Art History (ARTH)
Art history majors graduate from Bucknell with a thorough grounding in the history of art, highly developed critical thinking skills, and a global cultural awareness thanks to our wide-ranging curriculum and individual attention. We offer majors and non-majors the opportunity to explore and analyze the creative vision of artists, from the anonymous painters of prehistoric caves to today's art superstars such as Ai Wei Wei and Dale Chihuly.
Art History Major
The art history major consists of a minimum of nine courses: eight of which must be in art history and one of which must be in art & design. No more than two of the nine required courses may be taken for credit elsewhere.
Distribution of required courses for the Art History major:
| ARTH 101 | World Art I: Caves to Cathedrals | 1 |
| ARTH 102 | World Art II: Renaissance to Now | 1 |
| Art & Design course | ||
| 200-level or higher courses in three of the following areas: | 3 | |
Ancient and Medieval | ||
Renaissance and Baroque | ||
Modern and Contemporary | ||
Non-European art or art of minorities or women | ||
| Art history elective (at least one) | ||
| 300-level or higher course | 1 | |
| ARTH 402 | Culminating Experience | 1 |
Students will explore individual research projects on any art historical topic using their experience in the major in Culminating Experience. The class will culminate in an original research paper and a 20-minute paper delivered at a departmental symposium. This class will normally be taken in the fall semester of the senior year. Second-semester juniors may complete a Culminating Experience in the major with permission of the adviser and the department.
Sequencing of Courses
Although few art history courses have prerequisites, students are encouraged to begin their study of art history with at least one introductory course before engaging in coursework at the 200 level or above. ARTH 101 World Art I: Caves to Cathedrals and ARTH 102 World Art II: Renaissance to Now (World Art I and II) familiarize students with the monuments and methods of the discipline. In addition, it is advisable to take a broad survey of an art historical period before engaging in more specialized study of that period. For example, it is recommended that students take ARTH 101 World Art I: Caves to Cathedrals before taking ARTH 204 Castle, Cathedral and Cloister.
Interdisciplinary Study
The department recommends that students select courses in other disciplines that will complement their art history major. Permission from the chair may be obtained to count one appropriate course taken in another Bucknell department (for example, in ancient archaeology, cultural anthropology or film studies) toward the major. Students considering this option should discuss it with their art history adviser and department chair.
Language Study
Because a knowledge of languages is essential to the cross-cultural nature of art history, majors contemplating graduate study are strongly encouraged to become competent in at least one language beyond English (competency is normally defined as the completion of a 200-level language course). Students should consult with their art history adviser about which language (or languages) is (or are) most appropriate to their particular field of study.
Study Abroad and Internships
Art history majors are encouraged to pursue opportunities for study abroad and for internships in galleries, museums and other settings. Students planning to undertake off-campus or non-traditional study are expected to consult closely with their art history adviser and department chair.
Art History Minor
Required courses for the Art History minor:
| ARTH 101 | World Art I: Caves to Cathedrals | 1 |
| ARTH 102 | World Art II: Renaissance to Now | 1 |
| Select three of the following, covering at least two areas: | 3 | |
Ancient and Medieval | ||
| Castle, Cathedral and Cloister | ||
Renaissance and Baroque | ||
| High Drama: Art of Vermeer and Rembrandt | ||
| Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance Art | ||
Modern and Contemporary | ||
| Birth of Modern Art: 1850-1915 | ||
| Surrealism to the Present | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
non-European art or art of the minorities or women | ||
| Art and Architecture of the Islamic World | ||
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of (1) the canonical works of western art and architecture, and (2) representative works of non-western art, the art of minorities and women, through the ability to recognize the works, their artists, their stylistic period and their art historical significance. (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Recognize that different interpretive frameworks can be used to analyze works of art. (1, 2, 6, 9)
Demonstrate effective oral and written communication. (7)
Execute research projects in art history that are thoroughly researched, insightful, and cogently argued. (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Numbers in parentheses reflect related Educational Goals of Bucknell University.
Courses
ARTH 101. World Art I: Caves to Cathedrals. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Artworks hold important clues for understanding the past and shape our understandings of the world. Topics include ancient cave paintings, Mesoamerican pyramids, Archaic Greek Sculptures and the Bayeux Tapestry. We will develop critical tools for decoding what artworks mean from prehistory to the fourteenth century across the globe.
ARTH 102. World Art II: Renaissance to Now. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores art and architecture from 1400 to the present. Focus on visual analysis and the development of European and American art from the Renaissance to Postmodernism.
ARTH 204. Castle, Cathedral and Cloister. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Architecture, sculpture, and painting from the Early Christian period to the beginning of the Renaissance. Monastic, religious and secular arts will be explored.
