Catalog 2008-2009

ART AND ART HISTORY DEPARTMENT

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts

Professor Thomas Noble Howe, PhD, Chair-Art History
Professor Victoria Star Varner, MFA, Chair-Studio Art
Professor Mary Hale Visser, MFA (Studio Art)
Professor Patrick B. Veerkamp, MFA (Studio Art)
Associate Professor Kimberly Smith, PhD, (Art History)
Assistant Professor Katherine M. Hooker, MSIS, (Art History)
Assistant Professor Diana Tenckhoff, PhD (Art History)
Assistant Professor Jonathan Faber, MFA (Studio Art) (part-time)
Assistant Professor Allison Young, MFA (Studio Art) (part-time)
Instructor Rowena W. Houghton Dasch, MA (Art History) (part-time)
Instructor Claire Ruud, MA (Art History) (part-time)
Instructor Ashley Schmiedekamp, MA (Art History) (part-time)

The Art and Art History Department offers courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Studio Art and in Art History, and minors in Studio Art, Art History, and Architecture and Design Studies. The Sarofim School of Fine Arts grants a number of scholarships to majors in studio art. These scholarships and awards are awarded after an audition or portfolio review by the prospective students with members of the Art and Art History Department faculty and can be scheduled through the secretary of the School of Fine Arts. For students who are Work Study eligible as part of their financial aid package, there are numerous jobs in the Art and Art History Department, including faculty assistants, slide library staff, and studio assistants. Students interested in these positions should inquire through the secretary of the School of Fine Arts.

Mission Statement of the Art and Art History Department

The mission of the Art and Art History Department is to provide students with a challenging, creative learning experience as part of a liberal arts education and as preparation for graduate study and professional work in studio art, art history and architecture and design. The learning experience is designed to emphasize the importance of aesthetic growth, artistic discipline, scholarly research, analytical writing and critical thinking. The program focuses on mastery of conventional skills (e.g., life drawing and modeling in the studio, knowledge of historical forms in architecture, theory and research methods in art history) and is intended to facilitate and encourage the discovery and production of significant ideas and images. As students advance, instruction in all fields becomes increasingly tutorial with a great deal of individual attention from instructors, thus providing for the development of individual excellence. Research or studio seminars and independent or collaborative work with faculty are the central experiences of the junior and senior years.

Goals of the Art and Art History Department

To offer a Bachelor of Arts program within a liberal arts context that provides students with the preparation necessary for graduate study and professional work in the fields of studio art, art history, and architecture and design;

To provide students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the diversity of art and cultures and through a global perspective, a diverse but focused curriculum and a variety of on- or off-campus and foreign study programs;

To contribute to the University’s general education program and the enrichment of the University community through the Fine Arts Gallery and Lecture Series;

To maintain and support an art faculty committed to their own and their students’ aesthetic and intellectual growth and development in the fields of studio art, art history, and architecture and design;

To continue to offer competitive scholarships for students majoring in studio art who will provide a definitive standard for other students regarding artistic and academic performance; and

To maintain an Art and Art History Department faculty whose artistic and scholarly influence reaches beyond Southwestern University.

Fine Arts Gallery and Lecture Program

The Art and Art History Department supports a teaching gallery that provides students the opportunity to view works of art on campus. The University presents some of the most talented, dedicated and passionate artists and scholars in their fields in the Art and Art History Department’s annual program of gallery exhibitions and lectures, studio critiques, master classes and workshops. Majors are required to attend certain public events and lectures.

All qualified art majors desiring to do a senior exhibition must secure a studio art faculty sponsor.

Program Opportunities

The Art and Art History Department offers opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the diversity of art and its global perspectives through other cultures via a number of the University’s off-campus programs. Majors and minors in Studio Art, Art History, and Architecture and Design Studies are also encouraged to take part in at least one of the University’s off-campus programs such as the summer or fall in London or an internship in New York in the junior or senior year. Through association with the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) semester in New York, Southwestern has regularly been able to place qualified students in internships in the studios and offices of some of the most prominent artists, architects, museums and galleries in New York. Students interested in the New York program are advised that a representative from the GLCA program visits our campus each year. Students wishing to talk with the GLCA representative about the program should contact Career Services. (For more information about the GLCA program, refer to the University catalog section on special academic programs.) Students are advised that a large number of the courses in such programs often have to count as University electives in their degree program. All foreign study programs in which a student expects to receive or transfer credit requires prior approval of the department chair.

Studio Art

The major in Studio Art is a pre-professional program in a liberal arts context and deals with art as an expressive medium; it intends that each student should acquire technical proficiency in a principal medium, knowledge of a variety of media processes as well as liberal arts breadth in critical and verbal skills. The program is a preparation both for students intending to apply to Master of Fine Arts programs and go on to professional work as artists; and for students who wish to acquire a liberal arts degree which can lead to work in a wide variety of fields in graduate school both inside and outside the world of art (such as art history, architecture, commercial art, design, arts administration, teaching art in elementary and secondary schools, etc.).

Students interested in graduate work in fields such as arts administration, arts conservation, or medical illustration should consider combining a major in art with a minor or second major in other fields such as business, chemistry, and biology, or developing an interdisciplinary “area of concentration.”

Entering students who are considering studio art as a major are required to take the beginning studios in ceramics, painting and sculpture in the course of their first three semesters, as well as start the drawing sequence with Drawing I. In order to finish within four years, students must decide upon their focus medium (ceramics, painting or sculpture) and take the first studio in that medium by the fall of their sophomore year.

In the visual arts it is important for the undergraduate studio art major to build a strong knowledge base over a wide variety of mediums, as well as become proficient in one medium. Students are encouraged to use their electives to develop skills in a number of media other than their focus medium. Students have the option of creating a “double focus” by using their department electives (e.g., sculpture and painting, ceramics and sculpture or painting and ceramics).

Upon invitation of the department, an honors project is available to students. An honors project requires at least six semester hours of Senior Research on one project starting spring junior year or fall senior year. Students who are interested in pursuing honors are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as adviser to the honors work. Honors are awarded on the basis of portfolio review and the vote of the studio art faculty. (Hours count as University electives.) See the section titled Honors Courses in the catalog for more information.

Architecture and Design

The Architecture and Design Studies program is a minor which allows students to explore aspects of the design professions and to prepare for graduate school applications in architecture (normally three and a half year Master of Architecture programs which many schools offer) or for graduate schools in several related fields (e.g. landscape architecture, urban planning, interior design, industrial design, etc.). Students major in some other field; numerous different liberal arts majors can enhance a design career, including almost any of the humanities, business, science, mathematics or studio art.

Art History

Art History is an academic liberal arts program that seeks to understand the significance of visual culture within specific cultural and historical contexts. The Art History major enables the student to develop visual literacy and to critically assess the complex meanings of material culture within diverse settings. To foster such understanding, Art History courses take a broadly contextual approach, situating art objects in relation to contemporaneous political and historical events; issues of race, gender, class and power structures; intellectual history and aesthetic criticism.

Students are asked to adopt this expansive historical and interpretive perspective in their own work. They become well-versed in the history of art in specific cultural contexts, and learn to analyze the visual and material attributes of art objects; conduct thorough historical research; think theoretically about the meaning of artistic production; develop critical and inventive arguments; and communicate their ideas clearly in both written and oral forms.

As a liberal arts program, the Art History major offers excellent preparation for any field benefited by critical thinking, broad cultural knowledge, and research and writing skills. It is an appropriate major for work in the visual arts, such as arts administration or museum professions, and also prepares students for application to MA and PhD programs in Art History as well as other academic disciplines. Students preparing for graduate work in Art History are encouraged to develop strong language skills in at least one foreign language, which is required for advanced primary and secondary art historical research.

The Art History program consists of six broad areas of study: Asian, Latin American, Pre-Modern (Ancient and Medieval), Early Modern (Renaissance and Baroque), Modern, and Design History. The area covered by a particular course is reflected by the course number: all 71-200 courses=Asian, 71- 300=Latin American (except for 71-301, 71-302, 71-303, 71-304, mid level special topics courses), 71- 400=Pre-Modern, 71-500=Early Modern, 71-600=Modern, and 71-700=Design History. The program is strongest in the areas of Modern and Asian art, and Art History majors are required to take at least one course in each of these areas. Majors are encouraged to take courses in each of the remaining areas of study. The Design History component of the program is closely tied to the Architecture and Design minor.

