Fall 2008 Credit Courses: Art History

Introduction to Art History
Students study a broad range of art (e.g., painting, sculpture, architecture) from antiquity to the present. Lectures focus on works of art and their relationship to their historical and social context. This course is intended for students with little or no background in art history.
Note: Students cannot receive credit for this course and ARH 1010 or ARH 1020. Closed to Purchase College art history majors.
AAR1500.45 / 4 credits
AAR9500.45 / noncredit option / $545
Beth Gersh-Nesic
Wed., 6:30–9:50 p.m.
Sept. 3–Dec. 17
Humanities Bldg., Room 1070

Impressionism
The simultaneous development of various painters associated with Impressionism (e.g., Monet, Renoir, Morisot, Pissarro, Manet, Degas, Cassatt) is presented. This radical new art movement is traced from the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874 to the last exhibition of 1886 and the appearance of the post-Impressionists. Students explore the shared relationships of the Impressionist artists.
AAR3400.45 / 4 credits
AAR9400.45 / noncredit option / $545
Catherine Spaeth
Mon., 6:30–9:50 p.m.
Sept. 8–Dec. 15
Humanities Bldg., Room 1070

Modern Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Art
Beginning with Auguste Rodin, generally considered the first modern sculptor, students explore the changes in concepts, methods, and materials that have brought about dramatic shifts in ideas about what constitutes sculpture. Movements examined include Cubism and Futurism, constructivism, Dada and surrealism, Pop Art, minimalism, super realism, conceptual art, Arte Povera, and Scatter art. There are visits to museums on and off campus.
AAR3450.45 / 4 credits
AAR9450.45 / noncredit option / $545
Catherine Spaeth
Tues., 6:30–9:50 p.m.
Sept. 9–Dec. 16
Humanities Bldg., Room 2062

The Cubist Epoch
An interdisciplinary examination of Cubism both as a phenomenon and an artistic movement. Discussions include Cubism’s style, history, and identification with modernism and modernity. In particular, the course explores the influence of Cubism in film, advertising, art, theatre, dance, music, and literature.
AAR3510.45 / 4 credits
AAR9510.45 / noncredit option / $545
Beth Gersh-Nesic
Thurs., 6:30–9:50 p.m.
Sept. 4–Dec. 18
Humanities Bldg., Room 1070

Realism in Art
Various artists from the 17th century to the present have worked in a style that can be termed “realist.” This course explores the definition of “realism” in art and examines why these artists chose to work in an empirical style. How do their styles differ, and what does their work tell us about the societies in which they lived? Students choose and place in social context a 20th-century or contemporary “realist” to discover how the meaning of “realism” has evolved over the centuries.
AAR3550.45 / 4 credits
AAR9550.45 / noncredit option / $545
Diane Russcol
Mon., 6:30–9:50 p.m.
Sept. 8–Dec. 15
Humanities Bldg., Room 2062

Posted May 14, 2008

Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses
Performing and Visual Arts Courses
College Credit Courses Overview