Art History
ARTH 100. Introduction to Art History (4E)
An introduction to both art history and its methodologies that will prepare students to analyze and understand art and architecture from diverse regions and time periods. Critical examination of artworks considers both their process of creation and their meaning in cultural context. Using case studies from prehistory to contemporary times, the course is subdivided to explore some of the general themes that often provide meaning to artistic expression, including space/place, the body, institutional and private patronage and self-expression. Special emphasis is given to developing skills of visual, iconographic and contextual analysis, comparative study and the interpretation of primary documents and secondary sources. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Humanistic Foundations.
ARTH 199/299/399/499. Independent Study (1-4E)
This course consists of an independent reading or research project designed by the student and supervised by an art history faculty member. The nature of the project, the schedule for accomplishment, and the means of evaluation must be formalized in a learning contract prior to registration. (See “Independent Study” under “Academic Policies” section.)
ARTH 220. Rock, Paper, Sword: The Media of the Ancient and Medieval World (4A)
An introduction to the art of the ancient and medieval world. Utilizing the three elements of rock, paper and sword, this course examines how different Western, Asian, and Islamic cultures approached art in these media. Exploring rock involves both architecture and sculptural representation; examining paper engages issues of two-dimensional media and the sweeping changes caused by the introduction of paper and considering the sword includes both the production of metalwork and the artistic scope of ancient and medieval empires. A museum visit as well as the College’s collection of plaster casts and artifacts will be integral to the course. Slide presentations, lectures, and discussion. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Arts.
ARTH 224. Ancient American Art and Architecture (4AF)
An introduction to the art and architecture of the Americas before the Spanish Conquest. The course surveys a diverse range of cultures including Native Americans of the Southeast, Southwest, and Plains regions of the United States; the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, and Aztec of Mesoamerica; and Andean empires from Chavin through the Inca. Analysis takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine the form, function, and symbolism of Ancient-American art and architecture and its role in the construction and maintenance of political power, religious belief and practice, concepts of space, and bodily performance. Slide presentations, lectures and discussion. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Cultural Perspectives.
ARTH 250. Topics in Western Art History (4)
Various topics in art history, each representing an introduction to an aspect of the discipline with a primary focus on visual culture from Europe and/or the United States. May be repeated for credit if the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course, see the current online Schedule of Classes. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Arts.
ARTH 255. Topics in Global Art History (4)
Various topics in art history, each representing an introduction to an aspect of the discipline with a primary focus on visual culture from Africa, Asia, the Americas and/or the Islamic World. May be repeated for credit if the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course, see the current online Schedule of Classes. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in Cultural Perspectives.
ARTH 306. American Art (4AF)
A study of architecture, sculpture, and painting in the United States from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis is given to special problems such as the influence of European traditions, the development of specifically American visual forms, the issue of minority representation as both artists and subjects, and the emergence of the United States as a center of artistic influence in the modern and contemporary period. Slide presentations, lectures, and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 310. Art in Europe, 1500-1850 (4AS)
A study of painting, sculpture and architecture in Western Europe. Issues of religious and state patronage, the development and influence of art academies, and the relation between art and civic identity are featured. Slide presentations, lectures, and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 314. Race and Representation (4AF)
A study of art produced by racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. The course examines the production of individual artists, considers some historical, political, and theoretical underpinnings that inform their production, and provides a particular lens for exploring the history of race relations in the United States. Depending on the instructor, this course will focus specifically on African-American or Chicana/o art. Slide presentations, lectures and discussion. This course may be repeated once for credit if the topic is not repetitive. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 316. Modern Art, 1850-1970 (4AS)
A study of important developments in painting, sculpture and architecture during the modern period. The emergence of avant-garde practices and radical formal invention, the development of abstract art, relations between art and mass culture and the transformed function of the artist in modern society will be examined. Slide presentations, lectures, discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course or consent of instructor.
ARTH 317. Contemporary Art, 1970 to Present (4AF)
This course explores the conceptual foundations and creative practices of contemporary art, with particular focus on postmodern theory and practice; the emergence of alternative or non-traditional media; the influence of the women’s movement and the gay/lesbian liberation movement on contemporary art; as well as globalization, community-based or collaborative processes and other aspects of creativity in the expanded contemporary field. Slide presentations, lecture, and discussion. Formerly ARTH 410. Not open to students who received credit for ARTH 410. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course or consent of instructor.
