Art History
| All Art History courses apply toward fulfillment of the College Area Requirement in Humanities |
A painting, sculpture, or building is a monument surviving from the past, bearing the imprint of its creator and its time. The discipline of art history seeks to order and interpret these monuments; to discover their special characteristics and the value of the age in which they were created. For example, the work of Van Gogh would be examined in terms of his place in the Post-Impressionist generation of artists and his life in a period of religious revivals. The discipline defines the cultural currents of a period, and provides a context for understanding, appreciating, and enjoying art.
The Department provides students with the skills and perspectives of the liberal arts: to think clearly, write well, and find, analyze, evaluate, and present facts and ideas. It also provides students with a broad, humanistic background, an advantageous resource among disciplines such as law, business, and medicine. Students often combine art history with a major in one of these respective areas.
The major soundly prepares students for graduate study. Professional careers in art history, including teaching (most often at the college level), museum work, and work in the art market usually require additional study at the graduate level.
Approximately 100 students major in art history at any given time. Some introductory lecture courses are large; however, many courses are taught as seminars, with enrollment limited to 12 students. The lecture courses are usually survey courses (e.g., Baroque Art in Europe; Buddhist Art from India to Japan; Modern Art); the seminars usually focus on one or two artists (e.g., Michelangelo or Bosch and Bruegel), or on broad topics (film, aestheticism, feminist theory). The Department offers over 30 courses, so a wide range of choices is available. Independent study options exist, and some majors take several courses in studio art as well. Students are also encouraged to take courses in architectural history offered by the School of Architecture.
First-year students may enroll in any course at the 100 or 200 level. However, students who have not previously studied art history would benefit by enrolling in ARTH 101 in the fall and ARTH 102 in the spring. These courses are the visual equivalent of a history course in Western Civilization and are designed for students who want to learn to look at, talk about, and understand art and architecture in museums and of the world around them.
Courses that are most appropriate for first-year students include:
- ARTH 101 History of Art, I
- ARTH 102, History of Art, II
- ARTH 213 Greek Art
- ARTH 268 Art Since 1945
Please see the Department’s homepage for detailed course descriptions. While prospective majors do not have to enroll in specific courses, courses must be selected from required areas. Prospective majors are invited to contact the Director of the Undergraduate Program.