelyn Staudinger Lane, Leah Niederstadt)
198. Experimental Course
Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas
(This course will be replacing Arth 102)
The second half of the required introductory survey of world visual culture for the Art History major examines the art and architecture of Africa, Asia and the Americas. This interdisciplinary introduction to the discipline examines not only diverse objects and images, but also multiple approaches to understanding visual culture. Each lecture focuses upon a particular object, image or site padigmatic of a particular period, style, regional school, or cultural connection. In addition, students will be exposed to a number of supplemental works within each lecture that will deepen their understanding of the primary works under discussion. Students will be trained to place works of art and architecture within their historical contexts, while also developing a critical vocabulary and familiarity with a variety of interpretive discourses.
Required of all Art History Majors who have not taken Arth 102. (If you took Arth 102 Great Works II and not Arth 101 Great Works I, or vice versa, please speak with Professors McPherson or Evans before signing up for this course.)
(Sean McPherson, R. Tripp Evans, Kim Miller, Leah Niederstadt)
201. Great Works I (Enhanced)
Arth 201 and Arth 202 comprise a yearlong course that provides an in-depth examination of the development of the art object from prehistoric to modern times; this course is designed for students seeking greater academic challenge in the field of art history than is available in the standard introductory 101 course. Students will approach the material on several levels: through lecture classes held jointly with Art 101/102; through an 80-minute weekly discussion section based on a seminar model and including student-led discussions and seminal readings in the field and, most important, through a spring trip to New York City led by both faculty and students and intended to emphasize the significance of the study of original works of art and architecture. Because of the advanced nature of this course, an additional half credit is offered to students enrolled each semester, for a total of one additional credit for the year.
Connections:
Conx 20047 Molecules to Masterpieces
202. Great Works II (Enhanced)
Continuation of Arth 201.
Connections:
Conx 20025 The Math in Art and the Art of Math
Conx 23008 Italian Culture, Language and Society
211. Arts of the Western Tradition (Enhanced)
212. African Visual Cultures
This course provides an introduction to the rich, diverse and inspiring world of African art. We will examine the varied ways that African art has shaped and been shaped by the histories and cultural values of different African peoples, both in the past and during the present day. This course will strengthen the student's ability to critically assess the role of art in Africa for the people who produce and use it, and will provide an understanding of the role of African art in the West for the people who collect, exhibit, view and study it. Topics of study will include social, political, religious, philosophical, gendered and aesthetic practices.
(Kim Miller)
Connections:
Conx 23001 African Worlds
218. Print Cultures in Early Modern Japan
Development of the woodblock print within the popular visual culture of Japan during the Edo period (1615-1868). Examination of the technical, thematic and stylistic development of woodblock prints; the work of individual print designers and schools; and the role of prints as reflection of and stimulus for the "Floating World" of urban popular culture. We will begin with an introduction to the cultural context of Edo Japan and technical aspects of Japanese printmaking, followed by a roughly chronological survey of major developments, genres and designers/publishers. Exploration of issues such as censorship, collaborative artistic production, early modern print cultures, landscape and travel, and representations of gender, sexuality and social status.
(Sean McPherson)
221. Arts of India
This course surveys the development of Indian art from the Indus Valley civilization to the present, studied against the background of India's cultural history and religious faiths. Art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Islamic.
(Sean McPherson)
223. Islamic Art
The development of Islamic art throughout the Near East, Persia, Iran, North Africa and Spain. Special attention to architectural monuments and painting.
224. Chinese Art and Culture
Thematic, interdisciplinary exploration of selected art and architectural developments in China from Neolithic through modern times. Attention to issues relevant to study of material and visual culture, including the interpretation of meaning from objects and images; the relationship between archaeology and modern nationalism; cultural interconnections and the hybridity of "native" cultural traditions; social stratification in the production and reception of material culture; discourses of aesthetic cultural values; the interplay of literary, visual and material cultural production.