Upon invitation of the department, an honors project is available to students. An honors project requires at least six semester hours of Senior Research (71-98x) taken in the junior or senior year (starting, at the latest, fall of senior year). Those who are interested are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as adviser to the honors work and propose a topic. The project will have a committee of at least three faculty members, approved by the department, and honors are awarded upon the basis of the vote of the committee. Hours may not count towards the courses required for the major, and an honors project does not replace the seminar capstone requirement. It is possible to complete a 54 hour program in International Studies that pairs a major in Art History with an additional “Concentration” of four courses on either East Asia, Europe, or Latin America plus two courses at the 300 level or above in an appropriate language and a semester or longer study abroad experience. See the International Studies Program for further details.

Major in Studio Art: 30 semester hours, including Art 70-203; 70-403 or 413; 70-463 or 473; and 70-503 or 513 in the first three semesters; as soon as possible, 70-213 and one additional course from 70-403, 413, 463, 473, 503, 513; two semesters of studio seminar in the focus medium (offered once a year, and may be taken a third time as a University elective), creating a four-course sequence in one studio area; six additional hours of Studio Art electives.

Additional Requirements for the Studio Art major: (1) Minor in Art History: 18 semester hours, including Art History 71-103, 123; 71-623 or 633; nine additional hours of Art History above the introductory level (three of these hours may be in Studio Art). (2) Portfolio Review: graduating seniors must present a portfolio of their work for review by the sponsoring faculty member in the appropriate focus area. A slide portfolio and a resume are required and will be retained by the department for its permanent records. Works for the portfolio are usually produced in studio seminars in a student’s focus medium. (Capstone)

Minor in Studio Art: 18 semester hours, including Art 70-403 or 413; 70-463 or 473; 70-503 or 513; one additional course from 70-403, 413, 463, 473, 503, 513; six additional hours of Studio Art (three of these hours may be in Art History).

Minor in Architecture and Design Studies: 21 semester hours, including Art 69/70 703, 713, 723, 753, 763, Art History 71-703, 713. Students wishing to major in studio art and minor in architecture and design studies should take the courses with the 69- prefix rather than the 70- prefix.

Major in Art History: 36 semester hours, including Art History 71-103, 123, 803 (Capstone, to be taken junior or senior year); one course in Studio Art in any medium; one 200-level course (Asian); one 600-level course (Modern); 18 additional hours of Art History, 12 hours of which must be above the introductory level.

Minor in Art History: 18 semester hours, including Art History 71-103, 123; 12 additional semester hours of Art History above the introductory level (three of these hours may be in Studio Art).

See the Education Department for information regarding teacher certification in Art.

Architecture and Design Studies (ART)

69-703ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO I: INTRODUCTION TO DRAFTING AND PROGRAMMATIC DESIGN. See Art 70-703. (Fall) (FAP)
69-713ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO II: HISTORICAL DESIGN. Prerequisite: Art 69-703 or Art 70-703, or ability to draw plans, sections and elevations. See Art 70-713. (Spring, even years) (FAP)
69-723ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO III: MODERN STRUCTURES. Prerequisite: Art 69-703 or Art 70-703, or ability to draw plans and sections. See Art 70-723. (Spring, odd years) (FAP)
69-753DESIGN I. See Art 70-753. (Fall) (FAP)
69-763DESIGN II. Prerequisite: Art 69-753 or Art 70-753. See Art 70-763. (Spring) (FAP)
69-001, 002, 003, 004SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
69-301, 302, 303, 304SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
69-901, 902, 903, 904TUTORIAL.
69-941, 942, 943, 944ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP. Must be taken Pass/D/F.
69-951, 952, 953, 954INDEPENDENT STUDY.

