ART HIST 102 — Seeing Through Conspiracy Theories

3 credits.

Fake news is not a new problem. In taking on this ongoing issue, we begin before living memory (to avoid the deadening effect of feedback loops within today's media world), with a focus on the visual and built environment. How do conspiracy theories work? Do they fall into patterns? How can we recognize them? If they are empowering, how should we think about that? Visual material plays a special role in the reinforcement of conspiracy theories. Case studies around the world, from the Egyptian pyramids to the birth of "modern" art in the twentieth century, center on ways in which an evidence-based account of the making of an artwork or architectural site has been replaced by a (usually more interesting) story about its true, hidden nature. This story usually purports to reveal the "conspiracy" of an empowered institution or group to keep the truth away from average people. Of course, the reality is often much simpler and the dynamics of power more complex.

ART HIST 103 — Topics in Art History

3-4 credits.

Offers an introduction to world art by taking a thematic approach. Topics will center around art and architecture produced in a variety of media, from a wide time span, and a range of cultural and geographic points of origin.

ART HIST 104 — The Art of Diversity: Race and Representation in the Art and Visual Culture of the United States

3-4 credits.

The history of art and visual culture in the United States from the period of colonization until the present from the perspective of how that imagery produced ideas of race and operated to define, exclude, and include various groups over time. Three basic aims: 1. To introduce art history of the United States from c. 1600-2018; 2.To provide skills in visual analysis and critical thinking; and 3. To encourage the understanding of ethnic and cultural minorities in the United States with an emphasis on the visual arts related to marginalization or minority status in the twentieth-and twenty-first century.

ART HIST 105 — Introductory Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Introductory topics in Art History.

ART HIST 106 — Have Brush, Will Travel: The Italian Renaissance from Florence to Rome

3 credits.

Examines artistic developments that took place in Florence in the 15th century, and how the Florentine Renaissance paved the way to the achievements by painters, sculptors, and architects in Rome in the 16th century, many of whom traveled from Florence to Rome in pursuit of economic opportunity. Introduces the numerous important artistic works produced in Florence, Rome, and other artistic centers, and provides a basic understanding of the purposes, methodology, and terminology of art historical study.

ART HIST 107 — The Body, Sex, & Health in Art

3 credits.

Considers the many fascinating ways in which cultures represented ideas of health, sex, disease, medicine, and death, focusing on the ways different art forms (painting, sculpture, architecture, prints, photography, textiles, decorative arts, hair, costume, music and dance, food) conveyed historically and culturally distinctive ideas about bodies. Linking the topics will be an attention to how notions of race, gender, and disability determine representations of the body. Enjoy an introduction to basic skills in visual interpretation that are widely applicable in today's world, while covering health and body-related topics chosen from the arts of Europe, China, Japan, Africa, the Islamic World, and the United States. Our objects of study range from ancient Greece and Rome to the present, with an emphasis on nineteenth- to twenty-first century art.

ART HIST 130 — Seeing Race: Anti-Racism and Visual Culture

3 credits.

Confronting how images work to shape ways of seeing race, this introduction to visual cultures tracks how power works through the visual - from visual surveillance and racial profiling to anti-racist visual activism. Trains critical understanding of the role of imaging in producing ways of seeing race in its intersections with gender, sexuality, and ability. Through critical consideration of the spectacle of racialized violence and the everyday micro-aggressions of the stereotype, addresses the ways that images harm. Also considers how just representation may offer restitution and repair. Explores forms of anti-racist visual activism that seize the power to look back. And questions the ethics of an assumed right to look and to take an image. In asking these imperative ethical and political questions about what images do, trains the critical capacity to harness and intervene in the powers of imaging.

ART HIST 201 — History of Western Art I: From Pyramids to Cathedrals

4 credits.

Examines the arts and cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean basin before the Renaissance. Explores canonical works such as the pyramids at Giza, the Parthenon in Athens, the Venus di Milo, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Book of Kells, the Great Mosque at Córdoba, Chartres cathedral, and Giotto's Arena Chapel. Define art broadly, to encompass the material culture of everyday life, including jewelry, ceramics, and textiles. Considers the social and historical contexts of art and artistic production - art and imperialism, ethnicity, technology, religious ritual and belief, and myth and storytelling, and its relationships to basic human concerns: death and the afterlife, desire and the body, self-definition and portraiture, power and propaganda, monstrosity and the supernatural, the divine and the sacred. Develops crucial skill sets: critical visual analysis, contextual interpretation, research methods and resources, historiography, and oral, written and digital communication.

