Lectures Monday 1:30-3:20pm (HW 615)
PDF of Fall 2023 Lecture Syllabus
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Tara Zanardi (tzanardi@hunter.cuny.edu)
Office: 1500D (Hunter College, North building, 15th Floor)
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:00am—12:00pm; also available on zoom by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW
This course introduces students to the discipline of art history as we explore, somewhat chronologically, major developments in various artistic traditions and regions. Although the survey will preference Western art history in order to maintain a sense of cohesion and structure, emphasis will be given to how cultures across the world have exchanged ideas to create new forms of art and how objects themselves circulated globally. We will examine myriad types of objects, from paintings and sculpture to ceramics. We will also look at architectural examples, both exteriors and interiors. The course will offer an introduction to different works of art as representative of specific cultural, social, and political practices, traditions, and ideologies. We shall cover works of art from North Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas to provide broad coverage and variety to the students’ experiences of disparate artistic customs and different artistic media. The survey will investigate art that engages with religion, politics, gender, sex, globalism, imperialism, the body, ethnicity, and more. Students will expand their understanding of the history, artistic customs, and politics of various countries and regions throughout the world from antiquity through the mid-twentieth century.
COURSE PARAMETERS
Art History 111 lays the foundation and is a prerequisite for all other art history courses offered by the Art & Art History Department. In addition, it can be used in partial fulfillment of the Core Requirements (Stage 2D) and fulfills the “Pluralism and Diversity” Requirement – Group D. It can also be used in partial fulfillment of the “individual and society” section of the Hunter/CUNY Common Core.
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND ASSIGNMENT DATES
Quiz: 10%
Exam 1: 25%
Exam 2: 25%
Term Paper: 25%
Participation: 15%
COURSE ORGANIZATION
The course includes two components: lecture and discussion section. Each week students will have new material introduced in the lecture. These lectures will be organized to follow the syllabus and the corresponding image lists. This material will serve as the basis for the quiz and exams.
DISCUSSION SECTIONS
Discussion sections are led by a Teaching Assistant (TA) and are scheduled on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (depending on the section you signed up for). These sections will take place each week for 50 minutes.
****Students are expected to attend discussion sections and are responsible for reviewing the image list, attending the lectures, and keeping up with the reading. Only then will students be active participants in discussion section. Since participation is part of your final grade, it is essential you attend section and regularly contribute.
These sections provide a small-group context for discussing a number of art works selected from the weekly image lists, and for asking questions about and commenting upon the material covered in the reading and in the lectures. The Teaching Assistants will also give instructions for student assignments, including the quiz, papers, and examinations, and will read and grade them.
CLASS MATERIALS
There is NO textbook assigned for the course. All readings can be accessed digitally via the links below. Students should complete the readings BEFORE lecture and familiarize themselves with the required objects on the image list before lecture and discussion section.
The course blackboard will include all relevant information: uploaded items include the syllabus, and, on a weekly basis, the powerpoint presentations and the corresponding image lists.
CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE
Active and informed participation in the discussion section is required. You must do the assigned reading before each weekly lecture and discussion section. Full attendance for the lectures and discussion sections is mandatory for the successful completion of the course. Attendance will be taken at the end of lecture. In addition, it is important you attend the exam reviews and the visit to the Frick collection. See the schedule for specifics.
FRICK VISIT
This museum visit offers an exciting opportunity for students to engage directly with works of art. Your discussion instructor will provide details on the date of your class visit to the Frick.
**Guidelines for Visiting Frick Madison
Health and Safety
The health and safety of our visitors and staff is extremely important to us. Masks that cover the nose and mouth are encouraged for all visitors to Frick Madison.
An inherent risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus exists in any public space where people are present. Those visiting voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, other infectious conditions, and other hazards that may be present in a public space.
More information about the Frick’s guidelines can be found on our website: https://www.frick.org/visit/guidelines#covid
QUIZ
The quiz will take place in discussion section. Instructors will give you specific information about its format. It will be helpful to begin reviewing the image lists with their objects and terms each week in preparation for the quiz (and exams) and it is essential that you keep up with the weekly lectures, reading, and section discussions.
EXAMINATIONS
There are two exams over the course of the spring term. One will cover the first half of the material and the other will cover the second half of the material (see course schedule for the specific information). These exams will be given during section. Your instructor will provide information on the exam format.
