Overview
An introduction to the social conditions and cultural movements that shaped European visual art of the nineteenth century in its global context. The course will stress the tension between modernity and anti-modernism as well as competing views on the very nature of visual art.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify and describe key social, political, cultural and technological developments of the period
- Identify and describe key features of 19th-century Western art movements
- Identify artists associated with 19th-century Western art movements and describe their styles and artistic interests
- Explain issues relating to the categorization of the visual arts
- Discuss how social, political and technological factors affect the visual arts
- Explain the non-linear development of European visual arts
- Compare factors contributing to the categorization of the visual arts
In addition students will have developed skills in:
- historical analysis
- critical thinking
- formal analysis
- writing
Topics
- Introduction to Art, Society and Culture
- Art & Politics
- New Approaches to the Natural World
- Realism and the Rise of the Middle Class
- Urbanization and the Concept of "Modernity"
- Exoticism and the Rise of Colonialism
- Medievalism and Social Reform
- New Ways of Seeing
Terms
Evaluation
30% - Research Essay
30% - Exhibition Assignment
20% - Quizzes (x5)
20% - Discussion Forums (x4)
*Evalaution Subject to Change*
Textbook and Materials
The following material is available from the :
- Michelle Facos, An Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Art, New York: Routledge, 2011. This is a comprehensive survey of nineteenth-century European art with a strong emphasis on the social and political context of the works discussed.
In addition to selections from the textbook, for each unit students will be required to read accompanying course notes. Additional resources will be listed at the end of each unit.
Time Commitment
Learning hours: 120 hours