ART HIST 202 — History of Western Art II: From Renaissance to Contemporary

4 credits.

Examine the arts and culture of Europe and North America from the Renaissance through the present. Explore important fine art, architecture, decorative arts, and photographic masterpieces by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Learn how works of art were valued from the moment of their making, fought over by different nations, bought, sold, stolen, or ignored for centuries and revived only recently for study through the political, historical, social and cultural contexts of their making. Critically examine the concept of artistic genius; the influence of colonialism and imperialism on artistic production and consumption; the role of the patron and the art market in art's production and circulation; the relationship of fine art and popular culture; and the idea of globalization as it relates to "western" artistic traditions. Develop skills in visual analysis to understand artistic production.

ART HIST 203 — Survey of Asian Art

3-4 credits.

Introduction to the artistic traditions of China and Japan from neolithic times to the nineteenth century and the Buddhist art of India with its subsequent East Asia embodiments.

ART HIST 205 — Global Arts

3-4 credits.

ART IS GLOBAL (and always has been). Today, we find Egyptian protest artists inspiring activists around the globe via the internet, but in earlier times, Roman glass and Buddhist icons moved along the ancient Silk Route, networks of exchange flourished in the medieval Mediterranean region, and colonial empires brought visual cultures into volatile contact. Learn how to analyze images and objects produced through such exchanges that occurred around the world from ancient times through the contemporary. Develop skills needed to live fully in a world in which borders are no barriers to the movement of images, objects, and ideas and to deepen understanding of cultural differences and interactions. By exploring works in a range of media and tracing processes of cross-cultural exchange, develop sensitivity to visual and material form and a solid foundation in the practice of visual and material analysis.

ART HIST 206 — Survey of Photography: 1839 to 1989

3-4 credits.

Survey of 150 years of photography's processes, practitioners, and genres. Emphasis on tensions between its commercial, vernacular, and artistic forms.

ART HIST 210 — A History of the World in 20 Buildings

3 credits.

Explores the world and its histories through an examination of its great buildings. Employs a case study, cross-cultural approach to the study of architecture, rather a comprehensive survey of architecture. Learn to appreciate the interaction between culture, history, and architectural form across time and space.

ART HIST 227 — The Ends of Modernism

4 credits.

Considers the end of Modernist art as it gives way to what is called, problematically, contemporary art. While the term modern may generally mean what is vanguard or current, Modernism indicates a period of art (and the humanities) ranging from, arguably, 1880-1950. By considering its end, one can study four pivotal aspects of the movement: its origins, themes, and afterlives, as well as the art and histories that challenge its coherence. Modernism emerges as a heterogeneous set of images and attendant discourses which, negatively or positively, continue to work within the contemporary artistic and cultural moment.

ART HIST/​AFROAMER  241 — Introduction to African Art and Architecture

3 credits.

Examines the rich heritage of African arts and architecture as they shape and have been shaped by the histories and cultural values (social, political, religious, philosophical, and aesthetic) of African peoples, both past and present, on the continent where humanity began. It includes an historical overview of selected artistic traditions from different parts of the continent from 26,000 BCE to the 21st century and thematic/cultural case studies: artists and aesthetics; textiles, decorative, and personal/body arts; architecture; and individual artists.

ART HIST/​AFROAMER  242 — Introduction to Afro-American Art

3 credits.

Historical survey of African American art. Beginning with the African heritage and concluding with creativity of the 1970's, examine the evolution of African American art. Attention to the aesthetic sensibilities of diverse styles as well as the social significance of Black art within the art arena.

ART HIST/​ANTHRO/​DS/​HISTORY/​LAND ARC  264 — Dimensions of Material Culture

4 credits.

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of material culture studies. It is intended for students interested in any professional endeavor related to material culture, including careers in museums, galleries, historical societies, historic preservation organizations, and academic institutions. During the semester, students have varied opportunities to engage with and contemplate the material world to which people give meaning and which, in turn, influences their lives. Sessions combine in some way the following: presentations from faculty members and professionals who lecture on a phase of material culture related to his/her own scholarship or other professional work; discussion of foundational readings in the field; visits to collections and sites on campus and around Madison; discussion of readings assigned by visiting presenters or the professors; and exams and short papers that engage material culture topics.

ART HIST/​CLASSICS  300 — The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece

3-4 credits.

Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.

ART HIST 301 — Myths, Loves, and Lives in Greek Vases

3-4 credits.

Explore the world of the ancient Greeks through their painted pottery. Greek pottery offers a uniquely rich imagery of mythology, athletics, domestic scenes, fabulous monsters, drinking parties, and other aspects of Greek life and imagination. They were used by ordinary people, and their use offers insights into their everyday lives and concerns, and a counterbalance to the elite accounts preserved in literature and poetry. Consider the long history of Greek vases from about 800 BC until about 350 BC, and focus on themes such as relationships with the East, myth and epic poetry, narrative, and everyday subjects such as women's lives, death and the afterlife, and the symposium. Make use of the excellent collection of Greek vases in the Chazen Museum, and write research papers using that collection.

ART HIST 302 — Greek Sculpture

3-4 credits.

Problems in style, techniques and reconstruction of glyptic sculpture, koroplastics and bronzes from the Late Bronze Age through fifth century B.C.

ART HIST 303 — Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Surveys the arts or visual culture of varying geographical regions, time periods, or cultures depending on selected topic.

ART HIST/​CLASSICS  304 — The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome

3-4 credits.

Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Italy, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity.

ART HIST 305 — History of Islamic Art and Architecture

3 credits.

Surveys the architecture, landscape, book arts, and luxury objects produced in Islamic contexts from Spain to India from the 7th through the 21st centuries. Attention will be focused upon the relationships between Islamic visual idioms and localized religious, political, and socioeconomic circumstances. In particular, examine the vital roles played by theology, royal patronage, ceremonies, gift exchange, trade, and workshop practices in the formulation of visual traditions.

ART HIST 307 — From Tomb to Temple: Ancient Chinese Art and Religion in Transition

3 credits.

How did ancient Chinese create an underground space for the afterlife? Why was jade used as a medium to prolong human life or transcend the finite world? How was Buddhist art reappropriated in China? Why did calligraphy emerge as the highest artistic form of self-expression? What is the art of the silk-road? Learn about art forms and concepts that developed in China from remote antiquity to the mid-10th century. The artworks that survive from this long period were created primarily in the contexts of funerary culture and religion, while knowledge of art made for other purposes is based on texts. Organized chronologically, examine the materials, techniques, and functions of the most important artistic media in each period. These media will include jade-carving, metalwork, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, textile and architecture. Consider the aesthetic concepts and social groups associated with the various art forms.

ART HIST 308 — The Tastes of Scholars and Emperors: Chinese Art in the Later Periods

3 credits.

In what ways were Chinese arts special and noteworthy within the broad history of world art? Why is Chinese landscape painting regarded as the "highest form" of Chinese painting? How did scholars' taste influence garden, furniture and other craft-making? Why did each emperor have his own porcelains made as a way to claim his sovereignty? How did the booming of print culture influence Chinese religious practice in the early modern period? Why did dreams become a popular subject in Chinese art? Learn about art forms and concepts that developed in China from the mid-10th century to the early 20th century. Chronologically, examine the development of painting, calligraphy, woodblock printing, ceramics, lacquer wares, textile, architecture, and photography. In addition to material, technique, subject and function, consider the aesthetic concepts and social groups associated with various art forms.

ART HIST 310 — Icons, Religion, and Empire: Early Christian and Byzantine Art, ca. 200-1453

3 credits.

Why did early Christians consider art necessary, if potentially dangerous? How did they adapt and compete with Roman and Jewish traditions? How were the visual propaganda and monumental architecture of the Roman Empire transformed during a millennium of Byzantine (East Roman) rule? These are key questions addressed as we explore the role of architecture and images in religion and imperial politics of the Mediterranean basin between the 3rd and 15th centuries. Other broader topics include the cult of the saints; theories and functions of icons and iconoclasm in Orthodox Christianity; text and image in illuminated manuscripts; multi-sensory aspects of sacred space and ritual; Byzantium's role in global cultural exchange.

ART HIST 318 — Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture

3-4 credits.

