A study of the principles of art applied to visual forms, with emphasis on modern art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Europe and the United States.
The full course site is available at https://arh141.commons.gc.cuny.edu/.

Examine the history of visual art across world cultures from the fourth millennium BCE to the twentieth century CE. Starting with the early civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, we will explore the ways in which art has shaped, and been shaped by,the development of empires, cities, religions, politics, and social life through history. Our focus will be on major monuments and artworks that are exemplary of their time and place, but we will also look at lesser known objects to nuance and deepen our historical understanding. Classes will be primarily lecture-based, with time for discussion and questions as we explore the issues raised by both the artworks and the required readings.

An introduction to the history of art, emphasizing visual literacy in an historical context. Major works of art and architecture, drawn from a wide range of world cultures and periods from ancient times to the present, will be explored.

Students will learn to analyze works of art critically from both an historical and an interpretative point of view; in addition, they will gain an understanding of the importance of cultural diversity through exposure to the arts of many different times and places.
Students will have extensive practice in articulating aesthetic judgments effectively in spoken and written form.
Students will learn how to draw upon the cultural riches of New York City to enhance their learning within and outside the classroom.
Identify unique characteristics of several artistic traditions, and recognize and analyze the differences among the major periods, artists, genres, and theories of art.
Use terms of art historical analysis correctly and be able to apply them to unfamiliar works.

What is art? Why is it created? What is its meaning? These are some of the questions we will ponder in this class. This course serves as an introduction to art, with an emphasis on visual literacy and historical context. We will explore major works of art and architecture, drawn from a wide range of world cultures and periods, from ancient times to the present.

An introduction to the study of art and its history from ancient times to the present. In this course, we will study the history of Western art, beginning with the first objects created by prehistoric humans around 20,000 years ago and ending with the art and architecture of contemporary times.

The information presented in this course will provide you with the tools to recognize important works of art and historical styles, as well as to understand the historical context and cultural developments of Western art history through the end of the modern period. Introductory readings paired with detailed lectures will provide you with a well-rounded sense of the history, art, and culture of the West up through modern times.

At the end of this course, you will be able to identify key works of art and artistic periods in Western history. You will also be able to discuss the development of stylistic movements and relate those developments to important historical events.

Introductory course offers various windows into the development of human expression through the arts, spanning prehistory to the 21st century. Using art from diverse cultures and time periods, we will explore the way that art functions within broader societal trends and ideas, both reacting to and influencing major historical moments. Students will become comfortable with speaking and writing about specific art-historical styles, issues and key terms, and be able to approach art in both a formal/visual and historic context. They will also learn how to navigate and explore their own specific interests within the history of art and become aware of resources that will guide them to further complexify their own research and writing.

Introduce students to major works of art from cultures around the world, spanning ancient to modern periods. We will focus on developing skills of formal analysis by closely studying works of painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will also discuss the objects chosen in their historical, political, sociological, and religious contexts in order to better understand their meaning and significance.

What is art? Why does it matter? This course presents a general global view of art history through slide lectures, class discussions, video resources and a museum visit. It selectively surveys the visual arts, beginning with the first objects created by prehistoric humans around 20,000 years ago and ending with the art and architecture of today, covering concurrent historical periods in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Using art from diverse cultures and time periods, we will explore the way that art functions within broader societal trends and ideas, both reacting to and influencing major historical moments.

You will become comfortable with speaking and writing about specific art historical styles, issues and key terms, and be able to approach art in both a formal/visual and historic context. You will also learn how to navigate and explore your own specific interests within the history of art and become aware of resources that will guide you to further your own academic pursuit

Introduces art and the academic discipline of art history. Using the discipline’s technical vocabulary, analyzes the standard visual, material and symbolic components of art. Addresses cultural products created from the Neolithic through to the end of the Western Middle Ages. Analyzes the purpose of art. Examines painting, drawing, sculpture and architecture in historical, political and cultural context. Analyzes art's function within society. Critiques how successive movements and styles are indebted to the past and to influences from other sources. Introduces key movements, important artworks and the biographies of individual artists.

