ART HISTORY (ARTH)
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Art History
44 N. Cleveland Ave., (651) 962-5560
Young (chair), Barnes, Eliason, Kindall, Mickelson, Shirey, Stansbury-O'Donnell
Art History Department Web Site
The Art History Department at St. Thomas explores the many dimensions of art in a broad range of periods and worldwide cultures. The courses, programs, and faculty of the department prompt students to become investigators, learning to ask and answer questions about art, from pottery to painting, from bronzes to buildings. Students are encouraged to conduct independent research and to present their findings to a broader audience and to make art accessible inside and outside of the classroom.
Art history embodies the study of the liberal arts by considering the work of art and architecture within its broader cultural and social context, including religion, economic production, politics, gender, and social identification. The liberal arts and interdisciplinary nature of the major can be combined effectively with other majors such as theology, history, philosophy, or with programs emphasizing professional skills, including journalism, communication, or elementary education. Recent graduates of the Art History program have pursued careers in education, art conservation, historic preservation, museum education and curatorship, art gallery direction, publishing and interior design.
The department offers a number of courses for the non-major to fulfill the Fine Arts, Human Diversity, and Writing Across the Curriculum components of the core curriculum.
Major in Art History
- ARTH 150 Explorations in Art History (4 credits)
- ARTH 211 Methods, Approaches, and Problems in Art History (4 credits)
- ARTH 481 Senior Paper and Presentation (4 credits)
Plus eight credits chosen from two of the following three areas:
Ancient Art
- ARTH 260 Women in Ancient Art and Culture (4 credits)
- ARTH 305 Greek Art and Archaeology (4 credits)
- ARTH 310 Roman Art and Archaeology (4 credits)
- or equivalent
Medieval Art
- ARTH 330 Churches and Mosques in the First Millennium (4 credits)
- ARTH 335 Cathedrals, Monasteries, and Caliphates (4 credits)
- or equivalent
Renaissance & Baroque Art
- ARTH 340 Southern Renaissance Art and Society (4 credits)
- ARTH 345 Baroque and Rococo Art (4 credits)
- or equivalent
Plus eight credits of Global Art chosen from the following courses:
- ARTH 265 Art of Mesoamerica (4 credits)
- ARTH 270 Pacific Art (4 credits)
- ARTH 275 Buddhist Art (4 credits)
- ARTH 284 Arts of the African Diaspora (4 credits)
- ARTH 285 Arts of Africa (4 credits)
- ARTH 291 Topics in Non-Western Art (4 credits)
- ARTH 321 The Art and Culture of Modern Mexico (1824-1940)
- ARTH 323 Colonial Art of Latin America (4 credits)
- ARTH 328 Chinese Sculpture & Architecture (4 credits)
- ARTH 329 Chinese Painting (4 credits)
- or equivalent
Plus four credits of Modern Art, chosen from the following courses:
- ARTH 321 The Art and Culture of Modern Mexico (1824-1940)
- ARTH 351 Romanticism to Impressionism (4 credits)
- ARTH 352 Art in the United States (4 credits)
- ARTH 356 Modernism in European Art (4 credits)
- ARTH 361 Contemporary Art (4 credits)
Plus four credits of Media Studies (architecture and media other than painting and sculpture), chosen from the following courses:
- ARTH 270 Pacific Art (4 credits)
- ARTH 280 Sacred Architecture and Space (4 credits)
- ARTH 282 The History of American Architecture (4 credits)
- ARTH 285 Arts of Africa (4 credits)
- ARTH 339 Western Costume’s Design and Visual Representation in Context (4 credits)
- or equivalent
Note: A single course may fall into more than one area, but may only be applied to a single area. Students taking courses abroad may also substitute one course taken abroad for one of the advanced studies course areas (with the exception of global art) with prior approval of the chair of the department.
Plus four credits meeting one of the following criteria:
- a second course in one of the above areas
- an internship or other form of experiential learning, including research and preparation of exhibits
- an art history course taken abroad
- a studio art course
Minor in Art History
- ARTH 150 Explorations in Art History (4 credits)
- Sixteen (16) credits chosen with the approval of the department chair or a department adviser.
Minor in Museum Studies
- ARTH 250 Museum Studies: Exhibitions, Collections, Structures (4 credits)
- ARTH 251 Museum Studies: Trends, Practices, Visitors (4 credits)
- 4 credits from the list of approved courses titled Business & Communications & Social Science
- 4 credits from the list of approved courses titled Arts & Humanities & Education
- 4 credits from either list of designated classes
Notes: Students are responsible for any prerequisites required for all classes listed as part of the minor. Art History majors may have up to two courses count for both major and Museum Studies minor requirements.
