Areas of Studies

Western Art

Ancient:
It is generally agreed that many of the most crucial foundations of Western art are to be found in Antiquity. The study of ancient art and archaeology -- in its broadest sense -- focuses on the material culture and society of the Mediterranean basin from prehistory until roughly the time of Constantine the Great. Courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, focus on the formative cultures of the Near East (Mesopotamia and Egypt), Greece, and Italy and address art historical and archaeological questions regarding the interpretation and criticism of ancient art and architecture.

Medieval:
Perhaps more than any other era, the Middle Ages (c.200 to 1400AD) bore witness to profound political, social, and religious change. With the break-up of the Roman Empire, the old values of the classical world were abandoned, and the pagan gods were replaced by a new Christian pantheon. From its capital in Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire achieved status as the political and cultural center of the Christian world. The same centuries saw the emergence of the new and fast-growing religion of Islam.

The study of medieval art is as rich and complex as the history of the period. In church architecture, manuscript illumination, icons, and portable arts such as metal, silk, and ivory, we observe the development of a sophisticated visual language that frequently offers social and political commentary more powerful than any written documentation. Issues central to medieval art include the role of the patron, the function of the image and the problem of iconoclasm, and the impact of such phenomena as the rise of monasticism and the Crusades in the formation of art. Artistic interaction between groups such as pagans, Christians, Jews, and Muslims is also a critical area of study. Undergraduate courses will explore the above themes in chronological and geographical surveys of the material, while graduate seminars will adopt a more theoretical and historiographical approach.

Renaissance and Baroque:
The Renaissance/Baroque period includes the work of major artists -- Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Leonardo. Courses explore various facets of the work of these, and other artists, of the period with emphasis on the social, political, and symbolic contexts of the work.

American:
Colonial and Post-Revolutionary Art of North America and the United States, 1570-Present. Undergraduate surveys and graduate-level colloquia and seminars address all major media and emphasize the social and intellectual context of artistic production. Special focus on early modernism, history and theory of folk art, and contemporary self-taught artists.

Latin American Art:
Colonial, Nineteenth-Century, and Modern Art of Latin America, from 1492 to circa 1970. Courses range from a lower-division undergraduate introductory survey of art and architecture in Latin America, to upper-division undergraduate courses devoted to individual chronological periods, countries, and/or movements, with an emphasis on painting and sculpture, to graduate seminars that investigate critical problems and key themes in the history and historiography of art in and of Latin America. The art and architecture of the early colonial period in Mexico and Peru and the avant-garde modernist movements in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in the 1920s are areas of special interest.

Modern:
The study of "modern art" covers the period 1750 to 1970, from neo-classicism to minimalism. Many art historians see the second half of the 18th century in Europe and Europeanized America as the beginning of a reform movement, a dissatisfaction with the state of culture, a willingness to explore new or primordial territories, that would continue until a few years ago. The period includes such diverse artists as Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol.

Non-Western Art

Precolumbian, African, and Oceanic:

Precolumbian Art covers the Americas prior to the European conquest in the 16th century. General courses at the undergraduate level are offered on ancient Mesoamerican art of Mexico and Central American and Andean art of South America, as well as a more specialized course on the art of the ancient Maya. Graduate seminars on Precolumbian Art are frequently offered. Courses in Precolumbian Art expose students to methods and theories in Archaeology and Anthropology in addition to Art History.

African Art is taught in the department as a survey course focusing on the art of sub-Saharan Africa. The study of African Art offers opportunities to understand the art, culture, and religion of peoples of West Africa. Inhabitants of this same region came to the New World during the era of slavery and, consequently, have strongly impacted the art and culture of the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. Learning about African Art helps us to see the African roots of that underlie many forms of visual, musical, and cultural expression in the Americas.

Oceanic Art includes the art of the Pacific, notably Polynesia, Melanesia, and Australia. Oceanic Art is taught in the undergraduate survey as well as in a course critiquing western myths about "primitive" people, a course that focuses on Australian aborigines.

Asian Art

Asia is a continent that covers many different cultures. The undergraduate survey in Asian art focuses on the art and architecture of India, China, and Japan, from the Neolithic period to the present time. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, and other philosophies are also introduced to provide a deeper level of understanding. Various offerings at the undergraduate and graduate levels seek to address more specific problems in Chinese art history and archaeology. 'Chinese Painting' focuses on the art of painting from ancient to current times within its cultural context with emphasis on politics, patronage, social change, and migration. The graduate colloquium 'Bronze Age Culture of China' examines the civilizations of China as a complete picture that includes the rest of Asia and Eurasia rather than in isolation. 'Art Along the Silk Road' is a course that links China with India, Afghanistan, Persia, and the Mediterranean region, covering art and people of a vast region and time. Nomadic people and cultural-interactions are essential elements for understanding style changes in China and other regions of Asia.