Art and architecture of Western Europe, ca. 1000 to ca. 1350. Particular emphasis on the relaionship of the arts to theology, ritual, concepts of the body, rulership and courtliness.

ART HIST 320 — Italian Renaissance Art

3-4 credits.

Painting, sculpture, and architecture.

ART HIST 323 — From Michelangelo & Raphael to Titian: The Arts in 16th Century Italy

3-4 credits.

Examines art from 1500-1570, or the High Renaissance to Mannerism, and concludes at the beginning of the Church Reform period. Emphasis is on painting, sculpture and architecture, but the graphic and decorative arts as well as patronage and the impact of global discoveries also are included.

ART HIST 331 — Angels, Demons, and Nudes: Early Netherlandish Painting from Bosch to Bruegel

3-4 credits.

Over the course of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, painting in the Netherlands experienced dramatic technological advancements: the application of oil on panel allowed for an unprecedented richness of color; experiments with optics led to improved illusions of space; artists rendered light and reflections as never before. Did these advancements in depicting the natural world conflict with or enhance the portrayal of spiritual visions? Did realism pave the way for secular art? Looks critically at the relationship of science and art, tradition and innovation, the imagined and the experienced. The delicate preciousness of Jan van Eyck, the strange spaces of Petrus Christus, the bizarre hellscapes of Hieronymus Bosch, and the peasant festivals of Peter Bruegel will guide us through these themes.

ART HIST 335 — Study Abroad in Ancient/Medieval Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 336 — Study Abroad in Renaissance/Baroque/Northern Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 337 — Study Abroad in 18th-20th Century Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 338 — Study Abroad in African/Asian Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 341 — Italian Baroque Art

3-4 credits.

Italian painting, sculpture, architecture, and the graphic arts between 1600 and 1750 with emphasis on Caravaggio, the Carracci, Artemesia Gentileschi, Bernini, Algardi, Borromini, the Tiepolo family, and Piranese.

ART HIST 346 — British Art and Society from the Eighteenth Century to the Present

3-4 credits.

Major movements covered include: eighteenth century art of the public sphere (Hogarth, Wright of Derby), Neo-Classicism (Reynolds), Romanticism (Blake, Turner), landscape, Pre-Raphaelites, modern movements and the postmodern revival of British art.

ART HIST 350 — 19th Century Painting in Europe

3-4 credits.

History of European painting from 1800 to 1900.

ART HIST 351 — 20th Century Art in Europe

3-4 credits.

Major artists and movements from 1880 to 1950.

ART HIST 354 — Cross-Cultural Arts Around the Atlantic Rim: 1800 to the Present

3-4 credits.

Interdisciplinary study of cross-cultural exchange and conflict, focusing on the visual arts, with sections on literature, film and music from the Americas, Africa and Europe.

ART HIST 355 — History of Photography

3 credits.

European and American photography from its invention to the challenge of electronic media, emphasizing the student's development of a critical approach to the medium.

ART HIST 357 — History of Wisconsin Architecture, 1800-present

3 credits.

Introduces methods of studying historical architecture through a focused examination of buildings across the state of Wisconsin. Learn about particular building features, building types, and methods of approaching buildings through a tight focus on a bounded geographical realm. This geographical focus allows for in-depth analysis and research of buildings.

ART HIST/​AMER IND  359 — American Indian Art History: Contemporary Issues

3 credits.

A thematic introduction to contemporary (1960 - present) Native North American art drawing from historic (pre and post-contact) precedents. Topics are generated from the conceptual themes of contact, conflict, exchange, appropriation and re-appropriation of American Indian imagery, materials, and ideas.

ART HIST 360 — Gore Luxury Identity Mimesis: Northern Renaissance

3 credits.

Why do Netherlandish Lamentations feature bloody, putrefying wounds? Why is a skull distorted across Holbein's Ambassadors? Is there interracial love in Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights? Featuring the cultural production of Jan van Eyck, Tilman Riemenschneider, Albrecht Dürer, Hieronymus Bosch, Hans Holbein the Younger, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and others, surveys both visual culture and canonical monuments of art in Northern Europe c. 1400-1570. Engage with media ranging from mass-producible prints to the pseudo-antique format of medals, emphasizing the canonical formats of painting and sculpture. How did this visual output emerge in the context of cultural changes in the spheres of naturalism, technology, humanism, theology, and European "expansion," among others? Informed by readings of primary and secondary textual sources, develop strong skills in visual analysis, a deep sense of historical context, and experience with traditional methodologies.