Arts & Humanities & Education
Rationale: To explore individualized projects, writing, and visitor-centered topics from a variety of arts, humanities, and educational perspectives.
-
ARTH 243/393/495 Individual Study (2 or 4 credits)
- ARTH 475/476 Experiential Learning (2 credits)
- ARTH 477/478 Experiential Learning (4 credits)
- MUSC 160 Introduction to Music Business
- MUSC 363 Emerging Models in the Music Industry
- HIST 208 History of the Roman World
- HIST 210 Modern Latin America, 1800 to present
- HIST 222 Early Modern Europe, 1450-1750
- HIST 262 American Colonial History
- HIST 335 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
- HIST 355 The Civil War Era
- HIST 386 Historical Archaeology
- ENGL 256 Introduction to Professional Writing
- ENGL 304 Analytical and Persuasive Writing
- ENGL 315 Topics in Professional Writing
- EDUC 210 Education’s Place in Society and Field
- EDUC 329 Diverse Learners and Families
- EDUC 330 Psychology for Teaching and Learning
Business & Communications & Social Science
Rationale: To explore the administrative, technology-based, and communication strategy aspects of the museum field through the business and social science perspectives.
- BLAW 301 Legal Environment of Business
- BETH 301 Business Ethics
- COMM 328 Comm of Race, Class & Gender
- COMM 370 Intercultural Communication
- DIMA 256 Design Concepts of Communication
- DIMA/JOUR 232 Visual Media in Theory and Practice
- DIMA 342 Media, Culture and Society
- ENTR 260 Entrepreneurial Thinking
- ENTR 340 Social Entrepreneurship
- ENTR 360 Creativity and Change
- ENTR 380 Entrepreneurship in Practice
- JPST 250 Introduction to Justice and Peace Studies
- MKTG 300 Principles of Marketing
- MKTG 380 Interactive Marketing
- MGMT 305 Management and Organizational Behavior
- PSYC 206 Brain and Human Behavior
- PSYC 315 Cognition
- SOCI 251 Race and Ethnicity
- SOCI 350 Social Inequality: Privilege and Power
- SOCI 366 Self and Society
- STCM 344 Writing for Strategic Communication
- STCM 346 Digital Content & Strategy in Strat. Comm.
Art History Undergraduate Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTH 105 | Art and the Environment | 4 | |
| Description of course Art and the Environment : | An exploration of how concepts like nature, wilderness, and landscape have been incorporated into art. Cross-cultural instances of landscape painting will be placed in their historical contexts. We will then explore artists who incorporate the land into their art, from the site-specific artists of the late twentieth century to artists addressing the ecological concerns of the present day. We will consider Chinese literati painting, European Romanticism, frontier painting and regionalism in the United States, Earthworks, and recent artistic responses to global climate change and the exploitation of natural resources. We will consider how visual arts can not only reflect but also alter societal attitudes and practices. | ||
| ARTH 106 | Global Photography | 2 | |
| Description of course Global Photography : | Global Photography provides an overview of the development of photography--from its origins in the 1830s to the present. In this course, we seek to understand why the photographic is image so compelling, to what degree photographs are really “truthful,” and, above all, how photographs shape our understanding of the world. Although photography was invented in Europe, it was quickly embraced and put to use in multiple ways around the world. This course investigates photography from a global perspective, specifically focusing on documentary, portraiture, and landscape from around the world, engaging with questions regarding the ethics of photography throughout. | ||
| ARTH 115 | Intro to Renaissance Art | 2 | |
| Description of course Intro to Renaissance Art : | An introduction to art history that takes as its focus the art of Europe from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Painting, sculpture, and printmaking will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to humanism and classicism, patronage, and the legacy of an art-historical canon. We will investigate the works of Giotto, Jan van Eyck, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, Bosch, and Durer, among others. | ||
| ARTH 116 | Intro to Baroque Art | 2 | |
| Description of course Intro to Baroque Art : | An introduction to art history that takes as its focus the art of Europe from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. Painting, sculpture, and printmaking will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to national schools of painting, and how social structure and religious strife shaped art in the Baroque period. We will investigate the works of Bernini, Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Poussin, among others. | ||
| ARTH 120 | Intro to Aztec Art | 2 | |
| Description of course Intro to Aztec Art : | Suitable for students new to art history, this two-credit course focuses on the art and culture of the Aztecs, whose empire of splendor, hegemony, and military prowess collapsed among the chaos of the Aztec-Spanish war. Interdisciplinary in nature, the class investigates what Aztec art, material culture, architecture, and even civic planning can tell us about Aztec religion, political ideology, literature, and social systems. As well, it addresses both to the ancient Central Mexican predecessors of the Aztecs and the colonial aftermath of the Spanish arrival. | ||
| ARTH 121 | Intro to Maya Art | 2 | |
