Art History (ARH)
ARH 101 Intro to Global Art History I (3 credits)
A survey of the visual arts and architecture from a global perspective. Students are introduced to a wide range of artistic practices, styles, and media from many major periods throughout history, and will examine the way visual culture both reflects and influences the ideas and values of the societies that produce it. The course covers material such as prehistoric cave painting; funerary art from ancient Egypt; temple architecture and sculpture dedicated to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome; the development of Buddhist art and architecture in Asia; and the religious and secular art and architecture of medieval Europe.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 102 Intro to Global Art History II (3 credits)
A survey of the visual arts and architecture from a global perspective. This is a continuation of "Introduction to a Global Art History I," but the two courses may be taken independently of one another. Students are introduced to a wide range of artistic practices, styles, and media, including painting, drawing, prints, photography, sculpture, installation art, performance art, film, video, and architecture, in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The class examines many major periods and movements in the history of art, including material such as Renaissance painting in Italy and northern Europe; ukiyo-e woodblock prints in Japan; power figures in Africa; Impressionism in nineteenth-century France and America; Cubism and Abstract Expressionism in the early twentieth century; and contemporary art worldwide.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 103 Art of Africa/African Diaspora (3 credits)
This course will focus on the rich history of the art and architecture of Africa and the African diaspora. It will take advantage of the strong collection of African art at Saint Joseph's University, as well as other collections in the Philadelphia area.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Non-Western Studies (GEP), Undergraduate
ARH 104 History of Global Architecture (3 credits)
This course introduces students to the history of architecture - its major figures, works, movements, and historical eras. It encourages students to analyze major buildings within a broader context and challenges them to reflect on the cultural and political implications of the built environment. Students will gain familiarity with the most significant architectural styles, structural approaches, building materials, and technological innovations that have shaped architecture throughout human history.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: American Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 105 East Asian Art & Architecture (3 credits)
This course introduces students to the visual culture of East Asia from prehistory to the present, viewed through the lens of history, literature, and religion. Topics of particular focus will include ancestor worship in ancient China; the intersection of Buddhism with art and architecture; calligraphy as an art form; the illustration of The Tale of Genji and Heian court culture; class, gender, and ukiyo-e (woodblock prints); popular art such as manga and anime, and trends in contemporary Asian art of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. We will also discuss the idea of cultural interaction and appropriation between China, Korea, Japan, and the West, as well as issues surrounding the collection and display of East Asian art in America. Students are given the opportunity to see relevant works of art in collections in the Philadelphia region.
Attributes: Asian Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Non-Western Studies (GEP), Undergraduate
ARH 106 Latin American Art & Architect (3 credits)
This course examines the visual arts of ancient, colonial, and modern Latin America. It encompasses the study of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architecture from Mesoamerica, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. We also address issues critical to discussions of the arts of Latin America, such as preconceptions about the political and religious roles in art, appropriation and adaptation of western cultures, the incorporation and relationship with European/American art theory and methods, and the reevaluation of Latin American art today. Students are given the exciting opportunity to examine works of art from Saint Joseph’s University’s important collection of colonial Spanish American art as well as collections in nearby museums.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Latin American Studies Course, Non-Western Studies (GEP), Undergraduate
ARH 107 Women, Gender, and Art (3 credits)
This course offers a survey of art history with an emphasis on gender. It will consider how gender informs the production, reception, and cultural understanding of art and imagery. Students will consider how gender is relevant to the creation and study of arts and culture. We will study artists who have used art to effect social change. Exploring feminist approaches to art historical study, we will analyze perceptions of gender through visual culture and personal experience. We will examine the ways that certain ideals of masculinity and femininity are represented in art and its history to gain insight into gender performance and sexual identity both in past periods and in contemporary society.
Attributes: Diversity Course, Gender Studies Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 108 Traditions of Art (3 credits)
This course is offered by the Barnes Foundation, and does NOT count as fulfilling the Art/Lit GEP requirement, although it WILL count toward the Art History major or minor. One of the oldest forms of expression and communication, art is more enjoyable when you understand its visual language and more meaningful when you appreciate its relationship to everyday experiences. Learn the aesthetic principles that underlie art.
