Art History Courses (AH) - Graduate Level Courses
500./400. 19th Century Photography (3)
Prerequisites: AH or ART graduate student, or consent of instructor.
Examination of 19th century photography.
Letter grade only (A-F).
501./401. American Art to 1900 (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Survey of American art from the time of European settlement to roughly 1900 with special focus on cultural, political, and historical contexts. Combines slide lecture with discussion of primary and secondary readings.
Letter grade only (A-F).
508./408. Early Christian and Byzantine Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Architecture, mosaics and sculpture of Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople from the decline of the Roman Empire to the end of the Byzantine era.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 408 or ART 598B. Letter grade only (A-F).
509./409. Romanesque Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Arts of Northern Europe from Merovingian through the Romanesque periods.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 409 or ART 598C. Letter grade only (A-F).
510./410. Gothic Art (3)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Architecture, sculpture, and painting in western Europe from the 12th through the 14th centuries, with special attention to the construction and decoration of the great cathedrals, and to the development of new approaches to style and content in the figural art of the 14th-century Italy.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 410 or ART 598D. Letter grade only (A-F).
511./411. 20th Century Photography to the Present (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
History of 20th and 21st c. photography. Emphasis on critical issues ranging from the fine art print to photo-based arts, from the "truth" of documentary to constructed realities. Study of the camera's impact on modern and postmodern visual culture.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 411 or ART 511. Letter grade only (A-F).
515./415. Issues in Art History: Theory and Practice (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art History, Art Studio, or Art Education or consent of instructor
Theoretical and practical considerations in the discipline of art history, specifically issues relating to art interpretation, classification, valuation, and circulation.
Letter grade only (A-F).
516./416. Greek Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Survey of Greek Art from beginnings in Aegean period through late Hellenistic period. Key monuments of architecture, sculpture, painting, vase-painting, and so-called minor arts discussed relative to contemporary theories, criticism, and history. Focus on techniques and materials of various arts.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 416 or ART 598E. Letter grade only (A-F).
517./417. Roman Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Survey of Italian arts before the Romans, including indigenous art of the Italic peoples and the Etruscans, and Roman Art from early Republic to Age of Constantine. Discussion of major art forms of architecture, painting, sculpture and so-called minor arts.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 417 or ART 598L. Letter grade only (A-F).
523./423. Early Renaissance Art in Italy (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of stylistic and technical developments of fifteenth-century Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture, as well as interaction of cultural, social, and religious developments with visual arts. Special attention to the revival of classicism, and influence of private patrons.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 423 or ART 598F. Letter grade only (A-F). Course fee may be required. Information on fees related to this course can be found here.
524./424. High Renaissance Art in Italy (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of sixteenth-century Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture, emphasizing that of Florence, Venice, and Rome. Historical, cultural, religious, and theoretical framework. Special attention to works by a handful of major artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and the Mannerists).
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 424 or ART 598G. Letter grade only (A-F).
525./425. Northern Renaissance Painting (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of artistic developments in Northern Europe, particularly Flanders, France, and Germany, from the 14th century through 16th century. Historical, cultural, and religious and theoretical framework. Special attention to iconography, and the changing role of the artist in society.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 425 or ART 598H. Letter grade only (A-F).
526./426. Baroque Art in Spain, the Netherlands, and England (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examines the closely intertwined political and artistic situations in the Netherlands (Flanders and Holland), England and Spain during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Emphasis on the relationship between Rubens and Velasquez, and the contrast between Rubens and Rembrandt; also Flemish influence in England, due especially to Anthony van Dyck.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 426 or ART 598J. Letter grade only (A-F).
527./427. Baroque Art in Italy, France, and Germany (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Explores the birth of the Baroque in Rome, and the role of the Counter-Reformation in shaping artistic genres in Italy and France in the early 17th century. Also covers the influence of the Versailles court of the "Sun King," Louis XIV, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, especially in the independent Teutonic states.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 427 or ART 598K. Letter grade only (A-F).