(Sean McPherson)
225. Status, Gender, and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Survey of selected aspects of Japanese art and architecture from Neolithic through recent times. Particular attention to issues of gender, cultural identity and social status in the production and reception of art and architecture. Exploration of transnational and inter-cultural sources of Japanese visual culture. Our inclusive exploration of Japanese art and architecture will address fundamental questions about when, how and why particular images and monuments have come to be considered part of a canon of "great works" in the discipline of Japanese art history.
(Sean McPherson)
230. Introduction to Museum Studies
This course introduces students to museum history and practice and to theoretical issues in museum studies. Students will explore the ways in which museums/like intitutions represent people and cultures and will consider their missions, organizational structure, and architecture, their role in the community and the contemporary challenges faced by museum practitioners.
(Leah Niederstadt)
231. Italian Medieval Art and Culture
Italian medieval art is very different from that of the rest of Europe because it clings to a classicism inherited from its Roman past, augmented by frequent borrowings from Byzantium. The course concentrates on the art of Italy from the time Constantine made Rome a "Christian" capital until the time of Giotto, with particular attention to the ecclesiastical and social structures peculiar to Italy that shaped its art in a distinct way.
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
232. Art and Architecture of the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy
This course introduces students to the art of the early Renaissance in Italy, with special attention paid to Florence. Issues such as technique, style, iconography, patronage, historical context and art theory are discussed in detail.
241. Northern Renaissance Painting 1400-1550
The effects of secular patronage on late Gothic painting in France and Flanders (Pucelle, the Limbourg brothers), followed by a thorough analysis of the realistic and mystical currents in northern culture and painting from Jan van Eyck to Hieronymus Bosch; a study of the spread of the Flemish style to Germany and France and the impact of humanism (Dürer, Grünewald, Brueghel).
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
242. Patronage and the Artist in Early-Modern Italy
This course will explore the relationship between various patrons and artists in Italy from circa 1400 until circa 1650. The class examines the influence held by patrons such as churches, monasteries, and court rulers on art production and, in turn, how artists affected patrons' taste. In addition, the course addresses issues of gender and politics to understand the process of art production and art reception in early-modern Italy.
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming)
255. Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture
A historical and cultural examination of the architecture, sculpture and allied arts of the ancient Andes and Mesoamerica. Spanning the first millennium B.C.E. to the time of the Spanish Conquest, this course considers the role of the arts in the establishment and maintenance of pre-Columbian political/religious authority.
(R. Tripp Evans)
256. Native North American Arts and Culture
An introduction to the art, architecture and allied arts of native North American peoples. Students will consider cultural periods from the prehistoric to the present and regions from the Eastern Woodlands to the Pacific Northwest, with special emphasis placed upon artistic production following European contact. Required museological study involving local collections.
(R. Tripp Evans)
260. American Art and Architecture: Colonial to 1865
An examination of the visual arts in North America from the 17th century to the era of the Civil War, considering their role in the formation of national identity. In addition to class readings and lectures, students will study original works and extant structures in Boston, Providence and Newport.
(R. Tripp Evans)
263. African American Art
This course explores the contribution of African American artists to the visual culture of the United States, from the work of 18th and 19th century enslaved and free blacks to the production of contemporary African American artists. Students examine the various strategies that African American artists have used to establish an independent artistic identity and to provide a political voice for their audiences.
(R. Tripp Evans)
Connections:
Conx 23010 Black Aesthetics
270. The Art of the Print
The development of woodcut, engraving, etching, lithography, etc., from the 15th century to the present. Special attention to the work of Dürer, Rembrandt, Daumier, Whistler and Cassatt. Religious, social and/or political aspects of their work also considered. Print collections at Wheaton and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will be highlighted. This course culminates in the organization and mounting of an exhibition of prints drawn from Wheaton's collection of 1,000 impressions.
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
Connections:
Conx 20020 The Art of the Print
273. Greek Art and Architecture
An investigation of the art and architecture of the Greek world from the Aegean Bronze Age cultures to the Hellenistic period. Taught chronologically, but from a sociocultural perspective, particular attention is paid to the role and representation of gender in Greek society.
