Thursday, June 2, 2016

Art History Syllabus

ARH 101
(3 credit hours)
Art History Survey: Renaissance to Modern
Summer 2016
Room: Wilson Hall 168

Instructor: Dr. David Stewart
Office Wilson Hall Room 164
Office hours: MTW 12:30-2:30, and most R, or by appointment
Phone: 256-824-2587
Email: stewartd@email.uah.edu (I don’t use email for grades)

Course Description: Survey of the major works of art and architecture produced since the Renaissance, their major themes, the artists, and the critical issues that affected the cultures in which they were created.

Objectives: To learn the major works of art and architecture produced since the Renaissance, to understand their major themes, to learn the major artists and to understand the critical issues that affected the cultures in which they were created.

Textbooks: Adams, Art Across Time Vol. II

Course Requirements:

Exams: There will be two exams. Each exam will cover one half of the course. Students are responsible for being able to identify all illustrations in Adams discussed in class. Exams will include slide ID’s, slide comparisons and essays.

Slide ID’s will test mastery of the core facts of the course. Students should be able to identify the artist, the title and date, as well as the style period of each work of art.

Critical analysis check lists and essays will assess your ability to analyze texts and lectures to identify their structures and their gaps. You will analyze three check lists for each exam. For each exam, I will assign one short paragraph and two you will select two lectures. A critical analysis essay will count 20% of your grade on the mid-term and 20% of your grade on the final.

No make-ups will be considered without permission. Make-ups will be cumulative and will be given at the final exam.

Papers: There will be 2 one-page papers. Be brief and precise. These are visual analysis papers.



1) The first paper will use a reading as its starting point. It will test your ability to distill a single thesis from a reading. More importantly, it demands that you build a link between written text and one visual work of art. You will support your argument using formal analysis. You should discover the link between cultural concepts and aesthetic expression. The work of art you choose must be one not discussed in class.

2) The second paper will be an analysis of a work of art of your choice in the Huntsville Museum of Art. This paper asks you to interpret a work of art that you observe directly. Your paper must have a thesis that interprets the work of art you chose. Your paper should support that thesis through thorough visual analysis.

Grading: Exam average is 70% of your final grade. Paper average is 30% of the final grade

Grading Scale
Exams and papers are given as essay assignments. Numerical grades are not given.
A Superior achievement
B Above average achievement
C Average achievement
D Passing achievement
F Failing work

BONUS POINTS. At the beginning of each class we will have a Team Collaborative Question or Challenge. Each student will be assigned to one of four teams alphabetically. You will compete to win a maximum of 2 points added to your Final Course Grade. Second place will earn 1.5 points, Third place, 1 point, and Forth place .5 points. Name your Team.

Class discussion and class questions are encouraged. The more questions you ask the more you will learn. I also consider your contribution to class when determining grades that rest on a border.

Lecture and Reading Schedule

Week Topic and Assignment

May 31 Introduction
Renaissance in the Fifteenth Century
Adams Chapter 13
June 6 CANVAS paragraph by Michael Baxandall Tuesday
FIRST ONE PAPER DUE: June 7
The Sixteenth Century
Adams Chapter 14, 15, & 16
The Baroque


Adams Chapter 17

June 13 The Baroque Outside of Italy
FIRST EXAM: June 14
The Eighteenth Century
Adams Chapter 18 & 19
June 20 19th Century
Adams Chapter 20-23
CANVAS paragraph Morse Peckham Tuesday
June 27 20th Century
Adams Chapter 24-29
Tuesday, Huntsville Museum of Art Paper DUE June 28
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, June 30th, 8:00-10:30 am.



No comments:

Post a Comment