| Description of course Intro to Maya Art : | Suitable for students new to art history, this course serves as an introduction to the art, architecture, and culture of the ancient Maya, whose city states flourished in southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras from the close of the first millennium BC to the end of the tenth century AD. Interdisciplinary in nature, the class investigates what Maya material culture, art, writing, and architecture can tell us about their society, religious beliefs, political ideology, and literature. As well, it introduces students to Maya hieroglyphics and the Maya calendar and addresses the history of scholarship in this area. | ||
| ARTH 130 | Introduction to Asian Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Introduction to Asian Art : | This course offers a selective introduction to the artistic concepts and visual art of India, China, and Japan. The course will examine visual expression in Asia from the Neolithic period to the 20th century. The purpose of the course is to provide students with the basis for a life-long appreciation of the arts and cultures of South and East Asia through examinations of varying aesthetic viewpoints and critical and creative interpretations of artistic expression. | ||
| ARTH 131 | Mod and Contemp Chinese Art | 2 | |
| Description of course Mod and Contemp Chinese Art : | This course offers a selective introduction to the artistic concepts and visual art produced in the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China between 1911 and today. The course will introduce students to methodologies and art-historical concepts such as formal analysis, Marxism, reception, iconography/iconology, and cultural/historical studies. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the varying aesthetic viewpoints and critical and creative interpretations of artistic expression that have defined modern and contemporary China over the course of the past two centuries. | ||
| ARTH 132 | Arts of Japan | 2 | |
| Description of course Arts of Japan : | This course offers a selective introduction to the artistic concepts and visual art of Japan. The course will examine visual expression in Japan in the form of painting, sculpture, calligraphy, architecture, and gardens from the Neolithic period to the 19th century. The course will introduce students to methodologies and art-historical concepts such as formal analysis, patronage, reception, iconography/iconology, and cultural/historical studies. The purpose of the course is to provide students with the basis for a life-long appreciation of the arts and culture of Japan through examinations of varying aesthetic viewpoints and critical and creative interpretations of artistic expression. | ||
| ARTH 140 | Architecture & Art St. Thomas | 4 | |
| Description of course Architecture & Art St. Thomas : | Using art, archives, and architecture at the University of St. Thomas, this course will increase a student’s visual literacy as well as an understanding of their place of higher learning. Students will analyze style, subject, and patronage and will explore the relationship of art and architecture to religion, campus and city planning, societal concerns, technology, landscapes, marketing, and image making. Site visits and meetings with key stakeholders will supplement classroom and archive work. Connections will be made throughout the course to the history of art and architecture beyond our campus. | ||
| ARTH 141 | Building Minnesota | 2 | |
| Description of course Building Minnesota : | This course will increase a student’s visual literacy as well as provide an understanding the history of architecture throughout time in Minnesota. Students will analyze style, subject, and patronage and will explore the relationship of buildings to religion, city planning, societal concerns, landscapes, technology, marketing, and sustainability. Site visits will be an important supplement classroom work. Connections will be made throughout the course to the history of architecture in the United States and beyond. | ||
| ARTH 142 | Building St. Thomas | 2 | |
| Description of course Building St. Thomas : | This course will use the architecture of the University of St. Thomas as a classroom in which to understand broader themes in architectural history including style, designers, patrons, economics, landscapes, sustainability, technology, materiality, and identity. Site visits and meetings with key stakeholders will supplement classroom and archive work. Connections will be made throughout the course to the history of architecture in Minnesota and beyond. | ||
| ARTH 150 | Explorations in Art History | 4 | |
| Description of course Explorations in Art History : | Through a series of case studies, this course examines the importance of art as cultural expression across time and from a global perspective. In each course section, students will analyze the style, subject, and patronage of works of art, and will explore art's relationship to religion, ideology, society and economy, gender roles, and the interaction of cultures. Case studies will include architecture, sculpture, painting, and other arts, such as ceramics, textiles, and photography. This course fulfills the Fine Arts and Human Diversity core requirement. Some sections will meet the Global Perspectives requirement. Consult the department website for details about the specific sections offered. | ||
| ARTH 202 | History of Street Art | 4 | |
| Description of course History of Street Art : | Street art—including graffiti, murals, and other installations in public space—provides expressive avenues for marginalized voices, shapes urban space, and promotes competing visions of community development. In contrast to art that is created for museums or the commercial art market, street art is uniquely positioned to engage with social issues from a critical perspective. This class will involve an analysis of street art projects from the United States, situated in comparison with projects from around the world. Topics to explored include the history of street art over time (from its origins in graffiti to contemporary mural festivals); the impetus for street art in communities in the USA and globally; models for creating, preserving, and presenting street art; the institutionalization of street art; street art as it relates to diversity and inclusion; and, ultimately, the potential for street art to play a role in social change. | ||
