Art History
Art History Faculty:
James H. Terry, Ph.D.
Courses in Art History offer students opportunities to explore the
painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts of periods
from the Stone age through contemporary art. Students should begin
their study of Art History with the introductory course, ARH101,
followed by intermediate and advanced courses that concentrate on
specific art-historical periods. Courses in Humanities take an interdisciplinary
approach to music, the visual arts, architecture, dance, theater
and film. Courses in Art History and Humanities enhance majors in
Theater, Dance, Graphic Design and Fashion Design by broadening
students' understanding of the contexts in which these arts developed.
Requirements for a Minor
in Art History
Students must complete 15 semester hours in
the ARH or HUM prefixes, including 6 hours at the 300 level.
The Art History minor may become part of the Liberal Studies major
and student-initiated majors.
Art History Courses
ARH 101: Introduction to the History of
Art
(3 hrs.)
(Open to all students)
Introduces students to the history of the visual arts and architecture.
Students will become familiar with a wide range of artistic techniques
and media and will acquire analytical tools for understanding and
criticizing the arts. Students will learn to recognize the distinctive
features of key periods in the history of western art from prehistory
to the present day. The primary focus will be the art of the Mediterranean,
Europe and post-colonial America, but the traditions of Asia, the
Islamic world, Africa and the ancient Mesoamerica will also be discussed.
This course is intended to provide a foundation for more advanced
study and to contribute to a life-long appreciation of art.
ARH 201: Greek and Roman Art
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor.)
Introduces students to the material remains of the ancient Greeks
and Romans, the founders of western art and culture. Painting, sculpture,
architecture and the decorative arts will be analyzed in the context
of political, social and cultural institutions. Students will learn
to recognize major period styles and understand how buildings and
art objects functioned in Greek and Roman society. Field trips to
local museums.
ARH 203: Medieval and Byzantine Art
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor)
Introduces students to the art and architecture of the Medieval
and Byzantine world, from the Christianization of the Roman Empire
in the 4th century to the brink of the Renaissance in the 14th century.
We will explore sculpture, wall painting, the arts of the book,
secular and religious architecture and the decorative arts (ceramics,
metalwork, glass, textiles and mosaics) in the context of political,
social and cultural institutions. Field trips to local museums.
ARH 205: Renaissance Art
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor)
Focuses on painting, sculpture and architecture from the 14th to
the 16th centuries in Italy and Northern Europe—one of the
most brilliant periods in the history of art. Students will analyze
works of art in terms of technique, iconography, function and style,
and (most importantly) in terms of their meanings in the contexts
of their own times and for us today. Field trips to local museums.
ARH 207: Reformation to Revolution
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor.)
Concentrates on European painting, sculpture and architecture from
the Council of Trent (1535) to the Revolutions of 1848. This is
a diverse period that comprises four significant styles: the Baroque,
the Rococo, Neoclassicism and Romanticism, each with its distinct
regional variants. We will study painters, such as Caravaggio, Vermeer
and Goya; architects, such as Borromini and Wren; and sculptors,
such as Bernini and Canova. We will investigate works of art in
terms of technique, iconography, function, style, and meaning in
context.
ARH 280: Topics in Art History
(3 hrs.)
Topics courses are devoted to subjects that are not covered in depth
in other ARH courses, especially non-Western art.
ARH 317: Islamic Art and Culture
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: one ARH course and junior or senior standing,
or permission of instructor)
This course introduces the art and architecture of Islam, a cultural
heritage shared by one fifth of the world's population. We will
investigate this subject from the perspective of the faith and traditions
of Islam and the history of the Muslim world from the time of Mohammed
to the present day. Topics will include secular and religious architecture,
book painting and calligraphy, and the decorative arts. Our investigation
will proceed through illustrated lectures and discussion, supplemented
by films and field trips.
ARH 355: Women in Art
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: one ARH course and junior or senior standing,
or permission of instructor; cross-listed as WST 355)
This course explores the contributions women have made to painting,
sculpture and architecture from the Renaissance to the present in
Europe and America.
ARH 380: Topics in Art History
(3 hrs.)
Topics courses are devoted to subjects that are not covered in depth
in other ARH courses, especially non-Western art.
Humanities Courses
HUM 309: Modernism and Post-Modernism in the Arts
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: one ARH course and junior or senior standing,
or permission of instructor)
This course explores the arts in Europe and America from the end
of the 19th century to the present. We focus on important styles
and movements, examining both the artistic products of each and
the public statements of the participants. We pay particular attention
to the interconnectedness of the arts in various media. Artists
featured include painters, sculptors, architects, composers, playwrights,
performance artists, filmmakers and choreographers. Field trips
to local museums.
HUM 336: Impressionism in the Visual Arts and Music
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: one ARH course and junior or senior standing,
or permission of instructor)
This course explores the cultural phenomenon of Impressionism from
two disciplinary directions: the visual arts and music. We will
study the visual images of Caillebotte, Cassat, Cézanne, Degas,
Manet, Monet, Morisot and Renoir and the musical images of Debussy,
Delius, Ives, Ravel and Ellington. Field trips to local museums
and/or concert halls.
