ARTS1050: Introduction to Art

Abstract

This course offers a basic introduction to the history of European and American art and architecture from the ancient period to the present. It is designed to provide an introduction to all the major eras of Western art by focusing on selected artists, artworks and buildings. The course is intended to offer students an understanding of the art and architecture they encounter and the tools with which to interpret it. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the social and artistic factors that structured and informed representation, providing insight into the ways in which culture both shaped artistic form and vice versa. Additionally, the course will offer frameworks for rethinking conventional notions of seeing and understanding representation. Students will learn basic methodological concerns of art history, including stylistic analysis, iconography, and contextualization, as well as some more complicated theories of interpretation. Throughout the semester, short assignments and in-class discussions will help familiarize students with the basic tools and vocabulary of art history. No previous experience with art history is required.