| ARTH 204 | Typography and Visual Culture | 4 | |
| Description of course Typography and Visual Culture : | An investigation of the history of typography and type design from the earliest developments of movable type to the global digital typography of the present day. We will look at what needs typography served in the broader culture, and how the forms of letters and their arrangements reflected those needs. We will learn about the changing technologies of type-founding and printing, and how they shaped the designs of letterforms and pages. Throughout the course we will contextualize typeforms within their contemporary visual culture, drawing relationships to fine arts, popular arts, and the broader design world. | ||
| ARTH 206 | Cultural History Photography | 4 | |
| Description of course Cultural History Photography : | The invention of photography and its dissemination throughout the world coincided with an explosive time in the development of American culture and identity. Probing the medium of photography as it relates to structures of power, constructs of race, and issues of social justice, this course surveys the cultural history of photography with a special emphasis on photography in the United States. This course does not have any prerequisites and it provides an overview of the development of photographic techniques and applications from the origins of photography in the 1830s to the present as well as a critical focus on photography and issues of diversity, inclusion and social justice from an art historical perspective. | ||
| ARTH 211 | Methods/Approaches/Problems | 4 | |
| Description of course Methods/Approaches/Problems : | An introduction to the methods and problems of art history, including the theoretical approaches to art and its history, the examination and analysis of the work and its medium, the role of the museum and gallery in the study of art, and bibliographic tools of the different disciplines of the field. Prerequisite: ARTH 110 (or 151 or 152 from earlier catalogs) or permission of chair | ||
| ARTH 243 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 250 | Museum Studies: Collections | 4 | |
| Description of course Museum Studies: Collections : | In this course, museum successes and failures will be examined in relation to the broad topics of exhibition design, collecting, politics, tourism, museum organizational structures, architecture, and education. The course combines thematic and theoretical classroom discussions with practical and experiential museum components. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester. | ||
| ARTH 251 | Museum Studies: Practices | 4 | |
| Description of course Museum Studies: Practices : | This course provides an investigation of the critical issues facing museums in the 21st century. Museum missions, practices, and resources will be interwoven with a discussion of audience, communication, and collaboration. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester. | ||
| ARTH 260 | Women in Ancient Art & Culture | 4 | |
| Description of course Women in Ancient Art & Culture : | The history of the ancient world-its politics, philosophy, and literature is mostly silent or slanderous about the lives of women. In most times and places their role in public life and their ability to express themselves were severely circumscribed. However, a study of archaeological material, representations in art and literature, and the occasional writing of women themselves allows us to look behind the curtain that veiled their lives. This class will examine the evidence to reconstruct a picture of what the life of women was like in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman culture throughout the ancient Mediterranean. | ||
| ARTH 265 | Art/Archaeology Ancient Meso | 4 | |
| Description of course Art/Archaeology Ancient Meso : | ARTH 265 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Mesoamerica: This course introduces students to the art, architecture, and archaeology of the Aztecs, Maya, Olmec, Zapotecs, and their contemporaries in Pre-Columbian America. Participants will explore the rich cultural history of this region (that includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador), and investigate how the art, architecture, and archeological remains of Mesoamerican peoples can be used to expand our knowledge of their religious practices, ideology, and societal institutions | ||
| ARTH 269 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 270 | Pacific Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Pacific Art : | This course surveys historical and contemporary art forms of Oceania, a region that includes Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Sculpture, painting, architecture, and body arts will be explored in relation to gender roles, identity, repatriation, and Western influence. Students will learn how material culture, along with the concepts of mana and tapu, sustained highly stratified cultures in places such as Hawaii and New Zealand. We will also study egalitarian societies in which a balanced relationship is maintained with natural environments through daily practices and spiritual beliefs. Students will work with objects from the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas (AMAA@UST). Films and other digital resources will be used to illustrate how Pacific cultures have changed over time. | ||
