Art History

Chair: R. Tripp Evans
Department home page: http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/Acad/Art/

The Department of Art and Art History is composed of two interdependent major programs: studio art and art history. Students majoring in each of these programs fulfill coursework in both sides of the department, and some declare double majors in both studio art and art history.

The art history program at Wheaton examines the artistic traditions of all periods and places, as well as the full spectrum of visual media. While our curriculum is particularly strong in the history of architecture, printmaking and painting, it also encompasses the history of sculpture, photography, decorative arts, graphic media and many aspects of material and performative culture. To develop and sharpen students' visual literacy, we emphasize close, object-based study in our own collection and in local museums, and encourage specialized research in areas of the student's choice.

Because our approach is founded upon the intersection between art history and social history, we encourage the practice of a politically responsible art history--one that weighs and interprets the stories these works tell concerning their cultures of origin, and that considers the works' meanings within the contemporary world. Our program's emphasis upon critical thinking and its strong commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry prepares students for a variety of specialized professions, including architecture, museum and gallery work, conservation/preservation, graduate work in art and architectural history, teaching, law and business.

Major

Print a major planning worksheet

The art history major consists of at least 12 semester courses, including:

Arth 401 Seminar

Arts of the Western Tradition, Arth 111/Arth 211, taught in the fall, and Arts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Arth 112, taught in the spring. It is highly recommended that these courses be taken in sequence (Arth 111 or Arth 211, followed by Arth 112).

Any student who has already taken our former survey course, Great Works I and Great Works II, may substitute these courses for Arth 111 and Arth 112; if you have taken only one of the Great Works courses, you may substitute this course for Arth 111 but not for Arth 112.

Two semester courses in Studio Art:

One must be either Two-Dimensional Design Arts 111, Three-Dimensional Design Arts 112 or Drawing I Arts 116.

The other may be any 100- or 200-level Studio Art course. Any 100-level Studio Art course must be taken before the senior year.

Seven additional courses.

Majors must take at least one semester course from each of the following five groups, and two semester courses from the non-Western category:

Ancient Art

One of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 255 Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture
Arth 273 Greek Art and Architecture
Arth 274 Visualizing Ancient Rome
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture

Medieval Art

One of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 231 Italian Medieval Art and Culture
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture
Arth 352 Early Medieval Art and Culture
Arth 353 Castles and Cathedrals

Early Modern Art (1400-1700)

One of the following:
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 208 or Arth 308 Print Cultures in Early Modern and Modern Japan
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 232 Art and Architecture of the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy
Arth 241 Northern Renaissance Painting 1400-1550
Arth 270 The Art of the Print

Modern Art (1700-1900)

One of the followling:
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 208 or Arth 308 Print Cultures in Early Modern and Modern Japan
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 260 American Art and Architecture: Colonial to 1865
Arth 270 The Art of the Print
Arth 275 Arts in an Age of Revolution: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism
Arth 276 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan

Contemporary Art (1900-present)

One of the following:
Arth 263 African American Art
Arth 312 Contemporary African Arts
Arth 314 Modern Architecture
Arth 317 Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan
Arth 360 American Art and Architecture: 1865-1945

Non-Western Art

One of the following:
Arth 105 Art in East Asia I
Arth 106 Art in East Asia II
Arth 212 African Visual Cultures
Arth 208 or Arth 308 Print Cultures in Early Modern and Modern Japan
Arth 221 Arts of India
Arth 223 Islamic Art
Arth 224 Chinese Art and Culture
Arth 225 Status, Gender and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture
Arth 255 Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture
Arth 256 Native North American Arts and Culture
Arth 288 Buddhist Art and Architecture
Arth 312 Contemporary African Arts
Arth 333 Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan

Museum Studies

One of the following:
Arth 230 Introduction to Museum Studies
Arth 334 Exhibiting Africa: Past & Present
Arth 398 Exhibition Design

Note: Students who declare an Art History major after the academic year 2008-2009 will be required to take one course in Museum Studies, as well as one course in Non-Western Art, in addition to Arth 112, Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Students who declare an Art History major in the academic year 2008-2009 may choose to take either one course in Museum Studies and one course in Non-Western Art in addition to Arth 112, Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas OR two courses in Non-Western Art, in addition to Arth 112, Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

For the major, the college requires at least three courses at the 300 level or above.