Studio Art (ART)

70-203DRAWING I. A study of the nature of drawing as visual language with an emphasis upon descriptive rendering. (FAP)
70-213DRAWING II. Figure drawing with an emphasis on the enduring historical and aesthetic significance of figurative art. Models will be provided for the study of proportion, structure and articulation of the human body as well as the formal means toward expressive drawing. Non-figurative concepts will be studied through independent work. Various media. Prerequisite: Art 70-203. (Spring) (FAP)
70-223DRAWING III. A course in figure drawing and non-figurative contemporary drawing. The course is an extension of the figurative concepts introduced in Drawing II, with a greater emphasis on understanding the structure of the human body. Other related topics are covered and vary with the interests of the class members. Prerequisite: Art 70-213. May be repeated for university elective credit. (Fall)
70-323PRINTMAKING: INTAGLIO. A beginning study of fundamental techniques, history and theory of intaglio prints (etching, aquatint, soft ground, drypoint). Black and white and color. The assignments are designed to explore creative, technical and formal means toward expressive form. (Spring, odd years) (FAP)
70-333PRINTMAKING: LITHOGRAPHY. A beginning study of fundamental techniques, history and theory of lithographic prints. Black and white and color. The assignments are designed to explore creative, technical and formal means toward expressive form. (Spring, even years) (FAP)
70-403SCULPTURE: FIGURATIVE. A studio course that introduces the study of the methods, materials and tools of sculpture and general concepts of sculptural forms. A significant portion of this course is devoted to the study of figure structure via clay, wax, wood and/or stone. Students are expected to work toward innovation and extension of the figure as image. (Fall) (FAP)
70-413SCULPTURE: ABSTRACT. The study and manipulation of space, form and construction process available to the contemporary artist. Assignments emphasize an investigation of the expressive qualities of form in space. (Spring) (FAP)
70-423SCULPTURE: STUDIO SEMINAR. An examination and discussion of intersections of aesthetic, intellectual and societal issues in contemporary sculpture. Topics develop from the needs and interests of the students relevant to their own artwork. It is expected that the work produced in this course will constitute the portfolio required for the Portfolio Review for studio art majors. Prerequisites: Two courses from Art 70-403, 413, 603, 643, or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (Fall)
70-463CERAMICS: HAND-FORMING. A study of various forming methods used in the production of pottery with an emphasis on hand-building. Other topics include: ceramic materials and their use; low-fire and mid-range clay and glaze formulation; decorating techniques; studio procedures; a general survey of the history of pottery; theory; and criticism. (Spring) (FAP)
70-473CERAMICS: WHEEL-FORMING. A study of the various methods used in the production of pottery with an emphasis on wheel-forming techniques. Other topics include: decorating techniques; high-fire clay and glaze formulation; and the history, theory and criticism of pottery with an emphasis on the modern period (c. 1850-1970). (Fall) (FAP)
70-483CERAMICS: STUDIO SEMINAR. In this course, students are encouraged to pursue personal concepts and ideas directed toward the production of a cohesive body of work. In consultation with the instructor, students will develop individual research and creative projects and are expected to be able to work independently. The work produced in this studio will constitute the portfolio required for the BA Portfolio Review in Studio Art and serves as the capstone experience. Prerequisite: Art 70-463 and 473, or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (Spring)
70-493CERAMICS: RAKU. Various pottery forming techniques will be considered including basic hand-building and wheel-forming, firing the kiln, and simple glaze formulation. The aesthetic theory that informs this approach to making pottery will be discussed, and the history of raku will be covered. (Summer) (FAP) (IP)
70-503REPRESENTATIONAL PAINTING. A beginning studio course emphasizing the production of paintings that relate to the history and theory of art in various styles including realism and expressionism. This course takes an historical approach to materials and technique, traditional practices, as well as the use of representational ideas in contemporary art. Students are encouraged to find expressive forms. No previous experience required. (FAP)
70-513ABSTRACT PAINTING. A beginning studio course emphasizing the production of paintings that relate to the history and theory of art in various abstract styles. This course takes an historical approach to materials and technique, abstract painting practices, as well as the use of ideas in contemporary abstract art. Students are encouraged to find expressive forms suited to their best ideas. No previous experience required. (FAP)
