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ART HISTORY COURSES / COMPREHENSIVE LIST

* Meets Fine Arts Core Graduation Requirement
# Meets Cultural Diversity Graduation Requirement


*100 Survey of Western Art - Staff

History of art from prehistory to the present examined in relation to the cultural background in which it was shaped.

*#102 Survey of Asian Art - Mr. Thomas
Introduction to major monuments of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese architecture, sculpture, and painting.

*124 American Art - Mr. Smith
American art from the early colonial period to the present. Emphasis on Copley, West, Cole, Eakins, Homer, Bellows, Wood, Hopper, and Pollock.

*200 Greek Art and Architecture (Cross-listed as Classics 341) -
Mr. Toumazou

Minoan-Mycenaean art and architecture of the Agean Bronze Age; later Greek art and architecture from the Geometric to the Hellenistic Periods.

*202 Roman Art and Architecture (Cross-listed as Classics 342) -
Mr. Toumazou

Art and architecture of the Roman Republic and Empire, including influences of earlier Etruscan and Hellenistic Greek art upon the Romans.

*206 From Catacombs to Cathedrals - Ms. Serebrennikov
A survey of Christian art in the Middle Ages, including art and architecture from the Early Christian tombs in Rome to the earliest illustrated Bibles, Byzantine mosaics, and the Gothic cathedrals in France.

*208 Renaissance Art in North Europe - Ms. Serebrennikov
Painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts from Northern Europe, primarily the Low Countries and Germany, from 1400 to 1550. Major artists, development of oil painting, evolution of devotional imagery, emergence of secular art, effect of widely dispersed graphic images on the culture of this period, and outcome of the Protestant Reformation on the art of this region.

*210 Renaissance Art in Italy - Ms. Serebrennikov
Painting, sculpture, and architecture in Italy from 1300 to approximately 1570. Works by artists such as Giotto, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo; and the writers who were their contemporaries: Alberti and Vasari.

*212 Seventeenth-Century Art and Architecture - Ms. Serebrennikov
Painting, sculpture, architecture in Counter-Reformation Italy and the Golden Age of Protestant Holland. Artists including Caravaggio, Rubens, and Rembrandt, as well as issues such as how the differing demands of a Catholic culture and a Protestant economy affected the art of the period.

*214 Eighteenth-Century Art - Mr. Smith
Eroticism and revolution in painting and sculpture from Tiepolo to David.

*216 19th-Century Painting - Mr. Ligo
Developments in the history of painting from 1790 to 1890. Emergence of Neo-Classicism and the variety of responses to the movement, which came to be called Impressionism. Emphasis on French painting and parallel developments in America, England, Germany, and Spain.

*218 Modern Painting and Sculpture - Mr. Ligo
Developments in painting and sculpture that occurred from 1890 to 1945. Reaction against Impressionism and the demise of Surrealism. Developments in western Europe during this period and parallel developments in Russia and the United States. Participation in a study tour of appropriate Modern art museums in Washington, DC, and New York over fall or spring break is an integral part of the course and, as such, is strongly recommended.

*220 Modern Architecture - Mr. Ligo
Developments in architecture that occurred between 1850 and the present. Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the growth of architectural form. Recent architectural progress emphasizing the works of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Participants solve an assigned design problem and present their work to the class for critique.

*222 Painted Women to Women Painting - Ms. Serebrennikov
As a survey of gender in art, the first half of the course examines how women have been represented in Western art and what that implies about the balance of power between the genders over the centuries. The second half deals with the gradual growth of art made by women, the issues addressed by that art, and its reception in American culture of the past century.

*#226 Indian Art - Mr. Thomas
Art inspired by the Hindu, Buddist, Jain, and Islamic traditions as seen in the architecture, sculpture, and painting of the sub-continent.

*#228 Islamic Art - Mr. Thomas
Architectural and painting traditions under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs and in Moorish Spain, Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Persia, and Mughal India.

*230 Earth Art-From Lascaux to Lutyens - Mr. Ligo
The world history of garden design as a manifestation of humanity's ever-changing relationship with the natural world. Important gardens and their creators will be studied in light of the theology, politics, architecture, painting, theatre and stage design, poetry and philosophy that shaped them.
*304 The Gothic Cathedral - Mr. Ligo
Developments in architecture in western Europe from 1000 to 1500. Emergence of the Romanesque to the demise of the Gothic. Political, socio-economic, and theological contexts from which these architectural styles emerged. Growth in sculpture and stained glass during this period.

*310 Modern and Contemporary Art Criticism - Mr. Smith
Art criticism from the Modern and Contemporary periods, beginning with early Modern criticism and concluding with Post-Structuralism and beyond. Includes writings of Denis Diderot, Charles Baudelaire, Clement Greenberg, Theodor Adorno, Michael Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Lucy Lippard, Hilton Kramer, and Donal Kuspit.

*318 Contemporary Art - Mr. Smith
Major developments in 20th-century painting and sculpture from the beginnings of Abstract Expressionism (c. 1945) to the present.

320-370 Seminars
Courses numbered with even numbers from 320 through 370 are art history seminars limited to 10 to 15 upperclass students with preference given to art majors. These seminars are offered on an irregular basis in areas of special interest to the faculty.

322 Seminar: Classical Greek Sculpture (Cross-listed as Classics 444) - Mr. Toumazou
Greek sculpture from 480 to 323 BCE. Emphasis on techniques of stone carving and bronze casting, the great masters, Greek originals vs. Roman copies, sculptural programs, symbolism and political propaganda through art. Prerequisite: Classics 341/Art 200 or permission of the instructor.