Students may elect up to 16 credits in art. It is urged that students take a course in European history prior to 1800. Students who plan to do graduate work in art history are strongly advised to develop a reading knowledge of German and French. Italian may sometimes be substituted.

Minor

Print a minor planning worksheet

A minor in art history consists of (Arth 111 or Arth 211) and Arth 112. Any student who has already taken our former survey course, Great Works I and Great Works II, may substitute these courses for Arth 111 and Arth 112; if you have taken only one of the Great Works courses, you may substitute this course for Arth 111 but not for Arth 112.

Three additional courses, at least one of which must be at the 300 level. The minor is designed to provide a cohesive chronological survey of art history, augmented by in-depth study of three areas in which the student has a particular interest. Studio art majors may minor in art history by taking three additional art history courses beyond the three required for the studio major (for a total of six).

Courses

105. Art in East Asia I

The course examines the art and architecture of China, Japan and Korea. Lectures will survey East Asian art chronologically and thematically, beginning with Neolithic ceramics, and ending with developments in Buddhist and secular art and architecture in the 9th and 10th centuries. We will be concerned throughout with issues pertinent to the wider study of visual and material culture, including the interpretation of meaning from objects and images; the relationship between archaeology and modern nationalism; cultural interconnections and the diversity of individual cultural traditions; reflections of social stratification in material culture; issues of style and artistic intent; and the interplay between literary, visual and performative artistic production.
(Sean McPherson)

106. Art in East Asia II

The course examines the art and architecture of China, the Japanese archipelago and the Korean peninsula. Lectures will survey East Asian art chronologically and thematically, from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in China, the Heian Period (794-185) in Japan, and the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) in Korea, through recent developments. We will examine both canonical works of art and architecture, as well as popular visual culture and "folk" art production. We will be concerned throughout with issues pertinent to the broader study of visual and material culture, including the meaning(s) expressed by or derived from objects and images; transnational influences and cultural hybridity in art production; the artistic contributions of regional and ethnic minorities and women; material and visual culture as a reflection of and legitimation for social stratification; art as a forum for social protest and change; issues of style and artistic intent; the interplay between material, visual and performative art forms; and the relationship between art and cultural identity.
(Sean McPherson)

111. Arts of the Western Tradition

This is an introductory course designed for students who seek a survey of Western art and architecture and an understanding of critical approaches to visual culture. This course covers the entire Western visual culture from prehistoric to 20th-century productions and approaches them from interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical perspectives. Lectures focus upon a set of 40 works chosen as paradigms of their particular period, style, or regional school. In addition, students will be exposed to a number of supplemental works within each lecture that will deepen their understanding of the primary works under discussion. Students will be trained to place works of art and architecture within their historical contexts, while also developing a critical vocabulary and familiarity with a variety of interpretive discourses.
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming, Evelyn Ruth Staudinger, Leah Niederstadt)

Connections:
Conx 23008 Italian Culture, Language and Society
Conx 20047 Molecules to Masterpieces
Conx 20025 The Math in Art and the Art of Math

112. Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas

The second half of the required introductory survey of world visual culture for the Art History major examines the art and architecture of Africa, Asia and the Americas. This interdisciplinary introduction to the discipline examines not only diverse objects and images, but also multiple approaches to understanding visual culture. Each lecture focuses upon a particular object, image or site paradigmatic of a particular period, style, regional school or cultural connection. In addition, students will be exposed to a number of supplemental works within each lecture that will deepen their understanding of the primary works under discussion. Students will be trained to place works of art and architecture within their historical contexts, while also developing a critical vocabulary and familiarity with a variety of interpretive discourses.
(Sean McPherson, R. Tripp Evans, Kim Miller, Leah Niederstadt)