70-523PAINTING: STUDIO SEMINAR. Primarily a studio class, the seminar provides an examination of recent developments in contemporary art, as they relate to intellectual, aesthetic and societal trends. Students are encouraged to develop a coherent body of paintings, drawings or prints which explore their own creative interests in current art issues. In consultation with the professor, research topics vary from semester to semester with the personal aesthetic interest of the student. Work produced for this course normally constitutes the material for the portfolio review capstone. Prerequisite: Art 70-503 and 513 or Art 70-323 and 333, or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (Fall)
70-603COMPUTER IMAGING. A studio art course that introduces the application and integration of three-dimensional modeling software that can be used to create and animate two- and three-dimensional forms. This course will use a variety of modeling software, including Adobe Photoshop, to create artworks. Students are expected to work toward innovation and expression of form in an animated or still image format. (FAP)
70-613FILM PHOTOGRAPHY. An introduction to the history, theory and basic processes of black and white film photography. Assignments emphasize the development of compositional and critical skills in producing an expressive image. Single Lens Reflex camera with manual aperture required. (FAP)
70-623DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY. A study of a variety of digital photographic techniques for both black and white and color. Assignments emphasize the development of compositional and critical skills in producing an expressive image. Technical skills covered include refinement of exposure, post-image capture processing, compression and image manipulation using Adobe Photoshop software and printing processes for the digital image. Digital single lens reflex camera required (see instructor for list of approved cameras). (FAP)
70-643COMPUTER ANIMATION. A studio art course that emphasizes artistic and aesthetic creativity in using computer animation and modeling techniques as a form of visual expression. The history and theory of animation, varieties of narrative, visual animated expressions and types of animation software will be covered. Students will be required to produce an original short piece of animation work informed by theoretical study and showing evidence of artistic skill in using 3D modeling software to communicate a visual statement. Students are expected to take their project through research and script revisions to storyboard stage and into production. Critiques will be conducted during the semester offering the opportunity to present ideas, project development and work-in-progress for critical examination. (Spring) (FAP)
70-703ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO I: INTRODUCTION TO DRAFTING AND PROGRAMMATIC DESIGN. Introduction to fundamentals of architectural drafting (drawing plans, sections, elevations, mechanical perspective, rendering) and principles of design (design to a program, formal systems). Material is presented in terms of one long and one or two short projects. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69-number. Also Art 69-703. (Fall) (FAP)
70-713ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO II: HISTORICAL DESIGN. Five or six short design projects in the formal vocabularies of Neo-Classicism, Baroque, Gothic, and early Modern. Prerequisite: Art 70-703 or ability to draw plans, sections and elevations. Studio II and Studio III can be taken in either order. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69-number. Also Art 69-713. (Spring, even years)
70-723ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO III: MODERN STRUCTURES. Empirical and intuitive introduction to construction and structures with four to six design projects in different media. Prerequisite: Art 70-703 or ability to draw plans and sections. Studio II and Studio III can be taken in either order. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69-number. Also Art 69-723. (Spring, odd years)
70-753DESIGN I. An introduction to the history, theory and practice of design. This course deals with the analysis of visual perception directed toward understanding the expressive nature of creative design. The objective of this course is to encourage visual awareness and to promote the development of various skills necessary to visualize personal design concepts. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Also Art 69-753. (Fall) (FAP)
70-763DESIGN II. Refinement and elaboration of the basic design concepts and skills presented in Design I. Professional standards for documentation and presentation will be stressed. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Prerequisite: Art 70-753. Also Art 69-763. (Spring, odd years) (FAP)
70-001, 002, 003, 004SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.
70-301, 302, 303, 304SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.
70-901, 902, 903, 904TUTORIAL. 70-941, 942, 943, 944 INTERNSHIP. Internships related to specific fields of study. Must be taken Pass/D/F.
70-951, 952, 953, 954INDEPENDENT STUDY IN STUDIO ART. May be repeated with a change of topic. At the invitation of the instructor.
70-983, 984, 985, 986HONORS/ SENIOR RESEARCH IN STUDIO ART. Intended for honors work. At least six semester hours of work over two semesters (beginning spring junior year or fall senior year) on a single project. At the invitation of the instructor and approval of the studio art faculty.

