Art History 315Art History 315
Although this class is presented chronologically and covers topics which range from the Paleolithic era to the Modern, in reality, approximately 2/3 of the semester is spent on ancient art and 1/3 on the oil painting tradition beginning in the Renaissance. Specific topics of history are investigated, using a limited number of art and architectural examples as evidence for the topic.
Topics
- The role of men and women in ancient art--eg. Paleolithic, Greek, and Medieval examples.
- The function of religion in ancient art--Paleolithic through Baroque examples.
- Ancient urbanization as evidenced in the architectural remains and the role of art in hierarchic political structures--eg. Egyptian and Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Baroque, and NeoClassical examples.
- The development of self-identity and individuality as evidenced in portraiture--eg. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque examples.
- The realistic tradition in Western oil painting and its roots in humanism and capitalism--eg. Renaissance through 20th century advertising.
Goals
The student will learn to use specific examples of art to understand and discuss the differences in social, political, and religious values and priorities among various cultures.By the end of this class, the student should understand how to analyze art. A large amount of time is spent on discussing the style and function of specific art examples so that one is able to read an Egyptian pyramid, a Renaissance painting, or a modern advertisement for its meanings--the obvious meaning of it's subject matter as well as the underlying meaning as evidence for the structure of a particular society.
*FAQ(as sometimes asked by non-art students)--What is the point of art history anyway?*
Requirements
The syllabus, which is available in class, gives the text, topics, exam dates, and grading information.