530./430. Introduction to Curatorial Practices (3)
Prerequisites: AH 111A, AH 111B, or consent of instructor.
Study of contemporary art display theory/practice including exhibition typologies, curatorial models, and recent transformations in museums, galleries and the art market. Designed for Museum and Curatorial Studies Certificate students and others interested in studying museum practices within a broader context.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 435B./535B.
531./431. History of Museums and Exhibitions (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Study of history of art museums and how displays reflect social and cultural conditions and political ideologies. Attention to controversial exhibitions, and recent transformations in the field.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 435, AH 435, AH 435A, or AH 535A.
536./436. Neo-Classicism to Romanticism, 1789-1850 (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of Neo-Classicism, Realism, Romanticism, photography and the academic tradition in art and culture of Europe from 1789-1850.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 436 or ART 598M. Letter grade only (A-F).
537./437. Impressionism to Post-Impressionism, 1850-1900 (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Analysis of the development of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in France from 1850 to 1900.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 437 or ART 598N. Letter grade only (A-F).
538./438. Art of Early to Mid Twentieth Century (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of key developments, trends, movements of the period including Abstraction, Non-Objective art, Expressionism, Dada, and Surrealism.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 438 or ART 598P.
539./439. Art of Mid to Late Twentieth Century (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of key developments, trends, movements of the period including Pop Art, Happenings, Minimal Art, Art and Technology, Environmental, Concept, Performance and Video Art.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 439 or ART 598Q.
541./441. Contemporary Art in Context (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art History or consent of instructor.
International survey focusing on developments in art from late twentieth century to present. Examination of precedents, traditions, legacies behind current art. Consideration of critical/theoretical issues and factors influencing production and reception of current art.
Letter grade only (A-F)
542. Internship in Museum Studies (3)
Prerequisites: AH 430/530 or consent of instructor.
Supervised internship in selected museums, college and community art centers appropriate to student's particular academic interest. Opportunity to work with museum professionals in the field to expand student understanding of the complexities, discipline and challenges in the profession.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 3 units in the same semester and 9 units in different semesters. (6 hrs. lab.) Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 542.
544./444. History of Graphic Design (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in School of Art, or consent of instructor.
Thematic approach to Graphic Design history, with consideration of pioneering designers, movements, and cultural, social, political and technological influences in the evolution of graphic design.
Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 366. Letter grade only (A-F).
545A. Museum-Gallery Practices (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing or consent of instructor.
Pre-professional training in museum-gallery practices: administration, curating, exhibition planning and design, budgeting, public relations, project completion, documentation, publication. The University Art Museum serves as lab for practical experience, with a strong focus on writing.
Letter grade only (A-F).
545B. Museum-Gallery Practices (3)
Prerequisites: AH 545A or consent of instructor.
Pre-professional training in museum-gallery practices: administration, curating, exhibition planning and design, budgeting, public relations, project completion, documentation, and publication. The University Art Museum serves as lab for practical experience, with a strong focus on writing.
Letter grade only (A-F).
545C. Museum-Gallery Practices (3)
Prerequisites: AH 545B or consent of instructor. Third in a four-course sequence.
Pre-professional training in museum-gallery practices: administration, curating, exhibition planning and design, budgeting, public relations, project completion, documentation, publication. University Art Museum and other venues serve as labs for practical experience in developing and realizing exhibitions.
Letter grade only (A-F).
545D. Museum-Gallery Practices (3)
Prerequisites: AH 545C or consent of instructor. Fourth in a four-course sequence.
Pre-professional training in museum-gallery practices: administration, curating, exhibition planning and design, budgeting, public relations, project completion, documentation, publication. University Art Museum and other venues serve as labs for practical experience in developing and realizing exhibitions.
Letter grade only (A-F).
546. Art History Methodologies and Writing (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art History or consent of instructor.