Art 3062 focusses on major artists and themes in European art, mainly French, during the second half of the nineteenth century. Art and literature and new optical theories of color and light are explored. Questions of politics, gender, race, colonialism, exhibition strategies, urbanism and the landscape are problematized. Major artists include, Courbet, Manet, Degas, Lewis, Monet, Cassatt, Morisot, Cezanne, Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin

This course will examine the art of the first half of the twentieth century. We will consider the works studies within their relevant political and cultural contexts. Topics addressed will include the rise of abstraction, the liberation of color, the interest in the subconscious. We will begin with precedents to Modernism in the 19th Century and will conclude with WWII. Additionally, students will learn methods of art historical research and develop skills of visual analysis.

Home OER for Mona Hadler's ART3094-Postwar Art: From World War II to 1989. Twentieth-century art from World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Major movements include Abstract Expressionism, Fluxus and performance, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Postmodernism. Major artists include Pollock, Rauschenberg, Hesse, Serra, Richter, Warhol, Sherman. Issues of gender, race and politics are integrated into the entire curriculum. For document passwords, please contact Mona Hadler or the Brooklyn College Library.

Chris Richards' course at Brooklyn College offers a thematic examination of African art with an emphasis on the importance of women, a group recognized for their influence on and creation of artistic forms, yet seldom the exclusive focus of academic inquiry. Students will examine a diverse range of visual art forms throughout the African continent, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Although the course is organized thematically, students will be encouraged to interrogate these categories, exploring how specific art forms can fit into multiple categories. The thematic structure will allow students to compare similar art forms from different African cultures, such as pottery and masquerades. Lastly, this course will encourage students to question academic sources for potential biases, particularly in regards to the representation of women.

Global Contemporary Art from the Postwar/Postcolonial era to the present. It will consider the historical and contemporary contexts of the countries and artists discussed as well as theoretical issues of globalism, diaspora, and hybridity. While it would be impossible to cover all of global contemporary art in a course such as this, case studies involving different artists and regions will afford the opportunity to seriously investigate different artistic movements and cultures and address global and diasporic issues.

The course will look at the postwar or postcolonial periods in the various countries and then address more contemporary art that is global and often diasporic.

Designed as a survey of African textiles, personal adornment and fashion, students will engage with a variety of historical and contemporary dress practices, exploring how forms of dress are one of the most potent and malleable forms of African artistic expression. Beginning with colonial misinterpretations of “undressed” African bodies, students will examine “Classical” African textiles from across the continent, with an emphasis on their manufacture and cultural/social significance. African fashion from the 20th century will be addressed, illustrating the importance of revising and transforming historical textiles and dress practices. The significance of African dress will be further emphasized by drawing connections to contemporary art; artists including Yinka Shonibare and Mary Sibande will be explored, with an emphasis on how textiles have influenced their imagery and practice.

This class is an introduction to non-Western art. We will study the unique aesthetics and the basic ideas behind the arts made in the Islamic world, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and their diaspora. The course will consider the exhibition as a politicized arena and determine how particular ways of selecting and displaying the artworks or their lack of representation in museums can influence our knowledge. Students are encouraged to choose images and write their papers to communicate their ideas about the four focal areas and their diaspora. They are encouraged to think about how their knowledge and worldview can complement the existing world.

Course Description: In 324CE, Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, creating what scholars now refer to as the Byzantine Empire. From 324 to 1453, the Byzantine Empire existed as a major power in the Mediterranean World. Its artists negotiated its Roman past with its Christian present, innovating new modes of depicting the world in art and architecture. In this class we will examine works from the early through late Byzantine periods, questioning Byzantine identity in the arts. Drawing from a wide geographic range, we will consider the Byzantine Empire as a site of cross-cultural interaction and exchange, and ask how art objects expressed the diversity and power of the Empire.

An exploration of the art and architecture of the Silk Road across Afro-Eurasia, from the Han Dynasty (2nd century BCE) until the spread of colonialism (17th century). Some discussion of the contemporary Silk Road will also be included. Subjects covered: the history of art, the rise and interaction of Islam and Buddhism, and the economic and diplomatic context that facilitated the development and expansion of the Silk Road, the Silk Road today.

Art 3062 Graduate level: Same as Art 3062 with extra readings and projects.
Art 3062 focuses on major artists and themes in European art, mainly French, during the second half of the nineteenth century. Art and literature and new optical theories of color and light are explored. Questions of politics, gender, race, colonialism, exhibition strategies, urbanism and the landscape are problematized. Major artists include, Courbet, Manet, Degas, Lewis, Monet, Cassatt, Morisot, Cezanne, Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin.