ART - Art

An analytical inquiry into the modes and media of visual culture, focused especially on the challenge of contemporary art. Drawing upon examples from ancient building to oil painting to advertisement to video, the focus will be on the nature and variety of expression and interpretation. Active looking, reading, and discussion will be paramount.

This course will be tied to the themes of Hood’s ongoing Humanities Colloquium.  Through selected readings and discussion as well as attendance at the Colloquium presentations themselves, students will be able to pursue some of the central topics of the Humanities and their many connections with art and archaeology.  This course can be retaken twice for credit, as its’ subject continually changes.

Introduction to the histories, types, functions and meanings of museums of art and history. Through reading, discussion, lectures, independent assignments and field trips to major museums in the area, we consider the many sorts of collections, contexts and displays, as well as political and social issues involved in running museums today.

This course is an introduction to the art and architecture of the premodern world. Beginning with global examples of prehistoric cave painting, we progress in a roughly chronological fashion through major developments in art, material culture, and architecture through ca. 1500. Through both well-known and little-studied case studies, we zero in on moments of social, political, cultural, and religious change while also investigating broader historical narratives of innovation, travel, conflict, and collaboration. Stressing the fundamental interconnectivity of premodern societies and the generative nature of intercultural exchange, this course also seeks to develop the skills of visual and material literacy that are fundamental to our own image-driven world.

This course is an introduction to art and architecture of the modern world. Beginning with global examples of early modern art (ca. 1500), we progress in a roughly chronological fashion up to the present day. We will examine a variety of mediums, including textiles, painting, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, textiles, performance art and video art, in their social, political and cultural context. Stressing the fundamental interconnectivity of our world and the generative nature of intercultural exchange, this course also seeks to develop the skills of visual literacy that are fundamental to our own image-driven world.

Archaeology of North America, from initial settlement to contact with European immigrants. Topics include identity of the first settlers, foraging societies of the Archaic, political development in the Midwest and Southwest, and urbanism in the Mississippian.

An introduction to the history of art and architecture of South and East Asia with an emphasis on India, China and Japan. Consideration of key artworks from each culture and their styles, themes and techniques; includes discussions of gender, ethnicity, class and ideology in the making and viewing of Asian art.

Prerequisite: ENGL 100 or 3 credits from ENGL 110-139. An intro to film aesthetics (cinematography, editing, sound) and formal structure (narrative, documentary, experimental) along with the historical, social, and theoretical contexts that shape our understanding of film art from its origins through to the present day.

This course will consider special topics of interest to students and faculty in the fields of art history and archaeology. Topics will vary.

Prerequisites: ART 220 or ART 221 or ARTS 101 or permission of the instructor. (May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credits) Practicum in methods and techniques of art gallery management. Under faculty supervision, students will serve as assistant curators of art exhibits in Hodson Gallery. Students will follow structured gallery procedures to facilitate the exhibition program.

Prerequisite: ART 221 or permission of the instructor. This course considers the origin, development and variety of photography, from its invention to the present. Students become acquainted with critical and interpretive approaches to photography. Lecture, discussion and independent analysis of selected topics, readings and images. Students have opportunity to produce both visual art and written projects.

Prerequisites: One of the following: ART 201, ART 220, ART 221 or permission of the instructor. This course prepares students for the critical reading and writing projects common to upper-level courses in Art and Archaeology. Students will learn to analyze a wide variety of art historical and archaeological writing, from general interest articles to scholarly monographs and technical reports. The course also involves several writing projects designed to expand students' abilities to observe, describe, research, and analyze artworks and artifacts through writing. Ideally completed in the second semester of the sophomore year, this course may not be taken in the senior year.

Prerequisites: ART 220 or permission of the instructor. A study of subject matter in art, especially subjects taken from classical mythology and the Old and New Testaments.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing, completion of the Social and Behavioral Analysis section of the Core and one course from the Scientific Thought section of the Core. This course examines the history of archaeological exploration and the discipline of archaeology as it is currently practiced. Archaeological cultures that vary from one another widely, both in terms of their geographic locations and the time periods in which they existed will be examined.

Prerequisites: Open to art majors and minors or by permission of the instructor. This class will examine the rediscovery and re-presentation of Egypt and related lands in the Middle East during the 19th and 20th century by artists, travelers and related figures. We will consider visual and literary sources of many kinds, from the lands of the Middle East and the Western cultures of discoverers.

Prerequisites: CMA 201 or ARTS 211 or permission of the instructor. Lab fee. This course will introduce students to the communication field of photojournalism. Photojournalism is a very powerful tool in documenting the world around us. From community events, conflicts around the world, the political arena, high school through professional sports and the environment, photojournalists are empowered to show to their audience events that affect their daily lives.

Prerequisites: Participation in instructor-led research trip and permission of instructor. Following a January Term or summer research trip offered by department faculty, students in this course will apply the knowledge and insight gained by the travel experience to analytical reading and discussion, and to an extensive research paper, or other similar advanced assignments.

Prerequisites: Art 220 or permission of the instructor. This course will examine the architectural development, archaeological exploration, historical context, military functions, and socio-political contexts of castles in England and Scotland from 1066 to the present day.

Prerequisites: ART 220 or HIST 264 or permission of the instructor Examines archaeology of the Aegean Sea region (Greece, Crete, and the Cycladic islands) from the Neolithic through the end of the Bronze Age (c. 10,000-1,000 B.C.). Traces the rise and collapse of the Minoans and Mycenaeans, their artistic and material expressions and their associated social, economic, religious and political institutions.

Prerequisite: Invitation of the department. (May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credits) An opportunity for qualified seniors to serve as teaching assistants in studio art, art history and visual media courses. Responsibilities may include tutoring, holding review sessions, attending field trips, assisting in grading tests and other duties defined by the instructor. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisite: ART 220 or HIST 264 or ART 312 or permission of the instructor. Traces the development of human culture and civilization, as expressed in artistic and archaeological evidence, from the origins of modern humans through the advent of agriculture and urbanism around the world. The geographic areas discussed in this course include Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Prerequisite: ART 220 or permission of the instructor. An examination of the architecture, sculpture, painting and other arts of the major early civilizations of the Near East, from the Neolithic to c. 500 B.C.. Special emphasis will be placed upon the interconnections between these cultures, as well as their points of divergence.

Prerequisites: ART 220 or permission of the instructor. This course examines the artistic production and archaeological discovery of the classical age – from the emergence of Greek culture after the Bronze Age to the reign of Constantine. Technological innovations and stylistic developments characteristic of this period are studied in painting, sculpture, architecture, mosaic, and the decorative arts.

Prerequisite: ART 220 or permission of the instructor. The visual and material cultures of Europe and the broader Mediterranean from roughly 1000-1400. Various course themes may include the natures of religious and devotional art; the intersections between faith and power; the influence of non-Western societies and artworks on Western medieval culture; and the various roles of art in medieval societies. Field trips to the Walters Art Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, and/or National Cathedral.

Prerequisite: ART 220 or ART 221 or permission of the instructor. Visual arts of northern Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands, England, etc.) from the late 13th - 16th centuries. Field trips to the National Gallery of Art and/or the Walters Museum of Art.

Prerequisite: ART 221 or permission of the instructor. Painting, sculpture and architecture in Italy, especially Tuscany, from the early 13th century until the late 15th century. Topics include civic, religious and private patronage, the changing status of the artist and humanism and the arts. Field trips to the Walters Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Art.

Prerequisites: Completion of a 200-level ART, HIST, GLBS, or LSSP course. A survey of pre-Hispanic art and archaeology of indigenous civilizations in Mesoamerica from the peopling of the Americas to A.D. 1519, focusing on the art, architecture, and ritual of the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec cultures.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Visual and Performing Arts section of the Core. Survey focusing on painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts from prehistoric to early modern Japan. The historical context of the artwork is emphasized to help students understand how Japanese artistic production is shaped by the social and cultural forces of the times.

Prerequisite: ART 221 or permission of the instructor. European art and architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Selected treatment of style, subject matter, medium and context of an art in the age of kings, courts, academies and emergent nations. Slide lectures and discussion, with a field trip to the National Gallery of Art.

