ART 411 - Theory and Methods in Art History

5 credit hours

This seminar explores the many methodologies employed by art historians to understand works of art, including Biography, Formalism, Connoisseurship, Scientific Analysis, Psychoanalytic Theory, Iconography, Semiotics, Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Marxism, and Feminism. Students will engage with the questions and debates that have shaped the field of art history, and attempt to understand how the discipline itself is part of historical processes. Through critical reading and reflective response, students will not only investigate art history’s history but also begin to articulate our own positions and voices. Prerequisites: ART 211 or ART 212 and one 300- level course in art history; or permission of instructor.