ARTH 301
Methods of Art History Spring 2018 (also offered Fall 2017)
Division I
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Class Details

This course on methods is designed to offer Art-History majors a foundational review of how art history is thought through today, focusing on developments in the discipline since the beginning of the twentieth century. Weekly readings are grouped around a particular art historical problem, approach, methodology, or disciplinary “turn” which has significantly impacted the way scholars think and write about art. Since art history is a field that acknowledges conclusions in scholarship are always reflective of how inquiry is organized and structured, my expectation for the course is that students will acquire a detailed grasp of the internal arguments of methodological texts, and also be able to ground the historical significance of these arguments in context, above and beyond the words on the page. Broad Course Objectives: 1) Cultivate visual and historical analysis, ekphrastic and critical writing skills. 2) Critically engage with the intersection of history, theory, interpretation, and methodology in the practice of reading and writing about art. 3) Ground analysis, argument, and interpretation in critical thinking. Discussion sections: Throughout the semester, one day a week will be devoted to lecture, and one day a week to student-led discussions of the assigned readings. Weekly lectures are primarily intended to support, contextualize and clarify the readings, not vice versa. To get the most out of the weekly lectures and discussions, it is imperative that you do all of the week’s readings before the lecture. At some point in the semester, each student will be assigned the task of leading the weekly discussion section on the topic of at least one of the week’s readings. This task entails organizing a short (~10 min) presentation of the essential argument(s) of the assigned reading(s), preparing 2-3 discussion questions to raise to the entire class, and arranging for visual presentation of art works pertinent to the discussion.
The Class: Format: lecture with weekly discussion sections
Limit: 25
Expected: 10-15
Class#: 4006
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: 6 Short writing assignments (<900 words): 40%; 1 Final Paper (10-15 pages): 25%; Leading Discussion Section (1 time/semester): 20%; Class Participation: 15%
Extra Info: may not be taken on a pass/fail basis
Prerequisites: declared major in art history or written permission from professor
Unit Notes: or spring: open to undergraduate Art-History majors only and required of them; graduate students may not enroll without permission of the department chair
Distributions: Division I

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