Art History

Major

Due to University Updates, Course Numbers for all Departments have Changed. Please reference the Courses Tab for new Course Numbers.

Requirements for the Art History Major (44-48 Credits, depending on number of credits given for ARTHST 145)

Regular use of New York and area museums and galleries is considered part of all course work.

I. Both introductory survey courses (8 credits)

• ARTHST 4/Western Art I: Ancient and Medieval (4)
• ARTHST 5/Western Art II: Pre-Modern and Modern (4)

II. One early period course (4 credits)

• ARTHST 101/Greek and Roman Art (4)
• ARTHST 102/Medieval Art (4)

III. One Renaissance or Baroque course (4 credits)

• ARTHST 103/Italian Renaissance Art (4)
• ARTHST 104/Baroque and Rococo Art (4)

IV. One Modern course (4 credits)

• ARTHST 105/19th-Century Art (4)
• ARTHST 106/Early 20th-Century Art (4)
• ARTHST 107/American Art (4)

V. One Non-Euro-American course* (4 credits)

• ARTHST 30/Native Arts and Archaeology of Latin America (4)
• ARTHST 51/Arts of Africa and the Diaspora (4)
• ARTHST 108/Islamic Art (4)
• ARTHST 112/Arts of Asia (4)

*Students may petition to substitute a Comparative Humanities course for this requirement when that course is at least half art history in content.

VI. Each of the following (12-16 credits)

• ARTHST 145/Semester on Contemporary Art (may be taken for 4 or 8 credits)
• ARTHST 147/Art History Research Seminar (4)
• ARTHST 144/History Colloquium (4)

VII. At least two studio courses (8)

Note: Each year additional courses will be offered on more specific topics, such as: Medieval Manuscripts. These will be offered under ARTHST 119/Special Topics in Art History, ARTHST 144/Colloquium in Art History, and ARTHST 147/Art History Research Seminar. We urge students to take a variety of additional courses beyond the basic requirements.

Languages: Proficiency in French or German is recommended if students anticipate pursuing a graduate degree in Art History.

Minor

Due to University Updates, Course Numbers for all Departments have Changed. Please reference the Courses Tab for new Course Numbers.

Requirements for the Art History Minor (20 credits)

Students must complete five courses in art history, at least 16 credits of which must be at the intermediate or upper level. One course designated HUM may be applied to the minor, so long as at least half the content is art history, upon petition to the department (as above).

Requirements for the Arts Administration & Museology Minor (26-28 Credits)

This is a minor for those who are considering directions in gallery, museum, consultant, auction, and non-profit arts organization work. For this minor, students must take 7 courses – 3 courses in Administration and Society, 2 courses in Communications and Culture, 1 Disciplinary Core, and 1 Internship.

Requirements for the Art (Studio Art) Minor (20 Credits)

The Art Department offers a minor in studio art that is open to Art History majors. For this minor, students must complete five courses (20 credits) in studio art, at least 16 credits of which must be at the intermediate or upper level.

Museum Study

Students who wish to undertake additional systematic study of collections in area museums may register for an additional hour of credit in conjunction with any upper-level art history course through ART 142/Museum Study. Papers, studio projects, and/or augmentation of the regular course work is expected of those electing to enroll for the extra museum study credit. A separate grade is given for this credit. The instructor’s signature is required to register for credit for museum study credit.

Faculty

Faculty

• Associate Professor: Margaret Kuntz (chair), Kimberly Rhodes
• Assistant Professors: Marguerite Keane
• Art Semester Coordinator: Martha Clippinger

Courses

Courses Offered

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ARTH 101 - Formerly ARTHST 4 - Western Art I: Ancient and Medieval (4)

This course explores the art and architecture of the ancient and medieval eras, including study of the cultures of the Mediterranean, Near East, and northern Europe. Students will master a chronological history of representation and investigate the relationship between works of art and the cultures in which they were produced.
Offered fall semester.
Fulfills: BA, BH

ARTH 102 - Formerly ARTHST 5 - Western Art II: Pre-Modern and Modern (4)

This course is a chronological survey of western art and architecture from the fourteenth century through the early twentieth century. It explores various geographic regions and diverse contexts, religious, social, political and economic, in which the works were made. Key art historical periods such as the Renaissance, the Baroque, and subsequent movements such as Romanticism, Impressionism, and Modernism are discussed. Students will master a chronological history of art and architecture in relation to the cultures in which they were produced.
Offered spring semester.
Fulfills: BA, BH

ARTH 231 - Formerly ARTHST 30 - Native Arts and Archaeology of Latin America (4)

This course focuses on the development and character of indigenous cultures of Latin America before the arrival of Europeans. Themes of power, economy, religion, ritual, and symbolism that uniquely characterize Latin American native societies are examined primarily through art, architecture and material culture. The course follows a topical and comparative approach drawing on data from archaeology, art history, ethnography and ethnohistory.
Prerequisite: ANTH 103 - Formerly 3 - , 4 or permission of the instructor. Check ANTH listings for up-to-date offering times. Same as: ANTH 103 - Formerly 3 - 0. Same as: ANTH 103 - Formerly 3 - 0.