(Department)
274. Visualizing Power in Ancient Rome
After a brief consideration of Etruscan art, the course concentrates on Roman art and architecture with particular emphasis on the cultural role played by visual art in Roman society. Etruscan and Roman holdings in the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Wheaton Collection are spotlighted.
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
275. Arts in an Age of Revolution: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism
A survey of European painting and sculpture from the eve of the French Revolution to the mid-19th century. Emphasis on concurrent developments in France, England and Germany, with Italy and Spain also considered. Works of art examined in terms of style, content and theory and in relation to the social and political context.
(Ann H. Murray)
276. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
An examination of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting in France. Works of art considered in terms of style, theory, content and social context (e.g., the transformation of Paris in the Second Empire). Emphasis on painting, although sculpture and the decorative arts are included as time permits.
(Ann H. Murray)
288. Buddhist Art and Architecture
Buddhist art, architecture and ritual have reflected and forged connections among the linguistically and culturally diverse societies of South, Central and East Asia. This course examines changes and continuities in Buddhist art and architecture from developments after the death of the historical Buddha in the 5th century B.C.E. through modern times.
Our historically and culturally structured examination of Buddhist material and visual culture will be informed throughout with thematic questions. What do material, visual and ritual culture contribute to the religious experience? How can we reconcile Buddhism's doctrinal rejection of material and visual reality with its rich artistic legacy? To what extent can we understand devotional objects as "art"? How have secular and religious agendas intersected in the spread of Buddhism? How has Buddhist art, architecture and ritual accommodated itself to widely differing cultural and historical contexts? How have the iconography and aesthetic of Buddhist art both reflected and influenced prevailing notions of social status, gender and sexuality?
(Sean McPherson)
298. Experimental Course
Research Methods
This seminar is highly recommended for students who will be sophomores ('11) and juniors ('10) next year and are considering graduate work in art history (MA, PhD) or museum studies (MA, PhD), and/or for students who plan on completing an honors thesis in art history during their senior year. The course will begin by examining the history of art history, followed by an exploration of a wide variety of methodological perspectives currently used in our discipline. While theoretical approaches to art history will be central to the questions posed, considerable time will be spent on multivalent approaches to one or more objects. Thus, theory and practice will guide the path of inquiry in this class. By helping students more fully engage with key methodologies in the field (feminist, Marxist, semiotics, structuralism, post-structuralism, psychoanalytical, reception theory, etc.) early in their college careers, this seminar will be a foundation for further studies in art history.
(If you will be a senior next year ('09) intending to go to graduate school and interested in this course, please see Professor Lane.) (Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
Visualizing Circus
Circuses have long been part of America's visual landscape, most especially during the heyday of the traveling circus: the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. In this course, students will gain an understanding of circus history and of the social, political, and economic roles played by circus as a popular art form. Students will explore the visual culture of circus from the graphic design innovations of Philip Astley's eighteenth-century English circus to the contemporary spectacles produced by Cirque du Soleil. An emphasis will be placed on the critical analysis of various representations of circuses and circus performers in commercial posters, film and video, children's books, and the media. At the end of this course, students will understand the importance of visual productions and their reception in the creation and development of circus as an art form.
Please Note: This course does NOT fulfill any Art History requirements and should be considered an elective.
Early-Modern Spaces
This course will examine various spaces in Italy and France from circa 1400 until circa 1700. The students will look at private residences such as palazzi and castles in terms of architecture, patronage, and domestic productions. The class will determine the parameters of an established gendered space and the components of a socially constructed space. In addition, the course will address the impact of urban public structures on politics and culture, as well as the drive behind the establishment of villas outside of city centers. From the gardens of Bomarzo to studioli and to the Chåteau de Chenonceau, this class will pay close attention to aesthetic decisions contextualized within political, religious, economic, and social settings.