**Exam reviews will be held on the Monday preceding the exam.
PAPER
The paper assignment will include close looking and discussion of a single object. You will choose a specific work of art from a select group provided to you by your section instructor. You will consider the object (e.g., painting, print, drawing, sculpture, decorative object) in terms of its formal qualities and in relation to a specific theme. The specifics of the assignment will be provided to you by your TA.
Communication Studio:
The Communication Studio is a mentorship program in which Graduate Students in the Department of Art & Art History at Hunter College offer mentoring assistance to undergraduate students and their art history papers. The mentors can help with editorial concerns and any issues related to the structure of the paper, the formal analysis of objects, establishing a thesis statement, how to build an argument, and more. They offer weekly virtual office hours for you to visit. The schedule can be accessed below:
https://huntercollegeart.org/the-communication-studio/
**Students are encouraged to attend the Communication Studio at least ONCE for assistance with their paper for the course. Proof of attendance will be sent from the mentor to your section instructor. Extra Credit will be assigned to the final grade of your paper for attending.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will learn to:
- Gather, interpret, and assess information by reading assignments keyed to the theme of each week’s lecture
- Evaluate and study works of art and architecture through visual analysis
- Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions in their discussion sections, in their paper assigment, and on examinations.
- Identify and apply the fundamental concepts and methods of art history, in order to understand different artistic styles and media characteristic of various artistic traditions, time periods, and geographic regions.
- Explore the multiple ways in which art has both responded to and helped to shape political, religious, moral and ethical discourse in different societies at different times.
- Examine how an individual’s place in society affects experiences, values, or choices by focusing on how individual artists operate within the context of the society they belong to, their role in promoting, questioning or challenging prevailing beliefs and customs, and the responses art has provoked in its viewers and consumers: on the ways in which popular consciousness and social, political and religious discourse have evolved and changed in response to individual artists and the art they produce.
- Identify and engage with local, national, or global trends or ideologies, and analyze their impact on individual or collective decision-making by group discussions of artists whose work has helped to direct popular discourse and even shape public policy and responses to pressing world issues.
Hunter College Policy on Academic Integrity
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.
ADA Policy
In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical, and/or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY, located in Room E1214B, to secure necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance, please go directly to Stephanie Pietropaolo in E1235 or call (212) 650-3580. If you have a documentable disability or condition that makes it impossible to complete an assignment as written, please contact me immediately so an alternative can be arranged.
Hunter College Policy on Sexual Misconduct
In compliance with the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Hunter College reaffirms the prohibition of any sexual misconduct, which includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment retaliation against students, employees, or visitors, as well as certain intimate relationships. Students who have experienced any form of sexual violence on or off campus (including CUNY-sponsored trips and events) are entitled to the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights for Hunter College.
- Sexual Violence: Students are strongly encouraged to immediately report the incident by calling 911, contacting NYPD Special Victims Division Hotline (646-610-7272) or their local police precinct, or contacting the College’s Public Safety Office (212-772-4444).
- All Other Forms of Sexual Misconduct: Students are also encouraged to contact the College’s Title IX Campus Coordinator, Dean John Rose ([email protected]or 212-650-3262) or Colleen Barry ([email protected] or 212-772-4534) and seek complimentary services through the Counseling and Wellness Services Office, Hunter East 1123.
CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct Link: http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/la/Policy-on-Sexual-Misconduct-12-1-14-with-links.pdf
COURSE SCHEDULE
Egypt and Greece [LECTURE SLIDES]
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Egypt in the Old Kingdom (ca. 2649-2130 B.C.)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/oking/hd_oking.htm
“Kings and Queens of Egypt”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kqae/hd_kqae.htm
“The Art of Classical Greece”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tacg/hd_tacg.htm
“Architecture in Ancient Greece”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grarc/hd_grarc.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Ancient Egyptian Art”
https://smarthistory.org/ancient-egyptian-art/
“The Parthenon, Athens”
https://smarthistory.org/the-parthenon-athens/
“Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer)”
https://smarthistory.org/polykleitos-doryphoros-spear-bearer/
Rome and Byzantium SLIDES
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Augustan Rule (27 B.C.-14 A.D.)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/augs/hd_augs.htm
“The Roman Empire (27 B.C.-393 A.D.)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roem/hd_roem.htm
“Roman Painting”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ropt/hd_ropt.htm
“Byzantium (ca. 330-1453)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/byza/hd_byza.htm
“Icons and Iconoclasm in Byzantium”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/icon/hd_icon.htm
“The Byzantine State under Justinian I (Justinian the Great)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/just/hd_just.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Introduction to Ancient Roman Art”
https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-ancient-roman-art/
“Pompeii: An Introduction”
https://smarthistory.org/pompeii-an-introduction/
“Roman Wall Painting Styles”
https://smarthistory.org/roman-wall-painting-styles/
“Justinian Mosaic, San Vitale”
Medieval Europe SLIDES
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Relics and Reliquaries in Medieval Christianity”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/relc/hd_relc.htm
“Pilgrimage in Medieval Europe”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pilg/hd_pilg.htm
“Romanesque Art”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rmsq/hd_rmsq.htm
“Gothic Art”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Pilgrimage Routes and the Cult of the Relic”
https://smarthistory.org/pilgrimage-routes-and-the-cult-of-the-relic/
“The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris”
https://smarthistory.org/notre-dame-fire/
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) SLIDES
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ming/hd_ming.htm
“East and West: Chinese Export Porcelain”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ewpor/hd_ewpor.htm
“Landscape Painting in Chinese Art”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/clpg/hd_clpg.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Chinese Porcelain: Production and Export”
“Chinese Porcelain: Decoration”
“The Forbidden City”
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/imperial-china/ming-dynasty/a/forbidden-city
Ottoman Art and Architecture SLIDES
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“The Greater Ottoman Empire, 1600-1800”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grot/hd_grot.htm
“The Age of Süleyman ‘the Magnificent’ (r. 1520-1566)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/suly/hd_suly.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Hagia Sophia as a Mosque”
“Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul”
https://smarthistory.org/mimar-sinan-rustem-pasha-mosque-istanbul/
“Arts of the Islamic World: the Later Period”
https://smarthistory.org/arts-of-the-islamic-world-the-later-period/
The Renaissance in Europe
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Europe and the Age of Exploration”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/expl/hd_expl.htm
“The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/clan/hd_clan.htm
“Anatomy in the Renaissance”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/anat/hd_anat.htm
“Architecture in Renaissance Italy”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm
“Titian (ca. 1485/90?-1576)
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tita/hd_tita.htm
“Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/durr/hd_durr.htm
Baroque Art in Europe and the Americas
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Baroque Rome”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/baro/hd_baro.htm
“Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bern/hd_bern.htm
“Furnishings During the Reign of Louis XIV (1654-1715)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lofu/hd_lofu.htm
“Velázquez (1599-1660)”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vela/hd_vela.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Château de Versailles”
“Virgin of Guadalupe”
Eighteenth-Century Art in Europe and the Americas
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“German and Austrian Porcelain in the Eighteenth Century”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/porg/hd_porg.htm
“Venice in the Eighteenth Century”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/venc/hd_venc.htm
“The Grand Tour”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grtr/hd_grtr.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“A Beginner’s Guide to the Age of Enlightenment”
“A Beginner’s Guide to Rococo Art”
“Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress”
“Casta Painting in the Spanish Americas”
https://smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/francisco-clapera-set-sixteen-casta-paintings-c-1775/
Nineteenth-Century Art (Neoclassicism—Impressionism)
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Neoclassicism”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/neoc_1/hd_neoc_1.htm
“Romanticism”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Impressionism: Art and Modernity”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“A Beginner’s Guide to Romanticism”
“Constable and the English Landscape”
“A Beginner’s Guide to Realism”
“Courbet, The Stonebreakers”
“A Beginner’s Guide to Impressionism”
“What does ‘Impressionism’ Mean?”
“Haussmann the Demolisher and the Creation of Modern Paris”
The Modern World: ca. 1900 to the World Wars: Europe, Mexico, and the United States SLIDES
Readings:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
“Post-Impressionism”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/poim/hd_poim.htm
“Surrealism”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm
“Modern Storytellers: Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/most/hd_most.htm
Smart Art History Khan Academy
“Expressionism, an introduction”
“A Beginner’s Guide to Fauvism”
“Cubism”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm
“Italian Futurism: An Introduction”
“Introduction to Dada”
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/art-1010/wwi-dada/dada1/a/introduction-to-dada
“Mexican Muralism: Los Tres Grandes: David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and José Clemente Orozco”
“Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series”
https://smarthistory.org/jacob-lawrence-the-migration-series/
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