ART HIST/​DS  363 — American Decorative Arts and Interiors: 1620-1840

3-4 credits.

Interdisciplinary study of the design, production, and consumption of household objects and their American domestic settings, 17th through the early 19th centuries.

ART HIST 364 — History of American Art: Art, Material Culture, and Constructions of Identity, 1607-present

3-4 credits.

Examines the history of American Art from the period of permanent European settlement through the present. Works of art and other forms of material culture will be explored and discussed within the context of philosophical, historical, social, and cultural developments in the United States and across the globe.

ART HIST 365 — The Concept of Contemporary Art

3-4 credits.

Traces out some of the radical changes in art produced after roughly 1950, or what might be called contemporary art. focuses on American and European art after the "decline" of Modernism. That entails becoming familiar with movements ranging from color field painting, to postmodern production, to performance, video, and installation. Additionally, attention will be paid to artists and artwork that are not adequately represented by the traditional categories of art history.

ART HIST 372 — Arts of Japan

3-4 credits.

A survey of Japanese art, including painting, sculpture, architecture, woodblock prints and various crafts.

ART HIST/​RELIG ST  373 — Great Cities of Islam

3 credits.

A comparative study of the foundation and development of five great cities in the history of Islam: Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, Mecca, and Isfahan. Architectural projects, ornamental idioms, and changes to the urban plan are studied from aesthetic and cultural perspectives. Integrates historical and religious studies to highlight the shifting nature of Islamic culture, from the tenth century CE to the present.

ART HIST 375 — Later Japanese Painting and Woodblock Prints

3-4 credits.

An introduction to the history and aesthetics of Japanese painting and woodblock prints from 1600 to 1900.

ART HIST/​ASIAN  379 — Cities of Asia

3 credits.

Historical overview of the built environment of cities of Asia from antiquity to the present; architectural and urban legacy in its social and historical context; exploration of common themes that thread through the diverse geographical regions and cultures of Asia. Not open to students with credit for LCA 379 prior to Fall 2019.

ART HIST 403 — Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Topics will vary as to media, geography, culture, and time frame.

ART HIST 405 — Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece

3 credits.

Topics include urbanism in ancient Greece in theory and practice; the forms, technologies, patronage and use of buildings; the creation and conception of urban space; and the organization of religious sites, dedications, and rituals.

ART HIST 407 — Topics in Nineteenth Century Art

3-4 credits.

Nineteenth century visual culture. Topics include: representations of race and gender; the history of photography; popular imagery and aspects of Modernism.

ART HIST 408 — Topics in Twentieth-Century Art

3-4 credits.

Special topics of 20th-century art that focuses variously on Europe, England, America, or their international interaction. Emphasis on art in its historical and social context.

ART HIST 409 — Topics in Contemporary Art

3 credits.

Topics offered concern the rigorous study of the history and theory of contemporary art.

ART HIST 411 — Topics in Asian Art

3-4 credits.

In-depth examination of special topics related to Asian art, including South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.

ART HIST 412 — Topics in African and African Diaspora Art History

3-4 credits.

Cultural and historical forces that have shaped the arts of either a specific people or a specific site in Africa or the African Americas.

ART HIST 413 — Art and Architecture in the Age of the Caliphs

3 credits.

The tenth century CE marked a period of drastic change in the Islamic world, as the unified Islamic caliphate splintered into three rival dynasties: the Sunni Iraqi Abbasids, Spanish Umayyads, and the Shi'ite Fatimids in Egypt. Consider this turning point in the history of Islamic culture through the lens of art and architectural patronage. Explore the architectural and urban projects of the three dynasties to examine competing visions of power, sources of legitimacy and the development of Cairo, Baghdad/Samarra and Cordoba as capital cities. Also consider the role of portable arts, addressing the role of exchange and gift-giving in the Mediterranean context and the problems of attribution in this highly mobile environment. Themes include the role of sectarian identity (Shi'ite vs Sunni); the incorporation of Christian and Jewish culture; the relation between the court and urban populations; and the meaning of ornament and style in Islamic art.