From the Holy Land to Graceland: The Art of Pilgrimage
Journeying was an important part of the Medieval World, primarily in the form of pilgrimages taken during the Romanesque period (1050 to 1200). Much of this course's content will focus on Romanesque art made for this audience and will include all media: architecture, sculpture, stained glass, ivories, tapestries, metalwork, and book production. While much of our time will be spent in France, Germany, Italy, England and Spain, we will head east to the Holy Land to study Crusader Art and aspects of Islamic culture absorbed by the West, after which we turn back to the West, but to Graceland to examine other manifestations of "pilgrimage." In addition, the development of monasticism which was keenly intertwined with the lives of pilgrims will figure prominently in this course along with themes such as: women as creators and consumers of art, the cult of the saints, the representation of doom and the meaning of monsters, images as a vehicle for maintaining power structures, the role of the patron, and the emerging identity of the artist. Rather than a passive blend of influences as its name suggests, Romanesque art is a highly original, vibrant art that emerged out of an entrepreneurial spirit of its age.
Youth and Gender in Modern Visual Culture
This course examines nineteenth- and twentieth-century visual representations of childhood and adolescence from a feminist and socio-historical perspective. We will explore how gender and other intersecting aspects of children≠s identities, including social class, family role, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, have been represented and shaped by Western visual culture. We will pursue formal, theoretical, and cultural analyses of a wide range of images, from nineteenth-century tabloid illustrations of "girls gone wild" to John Singer Sargent's evocative oil portraits of adolescent subjects and Lauren Greenfield's recent photographic study of 21st century "girl culture." In the process, we will consider the role of gender in the production and reception of these images. We will also discuss how scientific and literary ideas regarding the psychology and behavior of girls and boys have shifted, or not, over the years, and the historical development of adolescence as a distinct and pivotal stage of life. The course will build on a relatively recent and growing body of scholarly work on the social construction of childhood in the fields of Art History, Women's Studies, History, Fashion Theory, Literature, and Psychology.
312. Contemporary African Arts
This course will explore contemporary African art and the discourses that frame its production, reception and history. Issues considered include authenticity, tradition, modernity, nationality and African diasporic art. We will also examine the complex relationship of African art to colonialism, European art and its discourses, and the influence of globalization and popular culture. We will focus on several artists or artistic traditions as case studies, including the art scene in Dakar (Senegal); artistic production in post-Apartheid South Africa; and the revival of "traditional" forms through studio art markets. We will also explore the collection and display of contemporary African art. Readings include debates over the nature of representation in the postcolonial world, critiques of the place of African art in the symbolic and monetary economies of the Western metropolis, African feminism as expressed in the arts, and studies of the new contexts of so-called ethnographic objects.
Students are not expected to have prior knowledge of African art but some background in either Africana studies (theoretical discourses) or art history (historical and stylistic traditions) is recommended. The emphasis in this course will be on honing visual observational skills as well as techniques of theoretical analysis.
(Kim Miller)
Connections:
Conx 23001 African Worlds
314. Modern Architecture
A study of architectural evolution in the West from the French Revolution to the present, in light of technological, political and social developments. Particular attention focused on avant-garde movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries.
(R. Tripp Evans)
317. Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism
A study of major developments in art during the first half of the 20th century: Cubism and related styles in France (e.g., Picasso, Braque, Sonia and Robert Delaunay); Expressionism in Germany (e.g., Kirchner, Marc, Kandinsky, Münter, Kollwitz); the international Dada and Surrealist movements (e.g.. Duchamp, Miró, Dalí). Works of art considered in terms of style, content, theory and in relation to their social and political context.
(Ann H. Murray)
318. Art since 1945
An introduction to art, art theory and criticism in the second half of the 20th century. Emphasis on Abstract Expressionism, Pop art, Color-field painting, Minimal, Conceptual, Environmental and Performance art. Class time devoted to issues and developments through the mid-1980s. Exhibitions in Boston, Providence and Wheaton's gallery provide exposure to more recent work and an opportunity to engage in art criticism.
(Ann H. Murray)
Connections:
Conx 20034 The Historical Context of Contemporary American Culture
332. Art and Architecture of the 16th Century in Italy
Designed to introduce students to the art of 16th-century Italy, with special attention paid to Florence. Issues of technique, style, iconography, patronage, historical context and art theory are discussed in detail.