198. Experimental Courses

208/308. Print Cultures in Early Modern and Modern Japan

Development of the woodblock prints in Japan from the Edo period (1615-1868) through the 20th century. We examine the technical, thematic and stylistic development of woodblock prints, the work of individual print designers and schools, the role of prints as reflection of and stimulus for the Edo period "Floating World" of urban popular culture, and the thematic, technical and other changes generated by wartime propaganda prints, and the New Print and Creative Print movements of the 20th century. Attention to issues of censorship, collaborative artistic production, representation of gender, sexuality and social status, and dilemmas of cultural identity and modernity. (Previously Arth 218)
(Sean McPherson)

Connections:
Conx 20072 Performativity and Visuality in Japanese Theatre

211. Arts of the Western Tradition (Enhanced)

Arts of the Western Tradition provides an in-depth examination of Western visual culture from prehistoric to 20th-century productions and approaches them from interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical perspectives. Arth 211 is designed for students seeking greater academic challenge in the field of art history than is available in the standard introductory Arth 111 course (see above). Students will approach the material on several levels: through lecture classes held jointly with Arth 111; through a 90-minute weekly discussion section based on a seminar model and including student-led discussions and seminal readings in the field, and through a spring trip to New York City led by both faculty and students, and intended to emphasize the significance of the study of original works of art and architecture. Because of the advanced nature of this course, an additional half credit is offered.
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming, Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

Connections:
Conx 23008 Italian Culture, Language and Society
Conx 20047 Molecules to Masterpieces
Conx 20025 The Math in Art and the Art of Math

212. African Visual Cultures

This course provides an introduction to the rich, diverse and inspiring world of African art. We will examine the varied ways that African art has shaped and been shaped by the histories and cultural values of different African peoples, both in the past and during the present day. This course will strengthen the student's ability to critically assess the role of art in Africa for the people who produce and use it, and will provide an understanding of the role of African art in the West for the people who collect, exhibit, view and study it. Topics of study will include social, political, religious, philosophical, gendered and aesthetic practices.
(Kim Miller)

Connections:
Conx 23001 African Worlds

221. Arts of India

This course surveys the development of Indian art from the Indus Valley civilization to the present, studied against the background of India's cultural history and religious faiths. Art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Islamic.
(Sean McPherson)

223. Islamic Art

The development of Islamic art throughout the Near East, Persia, Iran, North Africa and Spain. Special attention to architectural monuments and painting.

224. Chinese Art and Culture

Thematic, interdisciplinary exploration of selected art and architectural developments in China from Neolithic through modern times. Attention to issues relevant to study of material and visual culture, including the interpretation of meaning from objects and images; the relationship between archaeology and modern nationalism; cultural interconnections and the hybridity of "native" cultural traditions; social stratification in the production and reception of material culture; discourses of aesthetic cultural values; the interplay of literary, visual and material cultural production.
(Sean McPherson)

225. Status, Gender and Identity in Japanese Visual Culture

Survey of selected aspects of Japanese art and architecture from Neolithic through recent times. Particular attention to issues of gender, cultural identity and social status in the production and reception of art and architecture. Exploration of transnational and intercultural sources of Japanese visual culture. Our inclusive exploration of Japanese art and architecture will address fundamental questions about when, how and why particular images and monuments have come to be considered part of a canon of "great works" in the discipline of Japanese art history.
(Sean McPherson)

230. Introduction to Museum Studies

This course introduces students to museum history and practice and to theoretical issues in museum studies. Students will explore the ways in which museums and like institutions represent people and cultures and will consider their missions, organizational structure and architecture, their role in the community and the contemporary challenges faced by museum practitioners.
(Leah Niederstadt)

231. Italian Medieval Art and Culture

Italian medieval art is very different from that of the rest of Europe, because it clings to a classicism inherited from its Roman past, augmented by frequent borrowings from Byzantium. The course concentrates on the art of Italy from the time Constantine made Rome a "Christian" capital until the time of Giotto, with particular attention to the ecclesiastical and social structures peculiar to Italy that shaped its art in a distinct way.
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

232. Art and Architecture of the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy

This course introduces students to the art of the early Renaissance in Italy, with special attention paid to Florence. Issues such as technique, style, iconography, patronage, historical context and art theory are discussed in detail.