			Areas of Studies Western Art Ancient: It is generally agreed that many of the most crucial foundations of Western art are to be found in Antiquity. The study of ancient art and archaeology -- in its broadest sense -- focuses on the material culture and society of the Mediterranean basin from prehistory until roughly the time of Constantine the Great. Courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, focus on the formative cultures of the Near East (Mesopotamia and Egypt), Greece, and Italy and address art historical and archaeological questions regarding the interpretation and criticism of ancient art and architecture. Medieval: Perhaps more than any other era, the Middle Ages (c.200 to 1400AD) bore witness to profound political, social, and religious change. With the break-up of the Roman Empire, the old values of the classical world were abandoned, and the pagan gods were replaced by a new Christian pantheon. From its capital in Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire achieved status as the political and cultural center of the Christian world. The same centuries saw the emergence of the new and fast-growing religion of Islam. The study of medieval art is as rich and complex as the history of the period. In church architecture, manuscript illumination, icons, and portable arts such as metal, silk, and ivory, we observe the development of a sophisticated visual language that frequently offers social and political commentary more powerful than any written documentation. Issues central to medieval art include the role of the patron, the function of the image and the problem of iconoclasm, and the impact of such phenomena as the rise of monasticism and the Crusades in the formation of art. Artistic interaction between groups such as pagans, Christians, Jews, and Muslims is also a critical area of study. Undergraduate courses will explore the above themes in chronological and geographical surveys of the material, while graduate seminars will adopt a more theoretical and historiographical approach. Renaissance and Baroque: The Renaissance/Baroque period includes the work of major artists -- Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Leonardo. Courses explore various facets of the work of these, and other artists, of the period with emphasis on the social, political, and symbolic contexts of the work. American: Colonial and Post-Revolutionary Art of North America and the United States, 1570-Present. Undergraduate surveys and graduate-level colloquia and seminars address all major media and emphasize the social and intellectual context of artistic production. Special focus on early modernism, history and theory of folk art, and contemporary self-taught artists. Latin American Art: Colonial, Nineteenth-Century, and Modern Art of Latin America, from 1492 to circa 1970. Courses range from a lower-division undergraduate introductory survey of art and architecture in Latin America, to upper-division undergraduate courses devoted to individual chronological periods, countries, and/or movements, with an emphasis on painting and sculpture, to graduate seminars that investigate critical problems and key themes in the history and historiography of art in and of Latin America. The art and architecture of the early colonial period in Mexico and Peru and the avant-garde modernist movements in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in the 1920s are areas of special interest. Modern: The study of "modern art" covers the period 1750 to 1970, from neo-classicism to minimalism. Many art historians see the second half of the 18th century in Europe and Europeanized America as the beginning of a reform movement, a dissatisfaction with the state of culture, a willingness to explore new or primordial territories, that would continue until a few years ago. The period includes such diverse artists as Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Non-Western Art Precolumbian, African, and Oceanic: Precolumbian Art covers the Americas prior to the European conquest in the 16th century. General courses at the undergraduate level are offered on ancient Mesoamerican art of Mexico and Central American and Andean art of South America, as well as a more specialized course on the art of the ancient Maya. Graduate seminars on Precolumbian Art are frequently offered. Courses in Precolumbian Art expose students to methods and theories in Archaeology and Anthropology in addition to Art History. African Art is taught in the department as a survey course focusing on the art of sub-Saharan Africa. The study of African Art offers opportunities to understand the art, culture, and religion of peoples of West Africa. Inhabitants of this same region came to the New World during the era of slavery and, consequently, have strongly impacted the art and culture of the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. Learning about African Art helps us to see the African roots of that underlie many forms of visual, musical, and cultural expression in the Americas. Oceanic Art includes the art of the Pacific, notably Polynesia, Melanesia, and Australia. Oceanic Art is taught in the undergraduate survey as well as in a course critiquing western myths about "primitive" people, a course that focuses on Australian aborigines. Asian Art Asia is a continent that covers many different cultures. The undergraduate survey in Asian art focuses on the art and architecture of India, China, and Japan, from the Neolithic period to the present time. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, and other philosophies are also introduced to provide a deeper level of understanding. Various offerings at the undergraduate and graduate levels seek to address more specific problems in Chinese art history and archaeology. 'Chinese Painting' focuses on the art of painting from ancient to current times within its cultural context with emphasis on politics, patronage, social change, and migration. The graduate colloquium 'Bronze Age Culture of China' examines the civilizations of China as a complete picture that includes the rest of Asia and Eurasia rather than in isolation. 'Art Along the Silk Road' is a course that links China with India, Afghanistan, Persia, and the Mediterranean region, covering art and people of a vast region and time. Nomadic people and cultural-interactions are essential elements for understanding style changes in China and other regions of Asia.