(Department)
333. Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
Development of modern architecture in Japan from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) through recent decades. Chronological coverage of major stylistic, structural and spatial changes, supplemented by attention to thematic concerns such as the relationship between cultural identity, architectural form, and modernity; the influence of discourses of "traditional" Japanese architecture upon modern movements in Japan and the West; the dialectic between "native" and "foreign" forms and design philosophies; the influence of social status, gender and colonialism upon architectural design and consumption; competing pressures of urbanization and preservation; issues of cultural "authenticity" in the context of global, transnational cultures.
(Sean McPherson)
334. Exhibiting Africa: Past & Present
This course explores the ways in which Africa and its animals, peoples and material culture have been represented by museums. We will study how economic, political and social change influence the collection and display of Africa and Africans and how debates over cultural heritage and repatriation apply to the African continent.
(Leah Niederstadt)
336. Sex and Death in Early Modern Venice
This course, organized thematically, offers a critical look into the complexities of ritual, space and spectatorship in early modern Venice. Investigations of visual culture are framed by issues of gender, race and other identity categories.
352. Early Medieval Art and Culture
The transformation of late antique art and architecture to suit the needs of Christian cultures in the Greek East and Latin West, from the early paintings in catacombs to the year 1000.
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
353. Castles, Cathedrals and Monasteries
The art of the Western medieval world from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Special attention paid to the Romanesque monastic pilgrimage sites, their architecture and decorations; to the castles of northern Europe, their construction and design; and to the great cathedrals of Gothic France, their architecture, sculpture and stained glass. Social, political and economic factors involved in the production of this art are stressed.
(Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
Connections:
Conx 20029 Living Architecture
360. American Art and Architecture: 1865 - 1945
Between the Civil War and World War II, American art and architecture demonstrated an unprecedented sense of confidence. Examining the roles of empire building, commerce and the rise of urban culture, this course will chart the development of American art from the American Renaissance to the triumph of the midcentury New York School.
(R. Tripp Evans)
398. Experimental Course
Castles and Cathedrals
Within the 1000 year period we call medieval art, Gothic (b.1140) was the first to pervade the world of "things." Far from being an art solely devoted to architecture, sculpture and painting, Gothic could determine the style of one's shoes or even one's spoons. As the first truly international art, it spread across Europe with astonishing speed. This course seeks to understand the ways in which the visual culture of the Gothic period was a product of changing concepts of time, space, and society. Both religious and secular imagery will be examined, with special attention paid to the construction of the great Castles and Cathedrals of thirteenth-century Europe, and the stunning images and objects that embellished them. Consideration of the representation of the "other" (heretics, lepers and non-Christians) as well as the place of women in Gothic art and medieval society will also be explored. The course then turns to the art of the fourteenth century where the effects of political and religious strife will be analyzed against the backdrop of the imagery of the Great Plague. Hardly an era of decline, the last years of the Gothic age were a lively phase of intellectual development leading directly into the Early Modern period.
Will satisfies Medieval Art category in the Art History Major and Minor in Medieval Studies. (Evelyn Staudinger Lane)
Anatomies (1400-1600): Sexual, Forbidden, and Monstrous
This course will look at the ways in which the body was understood and visualized in the early-modern period. Focusing mostly on France and Italy, the class will address topics such as: the perceived imperfections of the female body; the mystery held by reproductive organs and their function; the theological and physical challenges posed by human dissections; the production of illustrated anatomical treatises; the implication of artists and anatomists in exploring monstrous bodies; and the intellectual and physical fascination with hermaphrodites.
Critical readings of texts, original research, and engaged participation will be emphasized throughout the course.
399. Selected Topics
An opportunity to do independent work in a particular area not included in the regular courses.
401. Seminar
The study of particular periods, special topics or individual artists. A list for the following year is announced each spring. Subjects are chosen to meet the needs and interests of the particular group of art history majors.
500. Individual Research
Offered to selected majors at the invitation of the department.