ART HIST/​MEDIEVAL  415 — Topics in Medieval Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Medieval art. Topics may include: "Death and the Afterlife in Medieval Art"; "Civic Art and Architecture and Public Space in Medieval Italy"; "Rome in the Middle Ages"; "Pilgrimage the Cult of the Saints in Medieval Byzantine Art.

ART HIST 420 — Topics in Italian Renaissance Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Italian Renaissance art.

ART HIST 425 — Race and Gender in Italian Early Modern Art

3 credits.

Focuses on critical omissions in traditional characterizations of Italian Renaissance art. Gender and race issues created tensions between historical contexts and visual representations, often idealized or obscured. Reevaluates imagery of nudes, witches, children, and material culture.

ART HIST/​ASIAN  428 — Visual Cultures of India

3 credits.

Concentrates on image complexes (art, photography, and cinema) and visual environments (architecture, urban planning, and public rituals) of India; examination of visual culture through thematic issues such as, sexuality, patronage, cultural encounter, transculturation, ways of viewing, modernism, and nationalism. Not open to students with credit for LCA 428 prior to Fall 2019.

ART HIST 430 — Topics in Visual Culture

3 credits.

Introduces key issues, theories, and methods in visual cultures studies, emphasizing aspects that affect the practices of art history and providing a changing topical focus that addresses new research in this developing interdisciplinary area.

ART HIST 431 — Topics in Theory

3 credits.

Introduces philosophy and theory relevant to the study of art history and visual cultures with a focus on a particular body of theoretical work and an organization in terms of key questions and concepts.

ART HIST 435 — Study Abroad in Ancient/Medieval Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 436 — Study Abroad in Renaissance/Baroque/Northern Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 437 — Study Abroad in 18th-20th Century Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 438 — Study Abroad in African/Asian Art

1-6 credits.

Treatment of an art historical topic in a course offered at a university outside the United States. Enrollment in a UW-Madison resident study abroad program.

ART HIST 440 — Art and Power in the Arab World

3 credits.

Considers the use of art and architecture as an expression of power in the Arab world, from the seventh century to the present. Beginning with the establishment of the caliphate and ending with the arts of revolution following the Arab Spring, investigates the shifting role of art and architecture in the quest for political dominance. With a particular focus on the arts of Cairo, Baghdad, Cordoba, Mecca, Jerusalem, Damascus, and the modern Arabian Gulf, explore competing visions of power and sources of legitimacy, through the lens of artistic production.

ART HIST 454 — Art in Germany, 1900-1945

3-4 credits.

Expressionism and its sources, with an emphasis on developments prior to World War I; the Bauhaus and the later careers of major figures.

ART HIST 457 — History of American Vernacular Architecture and Landscapes

3 credits.

Survey of American vernacular buildings and landscapes from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis is on acquiring descriptive tools and developing interpretive frameworks to explore the significance that these vernacular environments have had for their makers and users.

ART HIST 468 — Frank Lloyd Wright

3-4 credits.

An analysis of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and writings.

ART HIST 469 — Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts

1-4 credits.

Guest artists offer interdisciplinary instruction on topics appropriate to their specializations.

ART HIST 475 — Japanese Ceramics and Allied Arts

3 credits.

A history of Japanese ceramics and related topics such as Chinese and Korean ceramics and the tea ceremony. Emphasis placed on the technological, cultural, political, and economic, as well as aesthetic, dimentions of ceramic development.

ART HIST/​RELIG ST  478 — Art and Religious Practice in Medieval Japan

3 credits.

A study of spaces, objects, and images within the context of religious belief and practice in Japan between 1300 and 1600, when great Zen monasteries grew up alongside older Buddhist/Shinto religious "megaplexes," and new salvationist sects spread throughout Japan.

ART HIST 479 — Art and History in Africa

3-4 credits.

Selected African art traditions in their historical and cultural settings.

ART HIST 500 — Proseminar: Special Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Art History taught in a seminar-style format. Topics will vary as to media, geography, culture, and time frame.

ART HIST 505 — Proseminar in Ancient Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Ancient Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 506 — Curatorial Studies Exhibition Practice

3 credits.

Preparation of an exhibition for the Chazen Museum of Art or other exhibition spaces on campus. Help conceptualize the exhibition and its layout, research and interpret individual objects, prepare wall texts for the display and other materials published in print or online in conjunction with the exhibition. The specific focus will be different each time the course is taught.