| ARTH 275 | Buddhist Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Buddhist Art : | Following a brief introduction to the origins of Buddhist art in India, this course will examine a selection of primary monuments and objects associated with Buddhism as practiced in China and Japan. The historical context, iconography, style and religious function of individual sites and objects will be considered in roughly chronological order. Larger topics relating to the production and reception of Buddhist art, such as its functional/ritual context, patronage and iconographical development, will be examined in class discussions of select articles. The goal of this course is to provide students with a foundational knowledge of the art and issues associated with the practice of Buddhism in traditional China and Japan. | ||
| ARTH 280 | Sacred Architecture & Space | 4 | |
| Description of course Sacred Architecture & Space : | Throughout history, humans have set aside spaces for religious purposes. Frequently these are the most visible remains or representatives of a culture and are keys to understanding the place of humans within the world and universe. This course examines sacred architecture and spaces from a variety of perspectives, including materials and structure, ritual function and liturgy, decoration, symbolism, physical context, and social/religious context. The course will examine not only Christian churches, but will also examine non-Christian and non-western traditions of religion and architecture. | ||
| ARTH 282 | History of Amer Architecture | 4 | |
| Description of course History of Amer Architecture : | A survey of high style and vernacular architecture in the United States from the Native Americans to the present day. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify the major themes and styles in American architecture; recognize major monuments and their designers; and understand how an American identity was projected in architecture. This includes understanding American architecture and its relationship to corresponding developments in art, landscape, and the urban fabric. Emphasis will be placed on structures in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. | ||
| ARTH 284 | Arts of the African Diaspora | 4 | |
| Description of course Arts of the African Diaspora : | This course surveys the diverse arts produced by people of African descent in the Diaspora (Suriname, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, the United States and England) from the Colonial period to the present. An examination of selected West and Central African cultural practices and art forms will serve as a basis for an understanding of creative transformations in the African Diaspora. Important issues to be addressed include art and resistance, survivals and transformations, and the construction of race and diasporic identity. | ||
| ARTH 285 | Arts of Africa | 4 | |
| Description of course Arts of Africa : | The continent of Africa presents a world of contrasts: from the powerful trading empires of the Sahel to the small scale, nomadic societies of the Kalahari. This course will survey the arts and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa, drawing on recent breakthroughs in archaeology, anthropology and art history to explore the diversity and creativity of past and present African artists. This course will explore material culture in its original context and seek to understand the social roles that art plays in all aspects of life, from religion and politics to personal relationships. | ||
| ARTH 291 | Topics in Non-Western Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics in Non-Western Art : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the searchable class schedule on Murphy Online. View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 295 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 296 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 297 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Online Printable Schedule, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 298 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 301 | Art History Signature Work | 4 | |
| Description of course Art History Signature Work : | ARTH 301 is a signature work course in art history. Topics vary from section to section, but all art history Signature Work courses focus on interdisciplinary perspectives in the field of art history, the integration of learning, and the relevance of our work as art historians to the university’s mission. The various sections focus on an gaining an understanding of art through a careful exploration of the historical, social, and cultural context of its production. This course calls upon students to reflect on knowledge they have built throughout their academic careers and to explore and integrate their learning in an interdisciplinary fashion. Prerequisites: 4 credits in ARTH coursework and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course | ||
| ARTH 304 | Typeface Design | 4 | |
| Description of course Typeface Design : | This course focuses on the process of creating a digital typeface design. Students will invent a design brief—a description of the need that their font will serve—and then, letter by letter, create a typeface. Along the way, students will investigate the history of type design, reflect on both the functional and expressive aspects of type designs, and receive feedback on their work in progress. No previous experience is required. | ||
| ARTH 305 | Greek Art and Archaeology | 4 | |
| Description of course Greek Art and Archaeology : | A survey of the art and architecture of ancient Greece from the fall of the Bronze Age civilizations to the end of the Hellenistic period. Particular attention will be given to sculpture, vase painting, and the relationship of art to the broader culture, to the art of the ancient Near East and Egypt, and to gender relations in ancient Greece. | ||