ARTH 242 - Formerly ARTHST 42 - Aesthetics (4)

A study of a variety of questions centered upon philosophical aspects of art. Of primary concern are the notions of beauty, formalism, emotivism, criticism, expression, creation, and evaluation. Focuses on specific works of art as they serve to illuminate philosophical concerns.
Check PHIL listings for up-to-date offering times. Same as: PHIL 334 - Formerly 134 -

ARTH 243 - Formerly ARTHST 43 - History of Photography (4)

This course provides a loosely chronological overview of diverse photographic production beginning with early optical devices such as the camera obscura and continuing to contemporary digital practices. Students will become familiar with various photographic processes and techniques (daguerreotypes, albumen prints, platinum prints, pinhole photography, color, and others); styles and movements (f64, street photography, post-modernism, and others); individual practitioners; and theories of photography proposed by Walter Benjamin, Roland Barthes, susan sontag, and others. We will also explore how and why the history of photography has been, only recently, integrated into the larger history of art by studying the broad, societal, and technological roles of photography.
Offering to be determined.
Fulfills: BA, BH

ARTH 251 - Formerly ARTHST 51 - Arts of Africa and The Diaspora (4)

Topics discussed will include: Art and Audience (considering the relationship between the object and its content of display, which can include masking as well as royal regalia meant to reinforce leadership); Space and Place (art works as markers of space--spiritual, domestic, etc.)--and referents of place); The Cultured Body (the human form in art, as well as dress and body arts); and Africa in the World (art works that reflect Africa's historic engagement with the world, ie., use of imported materials, "foreign" iconography, but also the impact of African art in the world). Within these themes, we will examine select case studies in depth and will incorporate historic and contemporary forms.
Check ANTH listings for up-to-date offering times. Same as: ANTH 251 - Formerly 51 -

ARTH 256 - Formerly ARTHST 56 - The Art of Ancient Egypt: History and Modern Myth (4)

In this course we study the art and architecture of ancient Egypt, from the Predynastic era through Roman rule, from the fourth millennium BCE to the fourth century CE. Students will master the major sites and monuments of ancient Egypt, achieving an in-depth understanding of the artistic, religious, political, and social contexts of these works. The second major goal of the course will be to study the historiography of ancient Egypt and consider contemporary constructions of the culture of ancient Egypt, examining the effect of global forces such as colonialism and discourses such as Orientalism on the creation of a history of Egypt. The strong local collections of ancient Egyptian art will be incorporated into the course through museum visits, discussion, and paper assignments.
Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Fulfills: BH, DIT, BA

ARTH 258 - Formerly ARTHST 59 - Word and Image:The Art of the Book (4)

This class examines the history of illustrated books from late antiquity through the early modern period, from early Christian Rome to Mughal India. Manuscripts and early printed books will be considered in terms of their original function and owners as well as how they have been used, collected, and appreciated up to the present day. The main concerns of the course will be the way in which the images in the manuscripts convey meaning in ways complementary to and beyond the text, reflect the interests of their patrons and the stylistic and economic concerns of their artists, and act as evidence of the devotional, social, and political contexts in which the books were produced.

Fulfills: DIT, BA

ARTH 260 - Formerly ARTHST 60 - History of Architecture from A to Z: Alberti to Zaha Hadid (4)

This course will explore the history of architecture from the revival of the classical architectural treatise in the 15th century by Leon Battista Alberti through contemporary use of computer generated designs such as works by Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid's Bridge Pavillion, Zaragoza, Spain. (In 2004 Zaha Hadid was the first women to win the Pritzker Prize.) While we will explore some of the great monuments in the history of architecture such as Brunelleschi's dome of Florence Cathedral or Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, discussing questions of design and technological innovation, we will also address broader questions surrounding the built environment as reflections of contemporary attitudes. Architecture, past and present, will be analyzed with respect to continuing ideals and contrasting innovations. We will also address issues such as sustainable and "green" architecture; the role of the female architect and the gendering of places and spaces; affordable housing; and the
Offered fall semester in even numbered years.
Fulfills: BH, BA

ARTH 301 - Formerly ARTHST 101 - Greek and Roman Art (4)