Advanced practice in writing and conducting research in art history. Focus on current disciplinary debates and methodologies, including formalism, semiotics, gender studies, psychoanalysis, Marxism, post-colonialism, and visual culture studies. Students work on developing a graduate thesis topic.
Letter grade only (A-F).
547./447. Historiography of Art History (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate student in Art History or consent of instructor.
Study of the history of art history as intellectual discipline. Reading- and writing-intensive seminar designed specifically for undergraduate art history majors in final year of study and for graduate students in M.A. in Art History program.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 307 or AH 307.
548./448. Western Art Theory and Criticism to the Mid-Nineteenth Century (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate student in Art History or consent of instructor.
A text-based examination of western art theory and criticism up to the mid-nineteenth century.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 308.
549./449. Western Art Theory and Criticism Mid-Nineteenth to Mid-Twentieth Century (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate student in Art History or consent of instructor.
A text-based examination of western art theory and criticism from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 309.
550./450. Western Art Theory and Criticism Mid-Twentieth Century to Present (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate Student in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
A text-based examination of western art theory and criticism from the mid-twentieth century to the present.
Letter grade only (A-F).
555./455. Traditional Art of Africa: A Thematic
Approach (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Exploration from a Western perspective of the conceptual, expressive, and aesthetic aspects of traditional African art as related to its cultural context and to Western concepts of art. Focus on West Africa.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 455 or 598R. Letter grade only (A-F).
556./456. Native American Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Introduction to the arts of Native American cultures in the U.S. and Canada from pre-contact to contemporary practices. Traditional arts, new media, and new markets will be studied within their social and historical contexts.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 456 or 598S. Letter grade only (A-F).
557A./457A. Pre-Columbian Art: Mesoamerica (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Art, architecture, and urban planning in Mesoamerica from 1200 BCE to the Spanish conquest of 1519-1521, with emphasis on religious, political, and economic functions, as well as interpretive assumptions and methods of scholars in the field.
Letter grade only (A-F).
557B./457B. Pre-Columbian Art: The Andes (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Art, architecture, and urban planning in the Andean region from 1200 BCE to the Spanish conquest of 1532, with emphasis on religious, political, and economic functions, as well as interpretive assumptions and research methods of scholars in the field.
Letter grade only (A-F).
557C./457C. Pre-Columbian Art (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Survey of art and architecture in Mesoamerica and Andean region of South America from 1000BC to Spanish conquest. Special attention to social, political and economic contexts, as well as research methods and theoretical assumptions of scholars investigating this field.
Letter grade only (A-F). Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 557.
558./458. Art of Latin America: 1800-1940 (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
An investigation of developments in visual culture in Latin America from the late-18th century to the mid-20th century, with special emphasis on artists in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Letter grade only (A-F).
559./459. Art of Latin America: 1940-Present (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
An investigation of developments in visual culture in Latin America from the mid-20th century to the present, with special emphasis on artists in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, as well as Latino/Latina artists.
Letter grade only (A-F).
560./460. Art of Mexico: 1780 to Present (3)
Prerequsites: Graduate Standing in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Fine art, graphic art, photography, popular art, and architecture produced by artists of/in Mexico from 1780 to the present, with emphasis on historical contexts, the varied functions objects were made to serve, and debates concerning production, circulation, and/or reception.
Letter grade only (A-F).
565./465. Ancient Art of the Near East (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Prehistoric, Near Eastern, Egyptian and Aegean art.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 465 or 598U. Letter grade only (A-F).
566./466. Buddhist Art of India and S.E. Asia (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of formation and development of Buddhist art in India and its subsequent metamorphoses in Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 466 or ART 598V. Letter grade only (A-F).
567./467. Hindu and Islamic Art of India (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Examination of formation and development of Hindu art in India and the genesis; transformation, of Islamic art of India compared to pan-Islamic characteristics.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 467 or ART 598W. Letter grade only (A-F).
568./468. Early Chinese Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
The formation and development of Chinese art from the third millennium to the 10th century A.D.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 468 or ART 598X. Letter grade only (A-F).
