ARH 1011/1012: History of Art (4 cr.)

The fall semester provides a chronological survey of Western art, primarily of Europe, from prehistory through the Renaissance. The second semester surveys both an area of non-Western art and Western art from the Baroque to the present. Museum visits or papers may be required. Prerequisite: ARH 1011 is a prerequisite for 1012. (Fall) (Spring)

ARH 1018: The Age of Castle and Cathedral (3 cr.)

This lecture course introduces students to painting, manuscript illumination, sculpture, and architecture produced in Europe during the 4th to the 14th centuries. Topics include Early Christian, Byzantine, Early Medieval, Carolingian, Ottonian and Romanesque art, as well as the birth and development of Gothic architecture. (Fall)

ARH 1030: History of Photography (3 cr.)

A survey of the history of photography from its earliest years to the present. We will examine the impact of various inventions upon the practice of this art form and also look at the work of some past and present masters. Commercial, documentary and art photography will be discussed. The course is non-technical in nature. (Fall)

ARH 2022: Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt (3 cr.)

This course provides a survey of the art of ancient Egypt from the Predynastic Period through the end of the Late Period. The objectives of this course include mastery of major monuments of ancient Egypt, including painting, sculpture and the decorative arts, and the contexts for which they were created, including funerary complexes (mastabas, pyramids, rock cut tombs and funerary temples), temples dedicated to the gods and royal palaces. (Spring)

ARH 2024: Survey of Irish Art (3 cr.)

This course will provide an overview of Irish art from the Neolithic era to the present day. Particular emphasis will be placed on the “golden age” of Irish art in the early middle ages and on developments during the Georgian era in the18th century.

Architecture, sculpture, metalwork, manuscripts and paintings will be examined within the context of the various influences on the Irish culture and the development of a national identity. (Spring)

ARH 2025: Survey of African Art (3 cr.)

This course will survey the history of art in Africa from ancient times to the present. The student will be introduced to the stylistic diversity of Sub-Saharan African art through lectures and readings. Lectures will stress the aesthetic qualities, religious, social, and ethnographic functions and meanings of African art forms. Each week the student will be introduced to a geographical region of Africa and the art producing ethnic groups of each region will be studied. Particular attention will be given to figural and masking traditions; other topics will include textile design, architecture, and royal arts. (Fall)

ARH 2038: Baroque Art and Architecture in Italy (3 cr.)

This lecture course introduces students to the painting, sculpture, and architecture produced in Italy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Topics to be explored include the political and intellectual landscape of the period; the emergence of female artists; architecture and urbanism in Rome; the impact of the Counter-Reformation and Council of Trent on the arts; changing patterns of patronage; antiquarianism and art collecting. The careers of individual artists will be examined in depth, including Bernini, Caravaggio, the Carracci, and Artemisia Gentileschi. There will be a midterm, final, and one essay (2-3 pages). (Spring)

ARH 2039: The City of Rome, Antique to Baroque: Study Tour (3 cr.)

This class is offered in conjunction with the Art History Department's Study Trip to Rome during the March spring vacation. Students are introduced to the vast architectural and artistic riches of the city of Rome from antiquity through the Renaissance and Baroque by daily guided visits to monuments such as the Imperial Forum, Colosseum, the Basilica of Saint Peter’s, the Vatican Museums, and the Capitoline Museums. Students enrolled in Section 1 will focus on aspects of ancient Roman culture or art; students enrolled in Section 2 will focus on aspects on an aspect of Renaissance or Baroque culture or art. Prerequisites: Sign up with the Art History Department occurs in the fall term to allow travel arrangements to be made. Permission of instructor is required; there are trip charges in addition to tuition. (Spring)

CSCH 3002: Decoding Da Vinci (4cr.)

This interdisciplinary seminar takes as its point of departure Dan Brown’s contemporary fictional thriller, The DaVinci Code (Anchor/Doubleday 2003). Students are expected to read the book before the course begins. During the course, students will be introduced to a wide array of primary texts as well as visual materials that will help them come to a more sophisticated, critical understanding of some of the factual and interpretive assertions made by Dan Brown with regard to church history, the historical identity of Saint Mary Magdalene, her relationship with Christ, as well as the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci. (Spring)

ARH 3042: The Nude: The Female Body in Art (4 cr.)

This seminar will examine the changing image of the female nude in the history of art from the Renaissance to the present. We will employ a feminist methodology in considering topics such as the male gaze (and the possibility of a female gaze), and the way in which art creates social constructions of gender. Prerequisite: Two art history courses or permission of the instructor. (Fall)

ARH 3063/5063: Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Art (4 cr.)

A seminar focusing on the ways in which the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome used art as a means of presenting and representing the relationship between biological sex (male, female) and the social invention of gender (husband, warrior, king, wife, mother, whore, etc.). Prerequisite: Two art history courses or permission of the instructor. (Fall)

ARH 3077/5077: Mexican Muralists: Picturing Revolution (4 cr.)

This seminar will investigate the Mexican Mural Movement (1923 – 1974), a major artistic movement in Latin American culture born in 1920s revolutionary Mexico and culminating in the socially-conscious art of the 1960s. The course will focus on the work of the three most prominent Latin American muralists, Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Particular consideration will be given to their role in the development of 20th century politically-conscious art, and to the politics of the Mexican Revolution. We will also study the work of other Mexican artists, such as Rufino Tamayo and Frida Kahlo. Prerequisite: Two art history courses or permission of the instructor. (Spring)

ARH 3080: Seminar for Majors (4 cr.)

The Seminar for Majors is a departmental capstone course open only to, and required of all, Art History majors. It may be taken in the junior or senior years. The seminar introduces students to various methodological approaches to the discipline, and provides the forum for refinement of written and oral communication skills. Through frequent guest lectures and field trips, the seminar also introduces students to the professional world of art history. Students are urged to consult with the instructor or department chair before registering for this course. Prerequisite: At least one art history seminar; completion of ARH 1011 and ARH 1012 preferred. (Fall)

ARH 4495: Independent Study (3 cr.)

Students may undertake a research project with the approval and supervision of a member of the art history faculty. (Fall) (Spring)

ARH 4497: Internship (3 cr.)

Museums, galleries, historical societies, auction houses and other cultural institutions in Westchester and New York City offer many opportunities for internships. One day per week of work (or the equivalent), a written journal and overview paper, and the written evaluation of an on-site supervisor are required. (Fall) (Spring)