ARTH 207. Birth of Modern Art: 1850-1915. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Examination of artists and movements from 1850-1915, including Realism, Impressionism, Post-impressionism, Symbolism, Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism and Abstraction. Focus on innovations in French painting and urban experience.
ARTH 208. Surrealism to the Present. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Significant artists from twentieth century from WWI to the present. Movements: Futurism, Dadaism, Constructivism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Fluxus, Earth Art, Conceptual Art, Performance Art, Feminist Art, Pop Art, Institutional Critique, Social Practice Art. Readings from textbook, documents, art historians. Grades by weekly writing assignments; one exam and research paper.
ARTH 217. Performance Art, Then and Now. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Hugo Ball reads nonsense poetry in a Zurich cafe; Marina Abramović breathes in air from a high-powered fan until she falls unconscious; William Pope L. crawls down Broadway dressed in a Superman costume. This course explores the provocative history of performance art from Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
ARTH 222. Philosophy of Art. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Analysis of the creative process, the work of art, natural beauty, aesthetic experience, and principles of criticism. Prerequisite: PHIL 100 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as PHIL 212.
ARTH 231. Arts of East Asia. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces you to the art of China, Korea and Japan from prehistory to the present. We examine a broad range of objects—ritual bronze vessels, Buddhist temple architecture, Neo-Confucian landscape painting and ukiyo-e woodblock prints—to emphasize how cross-cultural exchanges stimulated new interpretations across time and space. Crosslisted as EAST 231.
ARTH 241. Archaeology of Egypt. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Survey of the material culture, with emphasis on major architectural and artistic developments and their legacy to modern Western civilization. Crosslisted as CLAS 241.
ARTH 242. Archaeology of Greece. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Fall Semester; Lecture hours:3
Survey of the material culture of the Greek world from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period. Crosslisted as CLAS 242.
ARTH 243. Archaeology of Rome. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Survey of the material culture of the Roman world from the Etruscans through the late Empire. Crosslisted as CLAS 243.
ARTH 260. Museums and Contemporary Curating. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course will introduce students to the purpose and function of museums, emphasizing the changing role of museums in relation to contemporary social issues. The course will focus on curating art exhibitions as a real-world application of these ideas through practical hands-on assignments. These assignments mirror the process of curating.
ARTH 265. Contemporary Philosophy of Art. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An investigation of and focused study of contemporary philosophical issues in the arts and aesthetics more generally. Prerequisite: PHIL 100, or ARTH 207 or ARTH 208. Crosslisted as PHIL 265.
ARTH 271. Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance Art. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Renaissance art in Italy with emphasis on Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Titian and others, and studying original paintings in Samek Art Gallery. Essential for students planning to study abroad in Italy.
ARTH 272. Baroque Art - Power and Persuasion. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
The visual culture of 17th-century Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Flanders focusing on dynastic, religious, theatrical and naturalist themes.
ARTH 273. High Drama: Art of Vermeer and Rembrandt. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Northern European art c.1430-1660 especially Vermeer and Rembrandt: and its interconnections with Italian art.
ARTH 275. Art and Architecture of the Islamic World. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
A survey of Islamic art and architecture from the inception of the faith in the 7th century through the 16th century.
ARTH 319. Independent Study in Art History. .25-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Advanced problems in art history. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ARTH 320. Independent Study in Art History. .25-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Advanced problems in art history. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ARTH 323. Contemporary Art. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of key artists and concepts of the past 30 years. Focus on the transformation from modernism to postmodernism in painting, sculpture, photography, and performance art. Prerequisite: one of the following ARTH 102, ARTH 207, ARTH 208 or permission of the instructor.
ARTH 330. Hokusai and the Global Art of Edo. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
From luminous golden folding screens to delicate lines in woodblock prints, the arts of Edo (1603-1868) Japan profoundly impacted artists worldwide. How is this art global when seclusion policies of the era forbade foreign travel? Such questions guide our discussion as we focus particularly on artworks in the Samek Museum. Crosslisted as EAST 330.
ARTH 370. Italian Renaissance Paintings (Kress). 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Study and do research on the Samek Art Gallery's collection of original Italian Renaissance paintings (Kress Collection) and prepare new publication on these pictures.
ARTH 380. Honors Art History. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Independent study leading to the writing of a thesis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ARTH 381. Honors Art History. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Independent study leading to the writing of a thesis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ARTH 3NT. Art History Non-traditional Study. 1-3 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Non-traditional study in art history. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ARTH 402. Culminating Experience. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Required for all art history majors. Students will explore individual research projects independently and workshop them in class. The class will culminate in a departmental art history conference where students will present their work. Prerequisite: senior status. Juniors by permission only.