This course studies the art and architecture of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, from the Bronze Age Aegean through the late imperial Roman era. The study will be chronological, with focus on topics that may include the "Greek revolution," Roman architectural innovations, social constructs and the human body, urban planning, and art and political ideology. The classical ideal and its revival may be explored, including study of the Romans as early collectors of Greek art.
Offered fall semester in odd numbered years.
Fulfills: BH

ARTH 302 - Formerly ARTHST 102 - Medieval Art (4)

This course examines the art produced from the fourth through the fourteenth centuries, from late antiquity through the end of the Gothic era. Painting, architecture, and sculpture will be the main concern, with some attention also to ivories, metalwork, and textiles. Works of art will be studied in their religious, political, social, and stylistic contexts, and topics may include the adaptation of late Roman art for Christian patrons, iconoclasm, monastic art, pilgrimage, manuscript painting and ideology, and the dissemination of architectural style.
Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Fulfills: BH

ARTH 303 - Formerly ARTHST 103 - Italian Renaissance Art (4)

The art of the Italian Renaissance from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries is examined in this course. Painting, sculpture and architecture of major artistic centers such as Florence, Rome and Venice and the diverse social structure of these autonomous city-states will be the main focus. Major figures such as Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Michelangelo, Cellini, and Titian are examined in a variety of political, social, and religious contexts. Issues concerning the paragone, the changing status of the artist, artist's biographies and the construction of identity, wealth, patronage both private and public, women, and the process by which art is made and changing philosophies of conservation are some of the topics discussed.
Offered spring semester in even-numbered years.

ARTH 304 - Formerly ARTHST 104 - Baroque and Rococo Art (4)

This class concentrates on the work of the major painters, sculptors and architects of the 17th century, including Bernini, Caravaggio, Rubens, and Velazquez. French, Italian, Flemish, Netherlandish, and Spanish art is discussed in the context of historical events such as the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Attention is given to the growth of the city as artistic center with particular focus on: Rome, Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid. Related issues pertaining to the growth of the art market, the patron/artist relationship, the emergence of the female artist, and the "international" exchange of ideas are just some of the issues addressed in this course.
Offered spring semesters in odd-numbered years.

ARTH 305 - Formerly ARTHST 105 - 19th-Century Art (4)

This course surveys art from the late eighteenth century to the turn of the twentieth, with a focus on the social and political contexts in which works were produced, exhibited, sold and interpreted. The changing definitions of modernity and modernism in the visual arts; ideal images of masculinity and femininity; the hierarchy of artistic genres and the rise of landscape painting are among the many themes discussed.
Offered spring semesters in odd-numbered years.

ARTH 306 - Formerly ARTHST 106 - Early 20th-Century Art (4)

This course focuses on painting and sculpture in the first half of the 20th century, exploring the revolutionary styles developed during this period. Subjects discussed include artists' preoccupation with the "primitive" and the unconscious, the concept of an "avant-garde" and the rise of the artistic manifesto, and the development of abstract visual languages.
Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Fulfills: BH

ARTH 307 - Formerly ARTHST 107 - American Art (4)

This course provides a chronological survey of American painting and sculpture produced between the colonial period and World War I and the diverse art historical methodologies (feminism, social history and psychoanalysis, for example) that have been employed to interpret it and write its histories. Some Native American material is also included. Works of art will be situated within their broad social historical contexts and considered in light of such topics as the "Americanness" of American art and the usefulness of studying art within individual national "schools"; the place of African-American and women artists in US art history; transnational exchange with Europe; the development and role of art institutions; the connections between American art and literature; and the relationship between art and national identity.
Offered every third year in spring semester.
Fulfills: BH, DUS

ARTH 208 - Formerly ARTHST 108 - Islamic Art (4)

This course examines the history of ten centuries of Islamic art and architecture both chronologically and thematically. It begins with a study of medieval Islamic art of the Near East and Mediterranean, examining major themes and regional variations. Study will then shift to select monuments of Islamic art from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The focus may include architecture and manuscript painting, with some attention also to metalwork, pottery, and textiles. Issues considered may include: Islamic aesthetic attitudes, definitions of Islamic art, adaptations of a late antique artistic vocabulary, cross-cultural influence, architecture and ritual, and ideology and style in manuscript painting
Offered spring semester in even numbered years.
Fulfills: DIT

ARTH 312 - Formerly ARTHST 112 - Arts of Asia (4)

This course focuses on a special theme or period in Asian art, such as Chinese traditions and their modern expressions, the East Asian nature traditions, and arts of India.
Course may be repeated. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years.