| ARTH 310 | Roman Art and Archaeology | 4 | |
| Description of course Roman Art and Archaeology : | A survey of the art of the Roman Republic and Empire to the emperor Constantine in the early fourth century C.E. Issues include the use of art and architecture as an expression of imperial political programs, the creation of urban architecture and the everyday environment of the Romans, and Rome's relationship to Greece and the Near East. | ||
| ARTH 321 | Art/Cultr-Mod Mexico 1824-1940 | 4 | |
| Description of course Art/Cultr-Mod Mexico 1824-1940 : | This course examines the art and culture of Mexico from Independence through the Revolutionary and post- Revolutionary periods (c. 1824-1940). Painting, sculpture, architecture and popular arts are investigated in the context of broader political and intellectual movements during this period of tremendous societal change. The class begins with an overview of art history from the pre- Hispanic and Colonial periods. The core course content focuses on academic and popular arts following Mexico's independence; in this context we discuss the intense search for national identity, or mexicanidad, that marks the modern era. This class also explores the impact of the Mexican Revolution on the work of Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Frida Kahlo and other artists of the period. Through critical readings of the biographies and autobiographies of Kahlo and Rivera alongside scholarly and popular texts, the course raises questions about the role of artist biography in our understanding of art works. In this course, Mexico is not seen in isolation; readings and discussions also investigate the work of Mexican-born artists in the United States and Europe as well as the ways in which outsiders conceived of and represented Mexico during the Revolutionary Period. | ||
| ARTH 323 | Colonial Art of Latin America | 4 | |
| Description of course Colonial Art of Latin America : | This course is designed to provide an understanding of the foundation of the arts of Spanish-speaking Latin America. Its focus will be the development of the arts from the time of the Spanish entrada in the late 15th century through the time of the independence movements of the 19th century and beyond. In general, it will focus on Early Colonial and Viceregal New Spain and Peru. At the close of this course participants will be expected to approach any period of Latin American art with a deeper awareness of its historical context and an increased sense of analytical confidence. | ||
| ARTH 328 | Chinese Sculpture & Architet | 4 | |
| Description of course Chinese Sculpture & Architet : | This course will examine the historical development of Chinese sculpture and architecture from the Neolithic period to the 21st century. The issues to be addressed will include possible functions and the development of early tombs, sculpted burial goods and imperial spirit roads; patronage, iconographic, and reception studies of Buddhist cave shrines and sculpture; the stylistic development of figural and animal sculpture; the development of both secular and religious Chinese architecture and garden design; the major figures and the "monuments" of sculpture and architectural studies; the development of Daoist sculpture; and the role of modern and contemporary sculpture and architecture in the public and private sphere. | ||
| ARTH 329 | Chinese Painting | 4 | |
| Description of course Chinese Painting : | The goal of this course is to engage students in a comprehensive examination of the historical development of Chinese painting from the Paleolithic period to the 20th century. The issues to be addressed will include the stylistic development of figure and landscape painting; the major figures and the "monuments" of painting; the influence of format on Chinese painters; the early emergence of art history in Chinese painting and its later effects; changes in the socio-political influences on painters and their work; and methodological differences between modern Chinese and Western art historians. | ||
| ARTH 330 | Churches/Mosques 1st Millen | 4 | |
| Description of course Churches/Mosques 1st Millen : | This course examines the formation and development of the first Christian and Islamic art and architecture during the first millennium C.E. of Europe and the Mediterranean. The class will examine the development of religious structures for these new religions, the role of visual images in both religious and secular contexts, and the influences that these cultures exerted on each other. Areas to be covered include: the Early Christian period; the Germanic, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian cultures of the sixth to eighth centuries; the Carolingian and Ottonian periods; Byzantine art and architecture; Islamic art and architecture. | ||
| ARTH 335 | Cathedral,Monastery,Calipha | 4 | |
| Description of course Cathedral,Monastery,Calipha : | A survey of the arts in Europe during the Romanesque and Gothic periods, c. 1000-1400. Emphasis will also be given to contemporaneous currents in Byzantine and Islamic art and their influence on the art of the West. | ||
| ARTH 339 | Costume Design and Reps. | 4 | |
| Description of course Costume Design and Reps. : | Clothing is not simply functional, but is also an expression of body ideals, class structure, gender, and historical development of technical and artistic change. This course looks at the materials, design, and use of textiles and garments from the early to the contemporary period in the West, with special stress on understanding the role of artistic representation and methodology in defining social status and standards of beauty. Attention will also be paid to the treatment of historic dress, both by authors of the period, and in popular culture. | ||