241. Northern Renaissance Painting 1400-1550

The effects of secular patronage on late Gothic painting in France and Flanders (Pucelle, the Limbourg brothers), followed by a thorough analysis of the realistic and mystical currents in northern culture and painting from Jan van Eyck to Hieronymus Bosch; a study of the spread of the Flemish style to Germany and France and the impact of humanism (Dürer, Grünewald, Brueghel).
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

242. Patronage and the Artist in Early-Modern Italy

This course will explore the relationship between various patrons and artists in Italy from circa 1400 until circa 1650. The class examines the influence held by patrons such as churches, monasteries and court rulers on art production and, in turn, how artists affected patrons' taste. In addition, the course addresses issues of gender and politics to understand the process of art production and art reception in early-modern Italy.
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming)

255. Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture

A historical and cultural examination of the architecture, sculpture and allied arts of the ancient Andes and Mesoamerica. Spanning the first millennium B.C.E. to the time of the Spanish Conquest, this course considers the role of the arts in the establishment and maintenance of pre-Columbian political/religious authority.
(R. Tripp Evans)

256. Native North American Arts and Culture

An introduction to the art, architecture and allied arts of native North American peoples. Students will consider cultural periods from the prehistoric to the present and regions from the Eastern Woodlands to the Pacific Northwest, with special emphasis placed upon artistic production following European contact. Required museological study involving local collections.
(R. Tripp Evans)

260. American Art and Architecture: Colonial to 1865

An examination of the visual arts in North America from the 17th century to the era of the Civil War, considering their role in the formation of national identity. In addition to class readings and lectures, students will study original works and extant structures in Boston, Providence and Newport.
(R. Tripp Evans)

263. African American Art

This course explores the contribution of African American artists to the visual culture of the United States, from the work of 18th- and 19th-century enslaved and free blacks to the production of contemporary African American artists. Students examine the various strategies that African American artists have used to establish an independent artistic identity and to provide a political voice for their audiences.
(R. Tripp Evans)

Connections:
Conx 23010 Black Aesthetics

270. The Art of the Print

The development of woodcut, engraving, etching, lithography, etc., from the 15th century to the present. Special attention to the work of Dürer, Rembrandt, Daumier, Whistler and Cassatt. Religious, social and/or political aspects of their work also considered. Print collections at Wheaton and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will be highlighted. This course culminates in the organization and mounting of an exhibition of prints drawn from Wheaton's collection of 1,000 impressions.
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

Connections:
Conx 20020 The Art of the Print

273. Greek Art and Architecture

An investigation of the art and architecture of the Greek world from the Aegean Bronze Age cultures to the Hellenistic period. Taught chronologically, but from a sociocultural perspective, particular attention is paid to the role and representation of gender in Greek society.
(Department)

274. Visualizing Ancient Rome

After a brief consideration of Etruscan art, the course concentrates on Roman art and architecture with particular emphasis on the cultural role played by visual art in Roman society. Etruscan and Roman holdings in the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Wheaton Collection are spotlighted.
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

275. Arts in an Age of Revolution: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism

A survey of European painting and sculpture from the eve of the French Revolution to the mid-19th century. Emphasis on concurrent developments in France, England and Germany, with Italy and Spain also considered. Works of art examined in terms of style, content and theory and in relation to the social and political context.
(Department)

276. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

An examination of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting in France. Works of art considered in terms of style, theory, content and social context (e.g., the transformation of Paris in the Second Empire). Emphasis on painting, although sculpture and the decorative arts are included as time permits.
(Department)

288. Buddhist Art and Architecture

Buddhist art, architecture and ritual have reflected and forged connections among the linguistically and culturally diverse societies of South, Central and East Asia. This course examines changes and continuities in Buddhist art and architecture from developments after the death of the historical Buddha in the 5th century B.C.E. through modern times.

Our historically and culturally structured examination of Buddhist material and visual culture will be informed throughout with thematic questions. What do material, visual and ritual culture contribute to the religious experience? How can we reconcile Buddhism's doctrinal rejection of material and visual reality with its rich artistic legacy? To what extent can we understand devotional objects as "art"? How have secular and religious agendas intersected in the spread of Buddhism? How has Buddhist art, architecture and ritual accommodated itself to widely differing cultural and historical contexts? How have the iconography and aesthetic of Buddhist art both reflected and influenced prevailing notions of social status, gender and sexuality?
(Sean McPherson)

298. Experimental Courses

The Construction of Early Modern Gender

By looking at visual production linked to virility, courtly love, marriage, homo-sociality and power, this course studies the connections between natural philosophy, humanist ideals, and social status in early modern Italy and France. The students will look at the sexualization of power and its visual expression, the idea of gender in a highly regulated social system and the impact of women, marriage and birth on domestic material culture.

