Art History (ARTH)

Art and buildings today reflect the challenges of both our past and our present. This course asks pressing questions of select, major monuments: What power structures at the local, national and global levels define art and building in society? What images and works of architecture most reflect our current values? How can institutions promote positive change and a re-evaluation of the past towards greater understanding of the present? May be used for general education credit.

An introduction to the art and architecture of the world from cave painting through European pre-Renaissance art. Includes ancient through medieval art in Europe and the Near East, as well as Asian and African arts. May be used for general education credit.

An introduction to the art and architecture of the world from the Renaissance through Modern ages. Includes European Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment, 19th and 20th centuries, as well as Asian and African arts. May be used for general education credit.

An interdisciplinary introduction to African art and culture with topics focusing on life ways, music, religion, philosophy, art, literature, and cinema. This course provides a strong background for upper-division course work in the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora, as well as for students pursuing degrees in history and anthropology.

Study of selected topics in art history, including museum studies, at the introductory level. May be repeated when course content changes. See MyMadison for current topics.

Exploration of various methodological approaches in the history of art, including connoisseurship, iconography, formalism, psychological studies and interpretations of art and society. Students will examine contrasting interpretations of major works of art. Seminar format.

This elective art history course prepares students for professions related to the field through exploration of the histories and missions of its important institutions. Organizations at the international, national and local levels that support the arts are considered. While conducting advanced research and writing on a chosen institution, or on an important issue in the field, students are exposed to a wide range of future opportunities in their professional lives.

This course is an investigation into the domains of graphic, architectural and industrial design.

A survey of photography as an art form from its discovery to the present day. Emphasis is on 20th-century developments and recent contemporary trends.

A history of the decorative arts in Europe and America from c. 1200 to c. 1930. This course provides a stylistic and contextual analysis concentrating on domestic furnishings, including textiles, furniture, metals, ceramics, and glass.

This course may include studies of select museums, or categories of museums, their histories and current missions and projects; the history of collecting, as well as the dispersal of collections; the repatriation of artworks; and consideration of significant issues in the field at the intermediate level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

A survey of the arts and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the major style areas of the continent. Coverage will include: the historic sites of Nigeria, the Guinea Coast, and central, eastern and southern Africa.

A survey of Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture (1280-1550), including the works of Giotto, Donatello, Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo. Weekly visits to the Uffizi, San Marco, the Accademia and other Florentine museums. May be used for general education credit.

A survey of art in Spain from prehistoric cave painting through 20th-century art. Emphasis is given to 17th-18th century Baroque and modern artists including El Greco, Velasquez, Goya, Gaudi and Picasso. Visits to Altamira, the Alhambra, the Prado, Toledo, Santillana del Mar and other sites. May be used for general education credit.

This course offers an introduction to art in London via site visits to visual arts venues, monuments and museums. We will follow the course of art in Britain; its extensive contacts and interactions with the European continent, countries subjected to British colonization, and the world; and examine how these London museums came to acquire certain works. Discussion, analysis and writing are required. May be used for general education credit.

Art history credit is available to students participating in formal travel study programs with an emphasis on art history. Students maintain a journal with an emphasis on their art history experiences and write a research paper.

This course will consider the study of a culture outside of the European and Anglo-American traditions at the intermediate level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of two or more artistic traditions that intersect at the intermediate level. Topic varies. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of a culture or tradition before the Modern Age at the Intermediate level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of a culture or tradition in the most recent centuries or decades at the Intermediate level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider art from the age of the prophet Muhammad through the sixteenth century. The political and cultural contexts in which Islamic art developed will lay the foundations for understanding later traditions. These may include the role of the mosque in Muslim society; calligraphy and illustrated books; palace building and the arts of luxury; and modes of figural representation, including issues of gender.

A study of European art (1750-1890) concentrating on Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in France.

A survey of avant-garde art movements from the late nineteenth century to mid-twentieth century. An analysis of the meanings of modernism and modernity in the context of urbanism, industrialism, colonialism and the world wars.

American painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts from the Colonial period through 1870. Topics will include Colonial portraiture, African American aesthetics, the definition of folk art, nationalism and landscape painting and the question of American exceptionalism. The course will also introduce students to problems of interpretation in current scholarship.

American painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts from 1870 to 1945. This course will address topics such as the American Renaissance, the Harlem Renaissance, Chicago School architecture, masculinity in Western American art, notions of decay in turn-of-the-century art and American modernism. It will also introduce methodological debates in current scholarship.