Art History (ARH)

71-103INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART: IMAGE, OBJECT, TEXT. The course offers a broad but selective look at art and artifacts made in various cultures and periods, particularly the Western world from antiquity onwards. The course will move chronologically through these eras, but will simultaneously address key themes in the history of art, including the power of the image, art as a means of political persuasion, religiosity and art, the appeal of the portrait, the relationship between text and image, and the question of the aesthetic as a separate realm of human endeavor. The course will also offer a basic introduction to some of the key methods used within the discipline to query its objects, including social history, feminist theory, formalism and semiotics. This course is open only to first years and sophomores. Juniors and seniors may register with the permission of the instructor. (FAL)
71-123INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART: ASIAN ART. An introductory survey of the arts of India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. Organized chronologically by country, the course also examines cross-cultural thematic issues, particularly Buddhism. It encompasses ancient India and the origins of Buddhist art and traces the expansion of Buddhist art and culture into Central and Southeast Asia. Chinese art from the Neolithic to the modern era, the rise of Buddhism in China, and Korea’s relationship with both China and Japan will be covered. Japanese art from the inception of Buddhism to the Meiji era is also included. Can be taken separately or in any order relative to the other introductory art history survey course. This course is open only to first years and sophomores. Juniors and seniors may register with the permission of the instructor. (FAL) (IP)
71-233HISTORY OF THE ART OF CHINA. A survey of Chinese art from the Neolithic period (ca. 6000-2000 BCE) through the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), focusing on all the visual arts, their cultural history and their political, social and religious contexts. Organized chronologically, the course encompasses art from the Neolithic through the Han dynasty created for the tombs; the arrival of Buddhism from India and its impact on architecture, sculpture and painting of the Six dynasties to the end of the Song dynasty; the political response to the foreign Mongol controlled Yuan dynasty; the resurgence of Chinese taste in the subsequent Ming Dynasty; and how the Chinese transformed their artistic tradition under the Manchu Qing Dynasty. (FAL) (IP)
71-243HISTORY OF THE ART OF JAPAN. A survey of Japanese art from the Jomon period (10,500-300 BCE) into the Edo period (1615–1868), focusing on all the visual arts, their cultural history and their political, social, religious contexts. Organized chronologically, the course traces the visual arts beginning with the earliest artistic traditions, and early Buddhist architecture, sculpture and painting from the Asuka and Nara period. The course also examines how Buddhism continued to play a dominant role in art of the Heian period with the rise of the sects of Esoteric and Pure Land Buddhism, the civil war and strife in the Kamakura period followed by the rise of Zen Buddhism, the introduction of Chinese style ink painting and a variety of artistic schools beginning with the Momoyam period that continued into the prosperous Edo period. (FAL) (IP)
71-253ANCIENT CHINESE ART AND CULTURE: NEOLITHIC THROUGH TANG. Ancient Chinese art and culture encompasses all the visual arts from the Neolithic Period (ca. 6000-2000 BCE) through the end of the Tang dynasty (61-907). Organized chronologically, the course encompasses ceramics and jades from the four main Neolithic cultures, the bronze and ceramic production of the Great Bronze Age and the Qin dynasty. The course also addresses art from the Han dynasty (ceramic vessels and tomb figurines) as well as metalworking, painting, sculpture and tombs in the Six dynasties and Tang dynasty. Buddhist architecture, painting and sculpture of the Six dynasties and Tang, such as the cave Temples at Dunhuang, Yungang, and Longmen, are also included. (FAL)
71-263CHINESE PAINTING: THE COURT, POLITICS AND THE LITERATI. Encompasses Chinese painting from the Neolithic period (ca. 5000 BCE) and ending with the rise of the literati tradition in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Organized chronologically, the course addresses the major subjects and themes in Chinese painting taking into account the artists’ involvement in political, religious and literary discourse. The impact of Confucianism and Daoism on the art of the Zhou and Han dynasties is addressed. Starting in the Six dynasties and the Tang dynasty, the course focuses on achievement in court painting, including figure, landscape, and bird and flower painting, art theory and other trends. Buddhist figure and landscape painting at the cave site of Dunhuang is examined. Tracing the rise of ink monochrome painting into the Five dynasties and Northern Song dynasty, the course also explores court painting and the flowering of Chan Buddhist painting in the Southern Song. The political and intellectual reaction of Chinese painters in the early Yuan dynasty under Mongol control and the rise of the literati tradition are also addressed. (FAL) (IP)