ARTH 218 - Formerly ARTHST 118 - Seminar in Art History: (3)

Examination of an artist, period, or special art historical problem, sometimes involving preparation of an exhibition for the Korn Gallery. Topics such as Art and Religion, Secular Arts of the Middle Ages, Symbolism and the 1890's, Abstract and Sign in Twentieth Century Art, and Sex, Gender, and Power in Japanese Art. For advanced students. Research paper required.
Signature of instructor required for registration. Prerequisite: Arthst 4 or 5 and permission of the instructor.

ARTH 319 - Formerly ARTHST 119 - Special Topics in Art History (4)

A topic or period of art history not covered by regular offerings. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
Course may be repeated. Offering to be determined.
Fulfills: BH, BA

ARTH 249 - Formerly ARTHST 142 - Museum Study (1)

May be taken in conjunction with any upper-level art history course for additional systematic study of originals in area museums. Papers, projects, and/or augmentation of the regular term paper are expected as a result of this study.
Signature of instructor required for registration. Offered every semester.

ARTH 375 - Formerly ARTHST 143 - Museums and Society (4)

This course explores the intersection of the museum and its public with a focus on the rise of the museum in the late eighteenth century and its development up to the present day. Why were museums created, and what purposes do these institutions serve? What values do they project? Such questions are addressed through selected case studies and readings of key theoretical texts in the field. Analysis of current museum and gallery exhibitions, discussion of such issues as the role of government, the interdependence of museums and the art market, and debates over repatriation, restitution and looting or theft will also be addressed.
Corequisite: Must register for Arthst 143L. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years. Same as: ANTH 375 - Formerly 143 -
Fulfills: OCE

ARTH 310 - Formerly ARTHST 144 - Colloquium in Art History (4)

A course primarily based on student discussion, reading, argumentation, and presentation. Topics will vary and might include: Rivalry in the Renaissance: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo; Bernini and the Visual Arts; Symbolism and the 1890s; Figurative Art of the 1940s-1980s. The colloquium will introduce students to various research methods, the scholarship related to the particular topic of the course. Students will become familiar with the variety of sources available and learn to access, assess and utilize them in a critical fashion.
Course may be repeated. Signature of instructor required for registration. Offered every year.
Fulfills: BH, WM, WI

ARTH 350 - Formerly ARTHST 150 - Independent Study in Art (1-4)

Under special circumstances, an advanced student majoring in Art History may plan, in conference with the instructor and with approval of the department, a closely supervised independent project in art criticism, museology, or art history, not otherwise provided in the courses of instruction. Written proposal and paper required.
Course may be repeated. Signature of instructor required for registration. Offered annually.

ARTH 400 - Formerly ARTHST 199 - Research Seminar Capstone (4)

Topics vary. Reading and discussion of primary texts and scholarship pertinent to a special topic, such as Michelangelo, decorative ensembles of the 16th and 17th centuries, Symbolism and the 1890s, and Abstract Art. When possible, seminar topics are linked to a special exhibition on view in New York City. Seminars involve an in-depth study of the historiography and the scholarship related to a particular topic resulting in the ability to recognize and employ a variety of art historical methodologies and theories and contribute original research to the field through a final research paper or project.
[CAP] Capstone Offered every year.
Fulfills: BH

ARTH 219 - Formerly ARTHST AA1 - Special Topics in Art History (4)

A topic or period of art history not covered by regular offerings. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Course may be repeated. Offering to be determined.
Course may be repeated. Offering to be determined.
Fulfills: BH, BA

Exchange Courses

Through Drew’s cooperative programs with the College of St. Elizabeth and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Madison, students may take courses in art education, in commercial art, and in communications. Faculty advisers furnish details. Students register for exchange courses through the Registrar’s Office at Drew.

Internships

Internships

Advanced students are encouraged to take internships yielding professional job experience in studio, museum, or gallery work or in other art-related fields. The Art History Department may act as liaison to arrange internships in the surrounding area and in New York City with, for example, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses, major galleries, foundations, and regional centers. Course credit for such work must be earned under the academic internship program (see INTR 50).

AP Exams

Advanced Placement (AP) examinations

Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the art history examination should consult with the department about the possibility of exemption from one Art History course.  Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the general (studio) art examination may present the AP portfolio to the department, which evaluates it for credit and exemption on an individual basis. See pages 15-16 of the print catalogue for further information.

Off Campus Programs

Off-Campus Programs

New York Semester on Contemporary Art

New York, the center of the contemporary art world, is home to more than 100,000 artists, 1,000 galleries, and 10 major art museums. It is the vital location for the Drew Semester on Contemporary Art, directed by a Drew faculty member and offered in the fall semester. Students in this 4-8 credit program spend one to two days each week in New York visiting artists, critics, and arts professionals, and viewing art in museums and galleries, plus attending a seminar on campus. There are many opportunities for dialogue with leading figures in New York ‘s contemporary art world.