Art History (ARTH)

Head of Department: Professor Judith Thorpe
Department Office:  Room 100, Art Building

1128. Introduction to Western Art II: The Renaissance to the Present, a World Perspective

(123) Either semester. Three credits. Lecture with discussion groups. Greeley, Orwicz

Survey of Western art (15th Century through the present) within a global perspective. Explores transformations in Western art, in relation to the West's fundamental interconnection with non-Western societies. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

1137. Introduction to Art History I

(137) First semester. Three credits.

Survey of art and architecture from prehistoric times through the fourteenth century. CA 1.

1138. Introduction to Art History II

(138) Second semester. Three credits.

Survey of art and architecture from the fifteenth century to the present day. CA 1.

1141. Introduction to Latin American Art

(141) Either semester.  Three credits.

A thematic survey of Latin American art from 200 B.C. to the present. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

1162. Introduction to Architecture

(191) Either semester. Three credits.

An introduction to the history of architecture considered in its social, technological and urban context. CA 1.

1193. Foreign Study

(193) Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. Consent of department head required, normally before the student's departure to study abroad.

Special topics taken in a foreign study program.

3005. Museums and the Interpretation of Culture

(210) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

The history and philosophy of museums.

3005W. Museums and the Interpretation of Culture

(210W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to juniors or higher; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor.

3010. Art History's Feminisms

(211) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Feminist approaches to the theory and practice of art history.

3010W.  Art History's Feminisms

(211W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to juniors or higher; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor. 

3015W. Women and Body Art

(212W) Either semester.  Three credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to juniors or higher; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor.

Women's use of body art to express aspects of gender identity and interpretation of body art from a variety of cultures.  "Body art" encompasses cosmetics, painting, hair styling, tattoo, scarification, clothing, ornaments, plastic surgery, and exercise.

3020. Asian American Art and Visual Culture

(220) (Also offered as AASI 3220.) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in contemporary Asian American art and visual culture, 1960's to the present. 

3020W. Asian American Art and Visual Culture 

(220W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011or 3800; open to art history and art majors; open to juniors or higher; others with consent of instructor.

3030. The Artist and Society

(272)Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

An investigation of the artist's professional function throughout history in different Western societies.

3035. History of the Print

(209) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Survey of printmaking in Europe and America from the Renaissance to the present.

3040. Ethnicities, Sexualities, Modernisms

(290) (Also offered as WS 3209.) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in twentieth-century visual culture (film, advertising, fine arts, crafts, literatures), with emphasis upon matters related to social constructions of ethnicity and sexuality, and upon issues raised by feminist and postcolonial theories.

3140. Greek Art

(243) (Also offered as CAMS 3251.) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Greek art and architecture from the ninth century B.C. to the first-century A.D.

3140W. Greek Art

(243W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to juniors or higher. Open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor.

3150. Roman Art

(246) (Also offered as CAMS 3252.) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

History of Roman art and architecture.

3150W. Roman Art

(246W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3210. Late Antique and Byzantine Art

(280) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Art and architecture of the late Roman empire and the Byzantine East.

3210W. Late Antique and Byzantine Art

(280W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3220. Early Medieval Art

(257) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Early medieval art from the fifth through the tenth centuries. Germanic metalwork, Hiberno-Saxon manuscripts, and the art of the era of Charlemagne and his successors.

3220W. Early Medieval Art

(257W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3230. Romanesque Art

(258) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in medieval painting, architecture and sculpture through the twelfth century.

3230W. Romanesque Art

(258W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3240. Gothic Art

(259) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Gothic art and architecture, with emphasis on the court styles of England and France.

3240W. Gothic Art

(259W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3260. The Early Illustrated Book

(262) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

The early history of the illustrated book, from antiquity through the introduction of printing.

3260W. The Early Illustrated Book

(262W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3320. Art of the Italian Renaissance

(273) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Italian art and architecture 1400-1600.

3320W. Art of the Italian Renaissance

(273W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3330. Art of the Northern Renaissance

(250) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Painting, sculpture, graphic arts of the Lowlands and Germany, 1400-1600.