71-273CHINESE PAINTING: PERSONAL EXPRESSION, ORTHODOXY AND ECCENTRICITY. Encompasses Chinese painting from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) through 17th and 18th centuries of the Qing dynasty. Includes a consideration of the rise of the literati tradition and how it evolved in the Yuan under Mongol control. Organized chronologically, the course examines the contributions of Zhao Mengfu and how his circle impacted the middle and late Yuan, as well as the Four Late Yuan masters, and other Yuan dynasty painting trends. Starting in the Ming dynasty, the course focuses on the Zhe and Wu Schools as well as the achievements of professional painters. Dong Qichang’s innovations in theory and painting are also considered, as are the reactions and responses of the Orthodox, Individualists, and Eccentrics painters in the subsequent Qing dynasty. The course includes a consideration of the Four Anhui Masters and the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. (FAL) (IP)
71-313PRE-COLUMBIAN ART. Examines the artistic traditions and cultural history of ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras) from BC 1500 to AD 1600. (FAL) (IP) 71-393 MODERN LATIN AMERICAN ART. This course addresses major topics in the history of Latin American art from 1821 to the present. (FAL)
71-443HELLENISTIC ART A survey of the expansion of the expressive range of Greek “classical” art (fifth and fourth centuries B.C.) and its dispersion throughout the cosmopolitan Mediterranean of the Hellenistic period (c. 330-30 B.C.). It focuses especially on the process by which the social elite and artistic professionals of the Late Roman Republic and early Empire (c. 300 B.C.-c. A.D. 79) created Imperial Roman art by adaptive synthetic borrowing from foreign (largely Greek) sources. The course will involve considerable study of cultural context and analysis of the power structure and intentionalities of the elites and professionals who shaped the new artistic formulae. The course uses extensive readings in ancient history and original ancient texts (in translation). In art, the period features the growth of art criticism, collecting, quotation, and deliberate eclecticism. The texts will introduce some of the most fundamental issues of art practice and art criticism. Also Classics 07-353. (FAL)
71-543ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART. An in-depth survey of Italian art and culture from the beginning of the 14th century to the end of the 16th century. (FAL)
71-553BAROQUE ART. A survey of European art and its cultural and intellectual context from c. 1600 to the mid 18th century. (FAL)
71-613REVOLUTION, ROMANTICISM, REALISM. Encompasses the visual arts produced in Europe and the United States between 1780 and 1860. Includes a consideration of David and Neo-Classicism; Romanticism in England, Germany, and France; native and colonial American art; and international Realism. Organized according to chronological development in the history of 19th century art, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the relationship between revolution and art, the representation of femininity and masculinity, the tensions between Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies, the connections between imperialism and art, and the coincident rise of modernism and high capitalism. (Fall, evennumbered years) (FAL)
71-623MODERNISM AND MODERNITY. Encompasses the visual arts produced primarily in Europe and the United States between 1860 and 1945. Includes a consideration of urban planning in Paris, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, worlds’ fairs, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Expressionism, the Russian Constructivists, Bauhaus, Dada, Surrealism and the muralist movement. Organized according to chronological developments in the history of modernism and the avantgarde, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the critiques enacted by modern art of technology and the city; primitivism and the avant-garde; the role of philosophy and theosophy in painting; the practical and theoretical exclusion of the decorative, feminine and commercial from the realm of fine art; and the importance of political programs to the avant-garde. (Spring, odd-numbered years) (FAL)
71-633ART SINCE 1945. Encompasses the visual arts produced primarily in Europe and the United States between 1945 and the present. Includes a consideration of modernism and Abstract Expressionism, art informel, Post-painterly abstraction, Pop art, Happenings and performance art, environmental art, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Arte Povera, feminist art, Neo-Expressionism, issue-based art and post-modernism. Organized according to chronological developments in the history of post-1945 art, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the development of modernist aesthetics and criticism; critiques of difference based on race, class, or gender; the body and art; the role of popular culture in contemporary art; the relationship between politics and representation; and the notion of originality. (Fall, odd-numbered years) (FAL)