| ARTH 340 | Southern Renaissance Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Southern Renaissance Art : | A survey of the art and architecture of Italy, Spain and Portugal from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. The course will focus on issues of style, patronage and iconography. | ||
| ARTH 345 | Baroque and Rococo Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Baroque and Rococo Art : | A survey of the art and architecture of western Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Emphasis will be given to issues of iconography, patronage, and style. | ||
| ARTH 351 | Romanticism to Impressionism | 4 | |
| Description of course Romanticism to Impressionism : | This course will investigate the history of European painting and sculpture from 1800 to 1880. It will consider the major trends of Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism. It will also address art's response to and role in a European society marked by colonialism, industrialization, and the rise of urban mass culture. | ||
| ARTH 352 | Art in the United States | 4 | |
| Description of course Art in the United States : | This course will investigate the history of the visual arts (primarily painting and sculpture) in the United States from 1776 to 1960. Artists to be considered include colonial portraitists; Romantic landscape painters; Neoclassical sculptors; Realist, Luminist, and Impressionist painters; artists associated with New York Dada and the Harlem Renaissance; Precisionists, Regionalists and Social Realists; and Abstract Expressionists. Participants will consider artists' responses to key historical developments such as the founding of the nation, westward expansion, the Civil War, industrialization, and emergence as a superpower. Several issues will run throughout the course: What is the relationship between the art of Euro-Americans and that of Europe? and that of Native Americans? Is there something "American" about American art? How do the visual arts reinforce or challenge our sense of American history and identity? | ||
| ARTH 355 | 20th C:Cubism to Installati | 4 | |
| Description of course 20th C:Cubism to Installati : | Twentieth Century art will examine the stylistic, thematic and iconographic aspects of the modern movements in Europe, beginning with Fauvism and other manifestations of European Expressionism, Cubism, Orphism, Futurism, De Stijl, Dada, Surrealism, Art Informal and Tachisme, Optical and Pop Art, Photo-Realism, Conceptual Art, and Neo-Expressionism. | ||
| ARTH 356 | Modernism in European Art | 4 | |
| Description of course Modernism in European Art : | Modernist artists strove to find a visual language of expression appropriate to their time; yet many contemporaries found their works incomprehensible, as do many people today. An open-minded and historically informed investigation of modern art helps to make sense of it. This course will explore the history of European painting and sculpture from 1880 to 1940. It will consider the many movements that characterized modernism, such as Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, and Constructivism. Issues to be addressed include the rejection of tradition, the development of abstraction, the impact of World War I and its aftermath, the influence of science and technology on art, and the fate of modernism under Hitler's and Stalin's regimes. Particular attention will be paid to the theoretical underpinnings of modern art. | ||
| ARTH 389 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 393 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | These courses allow students to gain credit for certain non-classroom experiences. (These do not include studio art courses.) Normally open to junior and senior students. Permission of the department chair is required. Credit for experience is normally sought prior to its occurrence. the complete description of these courses at the beginning of the "Curricula" section of this catalog. Prerequisite: previous course or courses in art history | ||
| ARTH 478 | Intern/Experiential Learning | 1 | |
| Description of course Intern/Experiential Learning : | This zero-credit course is for practical training for undergraduate students. | ||
| ARTH 481 | Senior Paper Presentation | 4 | |
| Description of course Senior Paper Presentation : | During the senior year, art history majors are expected to write a major research paper with an abstract and to describe the results of their research in an oral presentation to a departmental symposium to be held prior to graduation. The purpose of this paper and presentation is to allow the student to demonstrate competency in art historical methodology and to gain experience from presenting the results to a group of peers and faculty. The topic and instructor must be chosen in consultation with the department chair during the semester prior to writing the senior paper. Prerequisite: ARTH 110 (or 151 and 152 from previous catalog) and 211 | ||
| ARTH 483 | Seminar | 2 | |
| Description of course Seminar : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 484 | Seminar | 2 | |
| Description of course Seminar : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 485 | Seminar | 4 | |
| Description of course Seminar : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 486 | Seminar | 4 | |
| Description of course Seminar : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 487 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 488 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 489 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 490 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ARTH 491 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ARTH 495 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||