(Touba Ghadessi Fleming)

Postwar and Contemporary Art: 1945-2000

This course surveys the diversity of art making since 1945 using a thematic approach. We study postwar modernism (Abstract Expressionism, Art Informel, Neo-Dada and Minimalism) in conjunction with more recent work that challenges its discourses. By focusing on selected concepts (body, identity, activism, narrative, historical memory, e.g.) we consider critical and creative relationships across periods, cultures and media (painting and sculpture, photography, performance, installation, film and video). Analysis of individual works, museum/gallery visits, screenings, and writings by artists and critics form the basis of the course.

(Ellen McBreen)

Art of the Avant-Gardes, 1900-1945

This course examines the artistic avant-gardes during the first half of the 20th century. We study individual artists and their associated movements (Cubism, Constructivism, Dada, Surrealism, e.g.) through select themes: the influence of mass culture, non-western arts and new forms of technology; representations of sexual and racial identity; and the relationship between art, nationalism, war and revolution. Critical analysis of individual works of art and primary texts, especially those by artists, forms the basis of the course.

(Ellen McBreen)

208/308. Print Cultures in Early Modern and Modern Japan

Connections:
Conx 20072 Performativity and Visuality in Japanese Theatre

311. Anatomies 1400-1600: Sexual, Forbidden and Monstrous

This course will look at the ways in which the body was understood and visualized in the early-modern period. Focusing mostly on France and Italy, the class will address topics such as: the perceived imperfections of the female body; the mystery held by reproductive organs and their function; the theological and physical challenges posed by human dissections; the production of illustrated anatomical treatises; the implication of artists and anatomists in exploring monstrous bodies; and the intellectual and physical fascination with hermaphrodites.
(Touba Ghadessi Fleming)

312. Contemporary African Arts

This course will explore contemporary African art and the discourses that frame its production, reception and history. Issues considered include authenticity, tradition, modernity, nationality and African diasporic art. We will also examine the complex relationship of African art to colonialism, European art and its discourses, and the influence of globalization and popular culture. We will focus on several artists or artistic traditions as case studies, including the art scene in Dakar (Senegal); artistic production in post-Apartheid South Africa; and the revival of "traditional" forms through studio art markets. We will also explore the collection and display of contemporary African art. Readings include debates over the nature of representation in the postcolonial world, critiques of the place of African art in the symbolic and monetary economies of the Western metropolis, African feminism as expressed in the arts, and studies of the new contexts of so-called ethnographic objects.

Students are not expected to have prior knowledge of African art, but some background in either Africana studies (theoretical discourses) or art history (historical and stylistic traditions) is recommended. The emphasis in this course will be on honing visual observational skills as well as techniques of theoretical analysis.
(Kim Miller)

Connections:
Conx 23001 African Worlds

314. Modern Architecture

A study of architectural evolution in the West from the French Revolution to the present, in light of technological, political and social developments. Particular attention focused on avant-garde movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries.
(R. Tripp Evans)

317. Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism

A study of major developments in art during the first half of the 20th century: Cubism and related styles in France (Picasso, Braque, Sonia and Robert Delaunay); Expressionism in Germany (Kirchner, Marc, Kandinsky, Münter, Kollwitz); the international Dada and Surrealist movements (Duchamp, Miró, Dalí). Works of art considered in terms of style, content, theory and in relation to their social and political context.
(Department)

333. Architecture and Identity in Modern Japan

Development of modern architecture in Japan from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) through recent decades. Chronological coverage of major stylistic, structural and spatial changes, supplemented by attention to thematic concerns such as the relationship between cultural identity, architectural form, and modernity; the influence of discourses of "traditional" Japanese architecture upon modern movements in Japan and the West; the dialectic between "native" and "foreign" forms and design philosophies; the influence of social status, gender and colonialism upon architectural design and consumption; competing pressures of urbanization and preservation; issues of cultural "authenticity" in the context of global, transnational cultures.
(Sean McPherson)