71-643GENDER AND ART. A study of the ways in which gender and sexuality are intricately involved in the making, reception and criticism of art. Includes a consideration of how the art historical canon is generated, often excluding female producers of art, and an examination of the ways in which art represents both femininity and masculinity. The course will consistently investigate the experience of gendered subjectivities, asking what it means to be called, and to call oneself, a woman or a man. This course will include an analysis of the intricate mechanisms informing the construction of gender identities, the history of sexuality, and how these theories can aid in better understanding both representation and production in the visual arts. Also Feminist Studies 04-413. (FAL)
71-653HISTORY AND THEORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY. A study of photography from its inception in the mid-19th century to the present. The course will provide an overview of major figures and movements in photography organized both chronologically and thematically. Close attention will be paid to fundamental theoretical issues relevant to the practice and interpretation of photography, such as the tension between photography as art and as document; photography and the notion of the “real;” gender and photography; photography’s relationship to death; the photographer as explorer; the political uses of photography; and photography and post-modernism. (FAL)
71-663THE LANDSCAPE: REPRESENTING “NATURE.” This course will consider different ways in which European and American culture has represented the natural environment. Areas to be addressed include the history of landscape painting, landscape architecture, urban planning and park development, gender and the landscape, nature photography, and the relationship between landscape and power. Also Environmental Studies 49-423. (FAL)
71-703WORLD ARCHITECTURE: A COMPARATIVE CULTURAL HISTORY A survey of several major architectural traditions from prehistory to the present (including prehistory and tribal, Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China and Japan, Pre-Columbian America, Bronze Age Mediterranean, Greece, Rome, Early Christian and Byzantine, Islam, European Medieval, European Renaissance/Baroque and Euro-American Modern). The survey spends about one week on each “culture” and (as far as evidence permits) presents the same sequence of material and questions, starting from consideration of the physical environment and spatial activities of different cultures, and proceeding to cultural concepts (religion, social power) to pragmatic and expressive aspects of their architecture. Each presentation follows the sequence: topography; chronology; social structure and power structure; economic activities; belief structure and rituals; technology and building techniques; building ornaments; and finally, building types, proceeding from urbanism and utilitarian to the most ornate and expressive monuments of that culture. The course terminates by looking at European Baroque/Renaissance and Euro-American Modernism within the same framework as the others. The course also imparts technical vocabulary and basic appreciation of structures. Also Classics 07-363. (FAL)
71-713MODERN ARCHITECTURE This is a survey of Western (Euro-American) architecture, and its cultural, intellectual and technical context, from c. 1750 through the present. It is presented as a recurring crisis in the search for aesthetic and cultural formal systems in the context of a culture committed to dynamic self transformation. Material considers the context of social history, intellectual history, and history of technology. It is also an introduction to issues of architectural theory and the history of the modern architectural profession. (FAL)
71-803SEMINAR IN SPECIAL PROBLEMS. A research seminar in various topics. Primarily for majors but open to non-majors who fulfill prerequisites. Prerequisites: Art 71-103 and six additional hours of art history or permission of instructor. Open to juniors or seniors only. May be repeated with change of topic. (Every semester, with different topics.)
71-001, 002, 003, 004SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.
71-301, 302, 303, 304SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.
71-901, 902, 903, 904TUTORIAL.
71-941, 942, 943, 944INTERNSHIP. Internships related to specific fields of study. Must be taken Pass/D/F.
71-951, 952, 953, 954INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ART HISTORY. May be repeated with a change of topic. At the invitation of the instructor.
71-983, 984, 985SENIOR HONORS RESEARCH IN ART HISTORY. At least six hours of work over two semesters (beginning spring junior year or fall senior year) on a single project. At the invitation of the instructor and approval of the art history faculty.