INTRODUCTION TO ART
3 credits
Patterns 1
This course will introduce students to basic elements of visual literacy through the exploration of art history in a variety of cultural traditions, geographic locations, and chronological periods. Students will learn about principles of design, form, and iconography while exploring the art of different societies and cultures.
HISTORY OF ART I AND II
3-6 credits
Patterns 2
A chronological survey of architecture, painting, sculpture, and minor arts from major cultures, especially in the West. Emphasis is on identification and comprehension of styles, monuments, and traditions. ART 201 covers pre-historic art to ca. 1400; ART 202 covers the Renaissance to the 21st century.
ANCIENT ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
Study of selected early civilizations to the 4th Century A.D. and the Early Christian era, emphasizing Greek, Roman, and other Mediterranean cultures. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
ANCIENT ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
Study of selected early civilizations to the 4th Century A.D. and the Early Christian era, emphasizing Greek, Roman, and other Mediterranean cultures. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
MEDIEVAL ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
The development of the visual arts from the late Roman period to the late Gothic of the 15th century. Special emphasis is on the establishment of Christian iconography and the evolution of church types. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY
3 credits
Patterns 2
A study of Renaissance civilization concentrating on the architecture, painting, and sculpture of Italy from 1200 to 1570. Emphasis will be on such masters as Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Titian. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
BAROQUE AND ROCOCO ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
Styles, trends, and major forces in the visual arts of Western Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, with special focus on the works of Bernini, Rubens, and Rembrandt. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
19TH CENTURY ART
Patterns 2
Painting’s evolution, content, and style, from ca. 1780 to the turn of the 20th century. Emphasis is on major schools and artists, including Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
AMERICAN ART: NATIVE AMERICAN TO MODERN
3 credits
Patterns 2
This survey course introduces American art through study of selected artists and works of art, many of them in local museums. It traces the evolution of American art from Native American beginnings, through the Colonial and Federal Periods, concluding in the World War II era and contemporary eras.
AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE
3 credits
Patterns 2
This course presents the major trends that mark the architectural history of the United States from roughly the second half of the 19th century through the present. Emphasis will be on architects and styles that have had a significant and lasting impact on the urban landscape of America, with particular attention to such centers as Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Architects to be discussed include Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, Robert Venturi, and Frank Gehry.
INTRODUCTION TO MUSEUMS
3 credits
Patterns 2
Students will learn about the history and evolution of the museum and consider some of its main objectives. Topics will include the mission and function of art museums -- collection, care of objects, exhibition, and education -- as well as the politics of interpretation and display. Site visits to local art museums and presentations by curators and museum directors from the area complement readings and lectures by the instructor.
MUSEUMS OF PHILADELPHIA
3 credits
Patterns 2
In this course, students visit at least 10 of Philadelphia's art museums and galleries and study such works as Egyptian and other African sculpture, Renaissance and Impressionist paintings, contemporary photographs, American furniture, and Japanese prints. The on-site excursions are supplemented by class discussions and presentations.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ART HISTORY
3 credits
Patterns 2
Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit if material is essentially different.
WOMEN AND ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
Encourages students to think critically about the contributions of women artists, collectors, critics, models, and viewers to the fields of art and art history. These are areas which have been historically dominated by men, and this course requires that students look beyond the traditional models of art criticism to consider how gender has shaped women's artistic practice and their response to works of art.
MODERN ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
Study of developments in late 19th and early 20th century art as they pertain to the rise of Modernism. Movements to be examined include Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and Surrealism. While the focus will be on painting and sculpture, related developments in architecture and the decorative arts may also be considered. Particular attention will be paid to the social and historical context for the production of the works of art studied. Prerequisite: 100- or 200-level Art History or permission of the instructor.
TOPICS IN AMERICAN ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
An advanced course that takes an in-depth look at a particular topic in American Art. Possible subjects include: The Hudson River School, American Genre Painters, The Art and Artists of Mexico and American Impressionism. Prerequisite: 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of Chair.
TOPICS IN GLOBAL ART
3 credits
Patterns 2
An advanced art history course that surveys the visual arts in selected non-Western societies. Students will study and analyze the styles, methods and cultural contexts of the visual arts from Africa, Asia, Mesoamerica and Oceania. Prerequisite: 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of Chair.
ART AND CULTURE
3 credits
Patterns 2
An advanced art history course that takes an in-depth look at the art and society of one particular culture or historical period. This course offers a thematic approach to understanding art in a cultural context such as Art and Politics or Urban Art. Prerequisite: 100 or 200 level Art History course or Permission of the Chair.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ART HISTORY
3 credits
Patterns 2
Topics will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit if material is essentially different.
RESEARCH TOPICS IN ART HISTORY
3 credits
Analysis and application of methods used in art criticism and research, with emphasis on writing. Subjects of study will vary. Required for Art History majors but open to qualified advanced general students, with permission of instructor.
INTERNSHIP
3 credits
The internship is designed to give art history majors and minors the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the art field. Students will meet regularly with a faculty member and will be encouraged to reflect on the relationship between their coursework and their internship experience. Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 and approval of the Chair. Students must apply for internships. Application forms, available in the Fine Arts Department office, should be returned to the office during pre-registration period before internships can be approved.
STUDIO COURSES
DIGITAL ART STUDIO
3 credits
In this course, students will learn the fundamental principles and techniques associated with creating and modifying digital images, and how to prepare these images for viewing on screen and in print. Both raster (paint) and vector (draw) type graphics will be studied, using appropriate software applications. The concepts and skills learned in this course will prepare students to handle all subsequent visual communication more effectively. Prerequisite: CSC 151.
COLOR THEORY
3 credits
An introduction to color models, color interaction, and the human perception of color. The course will address color in both subtractive (pigmented) and additive (electronic) environments, and theoretical work will be reinforced by practical exercises in various media.
Prerequisite: ART 102.
ELECTRONIC VISUAL COMMUNICATION
3 credits
Overview of issues related to the history and theory of images and their cultural function; assessment and analysis of digital images and their effectiveness, primarily through the World Wide Web; application of newly gained knowledge to the creation of students’ own visual projects. Emphasis will be on looking at the interactive potential of images in digital media and on devising analytical, assessment, and production strategies that focus on the dynamic potential of these interactive images. Prerequisite: ART 102.
OIL PAINTING
3 credits
Introduction to basic techniques of painting, drawing, and perspective. Preparation of canvas and media. Exercises in indoor and outdoor painting.
PRINT MAKING
3 credits
Introduction to basic print processes. Relief, intaglio, collograph printing, followed by mixed-media projects. Experimentation encouraged.
DRAWING
3 credits
Provides students with mastery of basic principles of observation and familiarity with the potential and limitation of various media. Study of proportion, volume, perspective, and anatomy. Representation of still lives, the human figure, and landscape using various media.
FIGURE SCULPTING
3 credits
A studio sculpture class in which students sculpt the human figure in non-hardening clay, working from live models covering as wide a range of body types as possible. An emphasis will be placed on anatomy. Course may be repeated for advanced credit (ART 266) after completion of ART 265.
INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
3 credits
A course introducing basic concepts, techniques and terminology in digital photography such as how sharpness and exposure affect images and the way they are perceived by viewers. Getting images from camera to computer, to print and/or web, and using software such as Adobe Photoshop will be covered.