3330W. Art of the Northern Renaissance

(250W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3340. Baroque Art

(251) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Art and architecture of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries with emphasis on Italy, Netherlands, France and Spain.

3340W. Baroque Art

(251W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3430. Nineteenth Century European Art

(252) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

European art from Neo-Classicism to Realism.

3430W. Nineteenth Century European Art

(252W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3440. Nineteenth Century American Art

(254) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in American Art, 1770-1900.

3440W. Nineteenth Century American Art

(254W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3445. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

(292) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in French Painting, 1860-1900.

3445W. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

(292W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3450. American Architecture

(253) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

American architecture from the colonial era to the present. Field trips may be required.

3460. History of Photography I

(267) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in the history of photography from 1839 to World War I.

3510. Modern Art

(281) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in the art of the first half of the twentieth century.

3510W. Modern Art

(281W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3520. Architecture of the Twentieth Century

(282) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

3530. Contemporary Art

(291) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in the art of the second half of the twentieth century.

3530W. Contemporary Art

(291W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3560. History of Photography II

(268) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in the history of photography from World War I to the present.

3560W. History of Photography II

(268W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors,others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3610. Art of Mesoamerica

(277) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

A survey of art from Mexico and Central America 2000 BS-CE 1500. Cultures covered include Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec.

3610W. Art of Mesoamerica

(277W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3620. Colonial Mexican Art

(278) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

3620W. Colonial Mexican Art

(278W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3630. Modern Latin American Art

(279) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

A thematic survey of Latin American art from the nineteenth century to present.

3630W. Modern Latin American Art

(279W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3640. Mexican and Chicano Art, 19th Century - Present

(275) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Topics in Mexican and Chicano art from Mexican Independence to the present.

3640W. Mexican and Chicano Art, 19th Century - Present

(275W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3645. Caribbean Art, 19th and 20th Centuries

(276) Either semester. Three credits.  Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

A survey of art and visual production in the Caribbean from the 1804 Haitian Revolution to the present.

3645W. Caribbean Art, 19th and 20th Centuries

(276W) Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 3800; open to art history and art majors, others with consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.

3715. Native American Arts

(256) (Also offered as ANTH  3451.) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

A topical survey of the arts of Native American cultures in the United States and Canada.

3745. Buddhist Art in the Orient

(289) Either semester, alternate years. Three credits. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Buddhist sculpture, painting, and architecture in India, China and Japan.

3991. Field Studies Internship in Art History

(294) Both semesters. Variable credit to a maximum of 12 credits. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite:  two 1000-level Art History courses, two 3000-4000 level Art History courses, and consent of instructor; open to juniors or higher.  

Supervised practical experience in museum and museum related work.

Section one: Wadsworth Atheneum Internship. Participation in Museum Studies Seminars, staff meetings and completion of individual project at the Atheneum. Application must be approved by Wadsworth Atheneum Education Department; deadlines are in April for first semester and November for second semester.

3992. Cooperative Education in Art

(296) Either semester. Three credits. Hours by arrangement. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Open only with consent of Department Head. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).

Practicum for students participating in the off-campus Cooperative Education Program.

3993. Foreign Study

(293) Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Consent of Department Head required.

Special topics taken in a foreign study program

3995. Investigation of Special Topics

(283) Either semester. Credits and hours by arrangement. May be repeated for credit with a change in course content. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher.

Special topics.

4010. Art Historical Methods

(297) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: Two 3000-4000 level courses in Art History; open to juniors or higher.

An introduction to the methods of Art Historical analysis.

4099. Independent Study

(299) Either semester. Variable credit to a maximum of 6 credits. May be repeated for a total of 6 credits. Limited to advanced students 7th semester or higher with a departmental G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher. Prerequisite: Open to juniors or higher. Consent of instructor required. Exceptions only by approval of Department Head.

Designed for advanced students who wish to pursue the study of a special topic, culminating in a project in art history.