Prerequisite: ART 221. Art and society in Europe and America from the French Revolution to World War I. Topics include the development of a "modern" visual idiom, rise in status of the artist, emergence of museums and galleries, invention and role of photography and new building technologies. Lecture, discussion, opportunity for independent research and field trip to a major collection.

Prerequisite: ART 221. This course will examine art created from 1970 to the present day by artists around the world. Emphasis will be placed on theory as a means by which to view contemporary art.

Prerequisites: 12 credits in art at the 200-level or above, and permission of the archaeology concentration coordinator. May be repeated. Opportunity to learn archaeological field methods through hands-on experience at an archaeological site selected in collaboration between the student and archaeology concentration coordinator. Students are expected to observe and learn both survey and excavation techniques, recording, drawing and analyzing finds.

Prerequisites: ART 220, ART 221 or permission of the instructor. Advanced topics in art history. A chance to pursue in more detail subjects only touched upon in large survey courses.

Prerequisite: ART 201, ART 220 or ART 221 This course allows students to focus on topics and media not featured in broader survey courses of Non-Western art and culture. Courses will feature analysis of major works of Non-Western art, placing these works and their artists in their historical and cultural contexts.

Prerequisites: ART 201, ART 220 or ART 221 or permission of the instructor. This course explores the pre-modern Islamic artistic and architectural traditions of the Mediterranean, Near East, and Central and South Asia. The course will also focus on how Islamic beliefs have shaped artistic and architectural traditions and cultural exchange between the Islamic world and the rest of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Prerequisite, for theory and studio, 9 credits in art theory and studio courses; for art history, 9 credits in art history or permission of the instructor. Open to juniors and seniors (with instructor's permission). Independent study in theory and studio, or art history.

Prerequisites: 12 credits in Art and Archaeology at the 200-level or above, and permission of the archaeology concentration coordinator; may be repeated. Opportunity to learn archaeological laboratory methods through hands-on experience at an archaeological lab. Students are expected to observe and learn proper laboratory methods in archaeolog6y, working with artifacts from recovery to preliminary analysis, including cleaning, stabilizing, sorting, cataloguing, and archiving archaeological materials.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members.

Prerequisites: ARTS 101, ART 220, ART 221 and 6 additional credits in art, preferably at the 300-level or above, and permission of the department. Supervised off-campus internship experience in an institution approved by the department. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in ART 370, ART 380 or ART 399.  This course completes the internship or fieldwork experience; it is recommended that a student take ART 399C the same semester as ART 370 or ART 380 or ART 399 (but previous completion is also acceptable). It complements and supplements the hands-on experiences with a range of relevant readings, research and presentations. Students do not need to repeat the course with a second enrollment in ART 370 or ART 380 or ART 399.

Prerequisites: Junior standing, completion of 12 credits in ART or ARTS courses with 3 credits at the 300-level or above, cumulative gpa of 2.00 and ART 221. Designed for advanced art history and studio art majors, this course focuses on contemporary topics in the visual arts with an emphasis on important developments in North American and European theory and criticism from the 1960s to the present.

Prerequisites: ART 220 and two courses in art history at the 300-level; open to juniors and seniors only. This seminar course will be devoted to various important subjects in archaeology. Topics will be issues of concern to professional archaeologists today; possible topics include archaeological ethics; religion and archaeology; ceramics and archaeology; and science in archaeology.

Prerequisites: Three courses in art history at the 200-level or above or permission of the instructor. Open to juniors and seniors majors in art history and archaeology only. This capstone course will be dedicated to various important subjects in art history, archaeology and visual culture. Part will be devoted to lecture and discussion of key readings, images and objects, part to the presentation and consideration of directed research by students.

Prerequisites: ART 370, and permission of the Archaeology concentration coordinator. May be repeated. Designed for students with some experience in archaeological fieldwork, who would like to gain greater hands-on experience at an archaeological site selected in collaboration between the student and archaeology concentration coordinator. Students will be expected to acquire one or more advanced archaeological skills.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.