ARTH 321. Art and Architecture of the Ancient Maya (4AS)
A study of the artistic traditions and history of Maya civilization before the Spanish Conquest. The course presents significant structures and monuments, imparts a basic knowledge of the hieroglyphic writing system, and surveys the volatile political history of the region. In particular, the course concentrates on the role of the visual arts in the construction, maintenance and public presentation of elements of royal identity and cosmic order that reinforced the tenuous political power of Maya rulers. Slide presentations, lectures and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 322. Native North American Art and Architecture (4AS)
A study of the art and architecture produced by ancient and historic Native American cultures in select regions of the United States and Northern Mexico. A portion of the course will also focus on Modern and Contemporary art created by Native artists from all regions of the United States and Canada. This course presents specific works of art, architecture and performance in the context of their creation and usage within the greater culture. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the visual arts in the construction and representation of Native American ethnic and gender identity and Euro-American conceptions of authenticity. Slide presentations, lectures and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 331. Topics in Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art (4AF)
A selective study of art produced in Latin America in the 20th and 21st centuries. This course examines the work of individual artists and artist collectives across a variety of visual media including painting, graphic arts, sculpture, photography, film, new media and performance. Countries considered may include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico. Slide presentations, lectures and discussion. May be repeated for credit where the topic is not repetitive. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 350. Advanced Topics in Western Art History (4)
Various topics in art history, each representing study of an aspect of the discipline at an advanced level with a primary focus on Europe and/or the United States. ARTH 350 may be repeated for credit if the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course and its prerequisites, see the current online Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 355. Advanced Topics in Global Art History ()
Various topics in art history, each representing study of an aspect of the discipline at an advanced level with a primary focus on Africa, Asia, the Americas and/or the Islamic World. ARTH 3xx may be repeated for credit if the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course and its prerequisites, see the current online Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 382. Sexuality and Modernity (4A)
This course explores 20th century and contemporary art through changing conceptions of sexual identity. The course focuses on the visual arts as a primary means through which gender and sexuality were elaborated, negotiated, and enforced during the last 100 years, from the turn-of-the-century emergence of the “gay and lesbian individual” to ongoing shifts in conceptions of sex and gender roles. The course will consider style, content, and production contexts in diverse media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and performance. Seminar format, readings, and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, one 200-level ARTH course, one course in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, or consent of instructor.
ARTH 398/498. Off-Campus Internship (4-16E)
Off-campus experiential learning opportunity. A variety of internships can be arranged through the Career Development Center subject to the approval of the art history faculty. The off-campus internship is an individually-designed experience that allows the student to explore the relationship between learning and everyday work situations. Prerequisites: admission to the Internship Program and approval of the department chair. (See “Internships” under “Academic Policies” section.) Credit/no credit grading.
ARTH 440. Advanced Topics in Practice-Based Art History (4)
Selected topics in art history studied at an advanced level in an applied, experiential context. Individual course topics will vary with the instructor, but will generally focus on curatorial issues, object-based research and writing, museum/visual education, arts administration or collections management. Seminar format, readings, discussion and fieldwork. This course may be repeated for credit where the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course and its prerequisites, consult the current online “Schedule of Classes.”
ARTH 450. Advanced Seminar in Art History (4)
Selected topics studied at an advanced level in the context of the work of an artist, art movement, or a special problem. Seminar format, readings, and discussion. This course may be repeated for credit if the topic is not repetitive. For a description of each course and its prerequisites, see the current online “Schedule of Classes.”
ARTH 470. Critical Approaches to the Analysis of Art (4S)
This course explores the production and analysis of art and has two interrelated goals. The first is to develop students’ critical engagement with art, architecture, and visual culture. The second goal is to explore the historiography and methodologies that shape art historical inquiry. Organized around several major topics that have informed the ways in which art is created and interpreted, the class also provides an opportunity for specific applications of various methodological approaches through visual analyses of individual artworks. This course offers a foundation from which students can discuss and critically analyze art and visual culture as well as broader cultural movements and historical debates. Seminar format, readings, and discussion. Prerequisite is one of the following: ARTH 100, and one additional ARTH course, or consent of instructor
ARTH 490. Senior Experience in Art History (4E)
Advanced work in art history designed to synthesize materials from different course work within the major. Students join a 300 or 400-level art history course as the context for their senior experience. The synthesizing goal is achieved through a research paper or curatorial project that addresses the content of both the ARTH course and another selected upper-level course. Selection of the two courses must be made in consultation with and approved by the art history faculty. Prerequisite: approval of art history faculty adviser.
ARTH 493/494. St. Mary’s Project in Art History (1-8E)
The St. Mary’s Project in art history is an extensive independent study that focuses on art objects, theories, or issues. The project may take many forms, such as a research paper, an exhibition of selected objects presented with a catalog, or a video documenting and analyzing an architectural site or a display of public art. The work may be undertaken in conjunction with study abroad or a museum internship; or it may be focused on objects in museums in Washington, D.C., Baltimore or the St. Mary’s College Fine Art Collection. In consultation with a faculty mentor, the student identifies a topic that is supported by that student’s previous academic work. A formal proposal includes a statement of the substance of the project, the methodologies that will be employed, and the contribution that the project will make to the discipline of art history. The project will be presented to the College community through a means appropriate to the form of the project, such as an exhibition or a report of research findings. The work is supervised by a faculty mentor. Prerequisite: approval of the faculty mentor and the chair of the Art and Art History Department. Project guidelines are provided by the faculty mentor.