ART HIST 510 — Proseminar in Islamic Art and Architecture

3 credits.

A rotating topic in Islamic Art and Architectural History

ART HIST 515 — Proseminar in Medieval Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Medieval Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 525 — Proseminar in Italian Renaissance Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Italian Renaissance Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 535 — Proseminar in Northern European Painting

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Art History focusing on Northern European Painting taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 555 — Proseminar in 19th Century European Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in 19th Century European Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 556 — Proseminar in 20th Century European Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in 20th Century European Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 563 — Proseminar in Material Culture

3 credits.

Interdisciplinary study of the way people use objects and environments to express identities and relationships in households, communities, and larger social/economic systems.

ART HIST 567 — Proseminar in American Architecture

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Art History focusing on American Architecture taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 569 — Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts

1-4 credits.

Guest artists offer interdisciplinary instruction on topics appropriate to their specializations.

ART HIST 575 — Proseminar in Japanese Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Japanese Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 576 — Proseminar in Chinese Art

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Chinese Art History taught in a seminar-style format.

ART HIST 579 — Proseminar in African Art

3 credits.

Study (either thematic or culture-specific) of African arts and architecture in historical and cultural perspectives.

ART HIST 600 — Special Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Topics will vary as to media, geography, culture, and time frame.

ART HIST 601 — Introduction to Museum Studies I

3 credits.

Introduces the history of museums and collecting; studies and practices in museology and connoisseurship; exhibition planning, research, cataloging, and installation.

ART HIST 602 — Introduction to Museum Studies II

3 credits.

Implementation of an exhibition, permanent collection installation or another museum-based project. Builds on projects from ART HIST 601.

ART HIST 603 — Curatorial Studies Colloquium

3 credits.

Engage in a broad range of questions, both theoretical and practical, related to curatorial practice through a series of sessions on curatorial strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on integrative and collaborative approaches to curating a wide variety of material: art, film, music, books, anthropology/culture, archeology, history, geology, zoology, dance, etc. Engage with experts on the theories, objectives, and processes of conceiving, designing, and mounting exhibitions, as well as reaching different audiences with both physical and virtual exhibitions. Also introduces the distinctive collections and resources on campus and in the region.

ART HIST/​ASIAN  621 — Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces

3 credits.

Spatial lagacy of colonialism; explores important ways in which the population, landscape, architecture, and urban environment of colonies were mapped, made, and represented, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries; theoretical and empirical analyses from diverse disciplines and spatial terrain. Not open to students with credit for LCA 621 prior to Fall 2019.

ART HIST/​HISTORY/​JOURN/​L I S  650 — History of Books and Print Culture in Europe and North America

3 credits.

History of books and print culture in the West from ancient times to the present. Focus on the influence of reading and writing on social, cultural, and intellectual life. Methodologies, theories, and sources for study of book and print culture history.

ART HIST 681 — Senior Honors Thesis

3 credits.

Mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.

ART HIST 682 — Senior Honors Thesis

3 credits.

Mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.

ART HIST 691 — Senior Thesis

3-6 credits.

Mentored individual research and study for students completing a senior thesis.

ART HIST 692 — Senior Thesis

3-6 credits.

Mentored individual research and study for students completing a senior thesis.

ART HIST 697 — Undergraduate Curatorial Studies Internship (Directed Study)

1-3 credits.

Internship study in applied learning experiences in museums and other curatorial settings. Students must identify internship possibilities with substantial research components. and have them approved by the instructor.

ART HIST 698 — Directed Study

2-3 credits.

Advanced directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.

ART HIST 699 — Directed Study

1-3 credits.

Advanced directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.

ART HIST/​CLASSICS  700 — The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece

3 credits.

Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.

ART HIST 701 — Practicum in Art History: Bibliography, Historiography, Methods

3 credits.

Intensive work in critical analysis and research methods; introduction to the methods and historiography of art history; orientation to source work in the Elvehjem collection and in University libraries.

ART HIST 703 — Curatorial Studies Colloquium

3 credits.

Engage in a broad range of questions, both theoretical and practical, related to curatorial practice through a series of sessions on curatorial strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on integrative and collaborative approaches to curating a wide variety of material: art, film, music, books, anthropology/culture, archeology, history, geology, zoology, dance, etc. Engage with experts on the theories, objectives, and processes of conceiving, designing, and mounting exhibitions, as well as reaching different audiences with both physical and virtual exhibitions. Also introduces the distinctive collections and resources on campus and in the region.