328 Classics Abroad: Greek and Roman Architecture (Cross-listed as Classics 357) Classics - Staff
Survey of major and minor forms of classical art and architecture. Includes the arts of Byzantium and examples of Medieval and Renaissance art and architecture derived from the classical tradition.

#332 Seminar on Indian Art History - Mr. Thomas
Begins with the art nurtured by the Tamil dynasties, continues with the art of the Buddhist cave temples, and concludes with an in-depth study of Mughal art. This specially designed weekly seminar is offered as part of the Semester-in-India Program.

372/374/376 Seminar in Art History in France - Mr. Ligo
An occasional program open to sophomores, juniors and, in exceptional cases, seniors regardless of major. Three of the courses are in art history; the fourth is an independent study or French language course arranged by the student and under the direction of a Davidson College professor (not necessarily in the art department). The first part of the seminar is spent in Davidson in an orientation course and in researching and writing papers for presentation by the participating students to members of the seminar while on location in France. The remaining time is spent in Paris and Chartres and on study tours of important artistic centers in other parts of France. The program is limited to 13 students chosen through an interview process. Prerequisite: Art 100.

378/380 Seminar in Art History in Italy - Ms. Serebrennikov
A four-course program open to sophomores, juniors, and in exceptional cases, seniors regardless of major. Two of the courses are in art history, the third is an independent study under the direction of a Davidson College professor (not necessarily in the art department), and the fourth is Italian language. The program is centered in Rome with travel to other important sites and is limited to 15 students chosen through an interview process. Prerequisite: Art 100 or 210.

382/384/386 Seminar in Art History in England - Mr. Ligo
A four-course program open to sophomores, juniors, and in exceptional cases, seniors regardless of major. Three of the courses are in art history; the fourth is an independent study arranged by the student under the direction of a Davidson College professor (not necessarily in the art department). The program is based in London with frequent travel to other important English sites and to Paris. It is limited to 15 students chosen through an interview process. Prerequisite: Art 100.

390/392/394 Independent Study Staff
For the student who wishes to pursue some special interest in art history underthe supervision of a faculty member, who reviews and approves the student's work on a regularly scheduled basis. The project, initiated by a qualified student and approved in advance, has a substantial paper as its end result. Normally limited to majors.
 
400 Perspectives in Art History - Staff
Required in fall semester for all art majors with an emphasis in art history.

402 Capstone Seminar - Staff
Topics in art history required in spring semester for all art majors with an
emphasis in art history. May include a study tour of appropriate sites.

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HONORS IN ART HISTORY

The Chair of the Art Department will send all rising Juniors with an emphasis in art history a letter explaining the following requirements and deadlines.

1. 3.2 overall GPA by end of junior year
2. 3.5 GPA in art by graduation (by end of junior year, evidence that this goal is achievable)
3. Meet all the deadlines outlined below.

Spring Semester, Candidate's Junior Year

Proposal of Intent, Stage One
Due to Chair of the Art Department normally at 5 pm on the first Friday in March. If that day falls during spring break, it is due the following Friday.
Stage One of the Proposal consists of two double-spaced, typed pages (headed by a working title for the project) that explain the topic, discuss what led you to this topic and what interests you about it, outline your plan for the next two months to investigate and narrow the topic, identify the Art Department faculty with whom you have discussed the project, and explain how you have consulted research sources thus far.

Proposal, Stage Two
Due to Chair of the Art Department normally at 5 pm on the first Friday in May.
The revised Proposal of Intent presents the investigative question(s) that will guide your research; mentions possible faculty members (including at least two members of the art history faculty) who could direct your work, as well as their willingness and ability to do so; includes a bibliography of primary and secondary sources (using the bibliographic format found in The Art Bulletin); explains your plans for finalizing the topic; indicates how courses you have taken or will take would inform the thesis project; and suggests summer research possibilities.

Acceptance/rejection letters will be mailed
to all applicants by mid-June.

Fall Semester, Candidate's Senior Year

The candidate whose proposal has been accepted will enroll in Art 496 during the fall semester of the senior year. The candidate and his/her primary faculty advisor(s) will establish appropriate target dates and deadlines necessary for the successful completion of this course. Requirements of the course will include but may not be limited to the following (the faculty advisor may have to augment these requirements as needed):

(1) By the end of the fifth week of the semester the candidate will give a twenty-minute presentation that explores the results of the his/her research; how the thesis plans have changed and/or solidified on the basis on this new research; a working thesis statement; and a working outline of the argument for the thesis. After the student's presentation, committee members will engage the student in questions and discussion about the thesis plans.
(2) By the end of regular classes for the fall semester, the candidate will submit a draft of the completed project. The draft will be presented in appropriate Art Bulletin format, including endnotes and bibliography.
(3) The candidate will receive as "Incomplete" at the end of the fall semester; this grade will be changed to a letter grade upon the successful completion of the Honors requirements of the spring semester.

Spring Semester, Candidate's Senior Year

(1) By the end of the fifth week of the semester, the candidate will have completed a revised draft of the thesis. Please note: a re-vision is not the same as a re-write.
(2) By the end of the eighth week of the semester, the candidate will have submitted the final draft of her/his thesis.
(3) Defense of the thesis

a. During the last two weeks of the semester a one-hour oral exam of the thesis will be completed.
b. All members of the candidate's committee will be present at the examination and will be given fifteen minutes each to ask the student questions.
c. At the end of the questioning, the student will be asked to leave the room briefly while the committee members confer over the student's performance. At the end of the session, the student will be asked to return to hear the faculty's response. If, in the opinion of the faculty, the thesis did not meet the requirements for Honors, the student will be assigned a letter grade other than "A" for Art 496.

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