Course Details

Readings and discussions on the historiography of art and on modern methodologies for art historical research. This is a specialized course for art history majors. It will introduce you to some of the histories and methodologies of the discipline of art history from its early years to the present and aims at developing for the student a critical understanding of the discipline of art history. We will ask: What is art history? What is the history of art history? What have been its goals and methodologies over the course of its history? What kinds of knowledge has art history been directed at producing? Who have been the key figures in the construction of art history? What factors affected their constructions of the discipline? How has the object of their discourse changed? How can we confront art history as an object of study and a site of theory in the twenty-first century? What methodologies engage you as you embark on the study of art history? In pursuit of these questions, we address aesthetics, history, style, meaning, identity, gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, ability, and cultural studies.