AH100
Art History I
3 credits
This course introduces students to a variety of theoretical, analytical and critical means for approaching art, through the study of examples of art and architecture from different cultures and historical periods. Students learn to observe attentively, to describe thoroughly and to analyze critically through directed in-class discussions and writing assignments. Topics may include: analysis of period styles; interpreting subject matter and symbolism; examining the social functions of art and art-making in various historical times and cultures; and evaluating the role of the historian and critic. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in this course to enter Art History II.
Prerequisites:
Fulfills: Art History I Requirement
AH105
Art History II
3 credits
Building on the fundamental concepts of Art History I, this course surveys the major period styles of the art of Western civilization from the renaissance period through the 20th century. Emphasis is placed on understanding the cultural contexts and on further practice of visual analysis and analytical writing. The course includes visits to area museums.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and Art History I
Fulfills: Art History II Requirement
AH305
History of Women in Art
3 credits
This course examines the contributions of women to art from classical times to the present, with emphasis on the developments of recent decades. In addition to examining biographical and artistic aspects, the course includes analysis of the social, economical, historical, and political factors that have affected women artists and their work. Also considered are the types of images of women that appear in the history of art and their implications.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective; Art Education Diversity Requirement
AH315
Art of the Italian Renaissance
3 credits
This course is a survey of Italian art and architecture from the 14th through the 16th centuries. It includes a brief examination of Italian Mannerism and the contributions of the artists associated with the Renaissance in northern Europe.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective
AH319
Twentieth Century Art Before 1945
3 credits
This course provides a critical study of the major trends and sources of early twentieth-century art. In addition to examining the major artists and art movements of the first half of the century, the course considers changes in art's relationship to society, the rise of avant-garde movements in Europe and elsewhere, and the evolution of abstract art both before and after World War I.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective
AH320
Art Since 1945
3 credits
This course provides an overview of major artists and critical issues from World War II to the present. Writings by both critics and artists introduce students to a range of issues. The course examines changes in the definition of art during this period and the questions that recent Postmodern art practices have raised about the concept of Modernism as it was defined in relation to Abstract Expressionism. Required for all students concentrating in fine arts, painting, photography, sculpture, and printmaking.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art Since 1945 Requirement (all Fine Art or Graphic Design Students) or Art History Elective (Illustration Students) or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective.
AH322
American Art (Colonial Period to 1945)
3 credits
This course is a survey of painting, sculpture, photography and the decorative arts of the United States, from the Colonial Period to 1945. American art will be seen against the evolving social and political background that marks the growth of a nation.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective
AH324
Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism
3 credits
Designed to use area art collections, this course surveys major artistic styles in the last half of the 19th century. While the focus is European art, related styles in North America are included. Starting with the Realism of Courbet and Eakins, students trace artistic developments through Impressionism, in France and abroad, to the roots of Modernism in the art of the Post-Impressionist. The role of photography and the impact of non-Western art on the evolution of Modernism also receive consideration.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective
AH331
Neoclassicism and Romanticism
3 credits
This course surveys the major artistic styles of the first half of the 19th century in Europe and North America. Starting with the Neoclassicism of David, this course then examines Romanticism in Europe, from Friedrich to Delacroix, and in America, from Cole to Homer. Students consider the effects of encounters between the Old World and the New in America, and the clash of tradition and innovation in 19th-century Europe.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, or Liberal Arts Elective, or Humanities Elective
AH332
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
3 credits
This course is a general survey of art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, with in-depth study of several cultures. It combines art historical and anthropological approaches. Students study mask making, body decoration, dance, ritual performance, fabric design, and material culture as well as architecture, painting and sculpture. Visits to area museums form an integral part of the course.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective; Art Education Diversity Requirement
AH335
History of Photography
3 credits
Since the invention of photography in 1839, the various photo/optical media have dramatically transformed the ways we know the world. In particular, our notions of what is art have been profoundly altered by the camera. This course examines the characteristics of photographed experience primarily from the historical perspective, but also from the cultural, the critical, and the technological perspectives, for a broad understanding of the medium's past and present.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: History of Photography Requirement (Photography Students); Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective
AH337
Art in the Landscape
3 credits
This course examines the history of art in the landscape from prehistoric earth works to contemporary environmental art. It is a multi- and cross-disciplinary investigation that includes sculpture, architecture, archeology and agricultural practices. It includes garden design and philosophy focusing on European, Islamic, Chinese and Japanese gardens. Funerary monuments, shrines and outdoor mortuary complexes are included, as are portable shelters and other temporary (and permanent) structures from Africa and North America. The course questions the understanding of nature and of place that has informed the construction of landscapes and a changing definition of art. Visits to local sites and an exhibition of outdoor contemporary sculpture are part of the course.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective
AH338
Art and Architecture of Etruscans (Viterbo)
3 credits
This course is administered by the director of the Italy Program. This course provides an introduction to the art and architecture of the Etruscans. This class format is a combination of slide lectures and walking tours of extant art and monuments. Day trips to the town of Tarquinia, known for its archeological museum and its painted Etruscan tombs, and to the renowned Etruscan burial grounds of Cerveteri provides students with firsthand knowledge of the art and ritual practices of the fascinating culture. In Rome, walking tours of selected monuments and of the Etruscan collection of the Villa Giulia, demonstrate the impact on the Romans of Etruscan art and life.
Prerequisites: Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective.
AH350
Topics in Non-Western Art History
3 credits
This course provides an in-depth study of a geographic area, time period or topic in non-western art. Topics may include the study of art and architecture of the Near East, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, or specialized studies, such as Buddhist art. A particular subject may be chosen in order to utilize local collections or temporary exhibitions, such as those at the Peabody Essex Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Prerequisites: English Composition I and II, Art History I and II
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Liberal Arts Elective or Humanities Elective; Art Education Non-Western Requirement.
AH399
Topics in Art History
3 credits
This course provides an in-depth study of a time period or topic in Art History. The topic may be selected to take advantage of special exhibitions or events, to allow further exploration of a subject covered in a preliminary way in other courses, or to explore areas not sufficiently covered by the regular class rotation.
Prerequisites: Prerequisites will be developed in conjunction with the course description for each topic.
Fulfills: Art History Elective, Humanities Elective or Liberal Arts Elective
STRUCTURE/ REQUIREMENTS
Qualified students have a combined 3.0 GPA in all art history and Comp I and II courses, and no grade lower than C- in any one course. The earliest time to declare the Art History minor is the end of sophomore year. The declaration of the minor must be recorded by the Registrar no later than the end of the add/drop period, fall semester of senior year.
Art history minors take 9 credits beyond the 4 courses (12 credits) required of all BFA students, for a total of 21 credits in art history. In conjunction with one of the elective courses, the student minoring in art history is required to complete a research methods-based project, under the guidance of the instructor.
Two electives are drawn from at least two different time periods or cultures. The other two may be taken from any other of six categories: Ancient and Medieval; Renaissance and Baroque; 18th and 19th Century; 20th Century and Contemporary; Non-Western Art. General surveys include: History of Women and Art, Art in the Landscape, American Art (Colonial Period to 1945), History of Photography.
Sample Four Year Plan| Year I: | Art History I and II |
| Year II: | Art History elective or Art since '45 (for all FA and GD cons.) |
| Year III: | Art His elective or History of Photo (for all Photo majors) Art His elective |
| Year IV: | Art His elective with research methods based project |