569./469. Later Chinese Art (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art or Art History, or consent of instructor.
Development of Chinese art from the 11th century A.D. through the dulmination of the tradition and its transformation in the 2oth century will be explored.
Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 469 or ART 598Y. Letter grade only (A-F).
570A./470A. Japanese Buddhist Art to 1500 (3)
Prerequisite: One of the following: AH 113A, AH 113B, AH 111A, AH 111B, A/ST 393, A/ST 451, or consent of instructor.
Survey of sacred architecture, sculpture, painting, gardens and decorative art from neolithic culture through Zen Buddhism, reading images in regard to religious, political and social values.
Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 470. Letter grade only (A-F).
570B./470B. Japanese Art 1500-1868 (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate student in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Analysis of secular painting, architecture, ceramics and garden design in the Momoyama and Edo periods, linking the wide variety of subjects and styles to the competing values of samurai, priest, aristocrat or merchant class patrons.
Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 470. Letter grade only (A-F).
571A./471A. Modern Japanese Graphic Art (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate student in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Examination of painting, prints, photography and graphic design in regard to the issues of individual and national identity in an era when being modern was often linked to being Western. We also consider manga in regard to earlier modern adaptations of traditional design.
Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 471. Letter grade only (A-F).
571B./471B. Modern Japanese Plastic Art (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate student in Art or Art History or consent of instructor.
Investigation of architecture, gardens, sculpture and ceramics in light of debates over internationalism or nationalism, modernity or tradition. The political and economic implications of design choices will be highlighted.
Not open for credit to students with credit in AH 471. Letter grade only (A-F).
571C./471C. Modern Japanese Architecture (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Art History.
Analysis of "Japaneseness" and "foreign-ness" in Japan between 1868 and 1970. Examination of Japanese creations of and reactions to "modernity" in regard to national identity as expressed in architecture and gardens. Related consideration of urbanism and nationalism.
Letter grade only (A-F).
595. Independent Study in Art History (1-6)
Independent, in-depth research projects to be conducted by students under the supervision of a faculty member.
As per university policy on independent studies courses, students enrolled in this course must have an agreement, or contract on file in the school office. Agreement is made between student and instructor at the beginning of course, and must include: a description of work to be accomplished, specific information on tasks required; nature of final report, and basis for determining final grade. Agreement must be signed by both instructor and student.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to maximum of 12 units in the same semester.
596. Special Studies in Art History (3)
Graduate level variable directed study projects providing a way for students to independently pursue special research topics in art history under instructor supervision.
Letter grade only (A-F). Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 units in the same semester.
597./497. Seminar in Art History (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Directed individual research and group discussion concerning a topic in art history.
Letter grade only (A-F). Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in the same semester and 9 units in different semesters. Not open for credit to students with credit in ART 497 or ART 611 beyond combined maximum units.
598. Selected Topics in Art History (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics from selected areas of Art History. Content may vary each semester.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in the same semester and a total of 12 units in different semesters. Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes.
599Q. Special Studies in Museum Studies (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Advanced individual graduate projects, with faculty supervision, in museum studies.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in same semester and a total of 12 units in different semesters. (6 hrs. lab.)
693. Teaching Internship (3)
Opportunity to work with a full time faculty mentor on course preparation and
instruction. Required for eligibility for Graduate Teaching Associate positions.
Restricted to graduate art history majors.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units.
694. Graduate Studies: Directed Research (3)
Prerequisites: Art History MA Student and Consent of Thesis Committee Chair.
Preliminary research and writing relating to Masters Thesis topic.
Three units required for MA in Art History degree. Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in different semesters.
698. Thesis (1)
Prerequisite: Art History MA student, advancement to Candidacy and an approved Thesis Statement.
Execution and completion of an approved thesis. Student must enroll in three sections concurrently. To be taken with each of student's three MA Thesis Committee members over two semesters for a total of 6 units.
Letter grade only (A-F). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in the same semester.