Study of selected topics in art history, including museum studies, at the intermediate level. May be repeated when course content changes. See MyMadison for current topics.

Independent activity at the intermediate level, such as research or studio practice, under faculty supervision. Projected studies in any area of the school's offering must be arranged with the instructors who will direct them. Offered only with the consent of the instructor.

A study of the philosophy and practice of museum work including the areas of exhibit design, conservation registration, education and administration. Subject is taught from the perspective of the museum profession and is applicable to diverse disciplines and types of collections.

This course introduces the interdisciplinary subfield of public history as it is practiced today. The course examines the various branches of public history through readings, class discussion, exercises, and occasional guest speakers and field trips, when possible.

An on-campus program prepared and monitored on an individual basis. Internships are designed to provide practical experience in museums and galleries.

This course is required for all art history majors. In both the fall and spring semesters, majors with junior and senior standing enroll in ARTH 400.

This course may include studies of major photographers or consideration of thematic issues such as the documentary tradition and the New Deal. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

A seminar on the architecture and material culture of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The course will examine the house's design, artwork, decorative arts, mechanical devices, landscape/garden design and Mulberry Row. Topics will include African American artisans at the Monticello joinery, Jefferson's Indian Hall and European and African American domestic life in the Federal Period. Required field trips.

This seminar centers on art museums in the United States. Topics include the historical development of museums, related cultures of display, recent debates on institutional mission and responsibility, and contemporary artists who employ the museum as medium, subject matter or site. Required field trips.

This course may include the advanced study of individual case studies or critical issues in the field. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course examines modern and contemporary art movements in Africa and the African diaspora. Artists, art schools, exhibition strategies and developments in painting, sculpture, photography, video and film illustrate the richness of artistic productions and display, as well as the tensions and triumphs of contemporary Africa and its diaspora. Course work centers on a substantial research paper based on primary source material.

This course will deal with the current thematic or methodological issues such as contemporary African arts and artists, arts of the African Diaspora, a particular media (such as architecture or the textile arts), portraiture and identity, the royal arts of Africa, African film and performance, or gender in the arts of Africa. Topic varies. See MyMadison for current topics.

A study of the arts and culture of Ancient Egypt (c. 3000 B.C. to c. 300 B.C.). This course will focus on the art and architecture of the Old and New Kingdoms and also examine the enduring fascination with this unique artistic heritage from the excavations of Napoleon to the present.

This course will consider the study of a culture outside of the European and Anglo American traditions at the advanced level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of two or more artistic traditions that intersect at the advanced level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of a culture or tradition before the Modern Age at the advanced level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

This course will consider the study of a culture or tradition in the most recent centuries or decades at the advanced level. Topics vary. See MyMadison for current topics.

A survey of East Asian art from prehistoric times to 19th century colonialism. Emphasis is on the areas of major production: India, China and Japan, with less attention to such centers as Cambodia, Siam and Korea.

A critical examination of medieval and early modern Jerusalem, c. 1000-1800, with a special focus on the city's religious diversity evidenced through its art and architecture. The course will examine Islamic, Christian and Jewish cultural traditions in the city.

This seminar explores artistic exchange between the Christian west and competing cultures in the east from c. 1250-1600, focusing on the powers of Italy and their interaction with the Islamic dynasties, the Mamluks of Egypt and the Ottomans in Turkey, as well as the Christian state of Byzantium. Special topics of interest may include palace architecture and imperial ceremony; urban planning; portraiture and caricature; the exchange of luxury goods; and the use of art as a diplomatic tool.

Seminar that examines the artworks of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Discusses issues such as the artist's creative process, the development of the artist's style, the patron's role in artwork and interrelationships between the artist's visual and literary works.

This course examines the socio-historical, political, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of public art in American society, from the Early Republic to the present day. Topics may include: the nature of public art, its uses and functions, as well as civic and official attitudes towards art in the public sphere. Issues of censorship, propaganda, and the "culture wars" of the 1980s and 90s will be highlighted.

A study of the many developments and trends in American and European art since 1945. This course will focus on such movements as abstract expressionism, pop, conceptual art, installation art, video, film and computer art with an understanding of the theoretical basis of those movements and the development of the art market during this period.

Art of indigenous peoples in the Americas (Meso, Central, South and/or North) before European contact. The course will examine domestic and state architecture, painting, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, and earthworks within the context of geographic, state, religious and social issues. Other topics include museum display, repatriation and western taxonomies.