ART HIST/​CLASSICS  704 — The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome

3 credits.

Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Italy, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity.

ART HIST 706 — Topics in American Art History

3 credits.

Varied topics on American Art History.

ART HIST 707 — Topics in Nineteenth-Century European Art

3 credits.

Topics in specific aspects of 19-century visual culture.

ART HIST 712 — Topics in African & African Diaspora Art History

3 credits.

Topics in African and Diasopora Art.

ART HIST 715 — Topics in Medieval Art

3 credits.

Various themes of current interest in the art, architecture and visual culture of medieval Europe and the Mediterranean (including the Byzantine Empire and Islamic states of the Mediterranean rim).

ART HIST 731 — Topics in Early Modern Art

3 credits.

Topics in Early Modern Art.

ART HIST 749 — Topics in Architectural History

3 credits.

Topics in Architectural History.

ART HIST/​ANTHRO/​DS/​HISTORY/​LAND ARC  764 — Dimensions of Material Culture

4 credits.

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of material culture studies. It is intended for students interested in any professional endeavor related to material culture, including careers in museums, galleries, historical societies, historic preservation organizations, and academic institutions. During the semester, students have varied opportunities to engage with and contemplate the material world to which people give meaning and which, in turn, influences their lives. Sessions combine in some way the following: presentations from faculty members and professionals who lecture on a phase of material culture related to his/her own scholarship or other professional work; discussion of foundational readings in the field; visits to collections and sites on campus and around Madison; discussion of readings assigned by visiting presenters or the professors; and exams and short papers that engage material culture topics.

ART HIST 775 — Topics in Japanese Art History

3 credits.

Topics in Japanese Art History.

ART HIST 776 — Topics in Chinese Art History

3 credits.

Topics in Chinese Art History.

ART HIST 779 — Topics in Architecture & Urbanism of Asia

3 credits.

Topics in Architecture and Urbanism of Asia.

ART HIST 797 — Curatorial Studies Internships (Directed Study)

3 credits.

Internship study in applied learning experiences in museums and other curatorial settings. Students must identify internship possibilities with substantial research components and have them approved by the instructor.

ART HIST 799 — Independent Study

1-6 credits.

Directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.

ART HIST 800 — Seminar: Special Topics in Art History

3 credits.

Topics will vary as to media, geography, culture, and time frame.

ART HIST/​AFROAMER  801 — Historiography, Theory and Methods in Visual Culture

3 credits.

Focuses on the knowledge, theories, and methods that are fundamental to the transdisciplinary discipline of Visual Cultures. Develops skills in critical reading, research, analysis, writing, and oral presentation.

ART HIST/​AFROAMER  802 — Visual Cultures: Topics in Visual Cultures

3 credits.

Content will vary to facilitate in-depth engagement with a particular topic in Visual Culture. Topics will be pursued with analytic attention to gender, sexuality and race.

ART HIST 805 — Seminar-Ancient Art and Architecture

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Ancient Art.

ART HIST 810 — Seminar in Islamic Art and Architecture

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Islamic art and architectural history.

ART HIST 815 — Seminar-Medieval Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Medieval Art.

ART HIST 835 — Seminar-Northern European Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Northern European Art.

ART HIST 855 — Seminar-19th Century European Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in 19th Century European Art.

ART HIST 856 — Graduate Seminar in Twentieth Century European Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in 20th Century European Art.

ART HIST 863 — Seminar in Material Culture

3 credits.

Interdisciplinary study focusing on the way people use objects and environments to express identities and relationships in households, communities, and larger social/economic systems.

ART HIST 865 — Seminar-American Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in American Art.

ART HIST 867 — Seminar-American Architecture

3 credits.

Rotating topics in American Architecture.

ART HIST 875 — Seminar in Japanese Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Japanese Art.

ART HIST 876 — Seminar in Chinese Art

3 credits.

Rotating topics in Chinese Art.

ART HIST 879 — Seminar in African Art

3 credits.

Critical examination of selected theoretical and methodological issues affecting the study of African art and architecture in their historical and cultural perspectives.

ART HIST 990 — Research and Thesis

3 credits.

Advanced level mentored reading and research for students with dissertator status.