334. Exhibiting Africa: Past & Present

This course explores the ways in which Africa and its animals, peoples and material culture have been represented by museums. We will study how economic, political and social change influence the collection and display of Africa and Africans and how debates over cultural heritage and repatriation apply to the African continent.
(Leah Niederstadt)

336. Sex and Death in Early Modern Venice

This course, organized thematically, offers a critical look into the complexities of ritual, space and spectatorship in early modern Venice. Investigations of visual culture are framed by issues of gender, race and other identity categories.

352. Early Medieval Art and Culture

The transformation of late antique art and architecture to suit the needs of Christian cultures in the Greek East and Latin West, from the early paintings in catacombs to the year 1000.
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

353. Castles and Cathedrals

The art of the Western medieval world from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Special attention paid to the Romanesque monastic pilgrimage sites, their architecture and decorations; to the castles of northern Europe, their construction and design; and to the great cathedrals of Gothic France, their architecture, sculpture and stained glass. Social, political and economic factors involved in the production of this art are stressed.
(Evelyn Ruth Staudinger)

Connections:
Conx 20029 Living Architecture

360. American Art and Architecture: 1865-1945

Between the Civil War and World War II, American art and architecture demonstrated an unprecedented sense of confidence. Examining the roles of empire building, commerce and the rise of urban culture, this course will chart the development of American art from the American Renaissance to the triumph of the midcentury New York School.
(R. Tripp Evans)

370. Women at Work: Art History and Feminism

This course considers the ways feminist scholarship has transformed the discipline of art history, examining the rediscovery of exceptional women artists from the 1970s onward, as well as recent feminist critics' efforts to redefine the structure of the field. Students examine two overlapping categories of work; the production of women artists and patrons, and the textual contributions of feminist scholars and critics. The rationale for this new course is to strengthen the department's ties to women's studies and to broaden the theoretical focus of the art history major.
(R. Tripp Evans)

398. Experimental Courses

Museum Controversies

What do a bust of Nefertiti, an exhibition of plasticized human bodies, and former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms have in common? They are all related, in one way or another, to controversies in the museum world. This seminar course will explore a number of case studies of museum controversies, ranging from the repatriation of objects (or lack thereof) to the Body Worlds phenomenon, from censorship to forgeries, and from "failed" exhibitions, such as Into the Heart of Africa, to avant-garde museum architecture. We will consider why such controversies arise, how they develop over time, and what we can learn from them, particularly with regard to the roles played by museums historically and in contemporary societies.

(Leah Niederstadt)

Picturing New York

In this seminar, we will explore artists' attempts to capture the essence of New York City, from its origins in the 17th century to the 9/11 period and beyond. Considering architecture, prints, photography, painting, sculpture and film, we will examine the conditions under which New York gave rise to a uniquely American form of urban imagery, attempting to understand the roles that geography, politics, capitalism, race and gender have played in New York's development. In addition, we will investigate how these images and designs broke from traditional practices/forms, seeking to understand what "Modernism" means in its New York context.

(R. Tripp Evans)

Matisse and Methods

This seminar will focus on Henri Matisse, using his work as a lens to explore the various methods of art history. The vast literature on Matisse provides us with a range of writers asking different questions of the artist's work. After a select review, we will focus on one question in particular, that of source and influence. How have scholars and curators interpreted Matisse's studio sources, his interactions with other artists (Cézanne, Gauguin, Picasso) and his appropriations from other cultural traditions (African, Persian, Pacific)? Through our own close study of Matisse's painting and sculpture, we will consider whether these methods successfully address the complex relationships between the artist's work and the ideas that inform them.

(Ellen McBreen)

399. Selected Topics

An opportunity to do independent work in a particular area not included in the regular courses.

401. Seminar

The study of particular periods, special topics or individual artists. A list for the following year is announced each spring. Subjects are chosen to meet the needs and interests of the particular group of art history majors.

500. Individual Research

Offered to selected majors at the invitation of the department.