This course examines visual arts produced by people of African descent in the United States from the colonial period until the present. Course themes include debates about the relationship between racial identity and artistic production; the complex interchange between African American art and the cultural traditions of Africa and Europe; black artists' engagement with popular representations of African Americans; and the intersection of race with class, gender and sexuality.

Study of selected topics in art history at the advanced level. May be repeated when course content changes. See MyMadison for current topics.

Independent activity such as research or studio practice, under faculty supervision. Projected studies in any area of the school's offering must be arranged with the instructors who will direct them. Offered only with consent of the instructor.

Advanced seminar explores museum theory and practice through the collaborative design of an exhibition for an on campus gallery space. The course focuses on developing and researching the exhibition topic, investigating the specific art objects, and preparing critical educational materials or catalogue. The class project also includes mounting the exhibit in a real or virtual installation space.

This course explores the multidisciplinary "field" of material culture studies and the ways of looking at and learning from objects, things, or "stuff," ranging from furniture and teapots to houses and farmyards. It examines how scholars from a variety of disciplines have used material culture in their work. Readings draw from multiple sources, approaches and methodologies, reflecting the interdisciplinarity of the field.

An introduction to the philosophy and techniques of historic preservation, guidelines for restoration, state and National Register forms and procedures, historic architecture, structural analysis, restoration techniques as well as the business aspects of historic preservation projects. Field trips are a major component of the course.

An off-campus program prepared and monitored on an individual basis. Internships are designed to provide practical experience in the arts.

An on-campus, advanced program prepared and monitored on an individual basis. Internships are designed to provide practical experience in museums and galleries.

This advanced graduate seminar centers on art museums in the United States. Topics include the historical development of museums, related cultures of display, recent debates on institutional mission and responsibility, and contemporary artists who employ the museum as medium, subject matter or site. Course work centers on a substantial research paper based on primary source materials. Required field trips.

Advanced topics in African Art will deal with current thematic or methodological issues such as contemporary African arts and artists, arts of the African Diaspora, a particular media (such as architecture or the textile arts), portraiture and identity, the royal arts of Africa, African film and performance, or gender in the arts of Africa.

Topics in Medieval Art may include the study of major buildings and artistic monuments in the medieval Mediterranean and in Western Europe, art in service of empire building, medieval audiences and modes of reception, and the afterlives of monuments into the contemporary period. Course work centers on a substantial research paper based on primary source materials.

This seminar explores artistic exchange between the Christian west and competing cultures in the east from c. 1250-1600, focusing on the powers of Italy and their interaction with the Islamic dynasties, the Mamluks of Egypt and the Ottomans in Turkey, as well as the Christian state of Byzantium. Special topics of interest may include palace architecture; city planning; portraiture; the exchange of luxury goods; and the use of art as a diplomatic tool. Substantial research paper required.

This course may include studies of major artists, such as Caspar David Friedrich or Edouard Manet, specific artist groups like the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, or thematic issues such as the relationship between art and nationalism.

This course examines the socio-historical, political, cultural and philosophical dimensions of public art in American society, from the Early Republic to the present day. Topics may include: the nature of public art, its uses and functions, as well as civic and official attitudes towards art in the public sphere. Issues of censorship, propaganda and the "culture wars" of the 1980s and 90s will be highlighted. Substantial research paper required.

A study of the many developments and trends in American art since 1945. This course will focus on major American movements and artists since World War II, with an emphasis on understanding the theoretical basis of those movements and the development of the art market during this period. Seminar format.

This advanced graduate seminar may include studies of modern and contemporary painters (i.e., Gerhard Richter), sculptors (i.e., Kiki Smith), performance and video artists (i.e., Bill Viola), or thematic issues such as the relationships between art, technology and gender/racial politics. Students are expected to do original research with primary sources.

Art of indigenous peoples in the Americas (Meso, Central, South and/or North America) before European contact. The course will examine domestic and state architecture, painting, textiles, ceramics, metalwork and earthworks within the context of geographic, state, religious and social issues. Other topics include museum display, repatriation and western taxonomies.

Seminar on the architecture and material culture of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The course will examine the design and construction of the house, its decorative arts, mechanical devices, landscape and garden design, Mulberry Row, the Monticello joinery and the Indian Hall. Field trips to Monticello are required.

Topics in American art may include studies of major artists such as Thomas Cole, George Catlin or Thomas Eakins, a specific group like the Hudson River School, or thematic issues such as art produced in a colonial context, sentimentalism in American genre painting or representations of the American west in art.

Study of selected topics in art history. May be repeated when course content changes. See MyMadison for current topics.