Attributes: Undergraduate
ARH 109 Elements of Art/Barnes Method (3 credits)
This course is offered by the Barnes Foundation, and does NOT count as fulfilling the Art/Lit GEP requirement, although it WILL count toward the Art History major or minor. Art is a visual record of artists’ perceptions throughout time. Focusing on developments in the art of western Europe, this class explores how traditions influence one another, how artists learn and adapt traditions, and how modern art evolved in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Attributes: Undergraduate
ARH 110 Art and Medicine (3 credits)
This course focuses on artists who explore and employ medicine in their work. Possible images for analysis include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Eakins, and Hannah Wilke, as well as visual depictions of world health crises in the media. Students will look at how a broad range of artists has envisioned medicine, disease, and deviance, and their related dialogue with constructions of race, class, gender, and sexuality. The course will encourage students to think critically about the many intersections between art and medicine throughout history. It also will touch upon how medical professionals are increasingly receiving art history training and why. The chronological parameters of the course will vary according to who is teaching it.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 111 Art & Arch of Islamic World (3 credits)
This course will cover the rich legacy of Islamic art and architecture from the seventh century to the present, including the architecture and decoration of buildings ranging from mosques to palaces, illuminated manuscripts of all sorts, luxury objects such as metalwork and ivories, and more. We will consider the religious, political, and aesthetic contexts of monuments produced in the Arab Middle East, Iran, India, Turkey, North Africa, Spain, and beyond. We will also consider issues such as contemporary art, the collecting of Islamic art in Western museums, and the effect of iconoclasm on cultural production and historic preservation.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Non-Western Studies (GEP), Undergraduate
ARH 115 Italy Through Art (3 credits)
Italy Through Art, The Making of Modern Rome: Conducted in Rome, this course introduces students to the visual language of art, while providing an enriching cultural experience. The eternal city is an expansive, open-air museum where ancient and modern meet. Students will learn about Rome's artistic heritage while living amidst ancient ruins, baroque basilicas and contemporary monuments. As we view art objects first-hand, we will explore the making and meaning of Italian art, by addressing methodological issues including form and function, style, materials and technique. We begin with a consideration of ancient Rome, through direct experience with monuments that have survived centuries. Next, we explore the early developments of Christianity by visiting Roman basilicas and churches. Our excursion to Tuscany focuses on Renaissance humanism and Medici patronage. Upon return to Rome we examine Baroque masterpieces adorning Roman piazzas and churches. We conclude with art and architecture of the period after 1870, when Rome became the capital of Italy. The course is complemented by guest lectures and site visits to Roman museums, churches and palaces, as well as excursions to Assisi, Florence, Pompeii and Sorrento. Taught in English. No pre-requisites. Counts toward the major and minor in art history, the Italian Studies major, the major and minor in Classical Studies, and the minor in Medieval, Renaissance, Reformation Studies.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Medieval, Ren & Reform Studies, Undergraduate
ARH 150 First Year Seminar (3 credits)
Students will focus on a topic having to do with the history of art and architecture. The class will include field trips on campus and in Philadelphia. Besides learning about artists and their works, students will hone their reading, writing, speaking and research skills, as they become acquainted with the university.
Attributes: First-Year Seminar, Undergraduate
ARH 170 Special Topics in Art History (3 credits)
Concentrated focus on a selected topic in Art History at an introductory level.
Attributes: Undergraduate
ARH 178 Art History &Photography:Italy (3 credits)
This Art study tour will have a combined emphasis on the history of Italian Renaissance art and the practice of photography. Through travel to the Italian cities of Venice, Florence, and Rome students will have the opportunity to explore the great works of art and architecture that defined the Renaissance in Italy - St. Mark's Square, the Uffizi, the Sistine Chapel and more. They will also spend time developing photographic skills as they explore these cities with an eye toward creating their own photo essay. Travel will be over Spring Break. No prior experience in either art history or photography is required.
Attributes: Undergraduate
ARH 180 Encountering Mystery (3 credits)
This course investigates the relationship between art, religious belief structures, and mystical experience. With a number of texts from Comparative Religion and Art Theory as backdrop, the lectures, discussions, and papers will involve presentations of art and architecture which circumscribe religious belief structures as well as expressions of spiritual conviction. Discussions of the essential elements of the I-am-spiritual-but-not-religious mindset will expose contrasting experiences of the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, the "numinous" wholly Other. Reflection on experience will lead to a stronger ability to express one's own attitudes about the scientific mindset and the creative expression of spiritual ideas and ideals.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 202 Medvl Art Ctcombs to Cthdrals (3 credits)
This course examines the art and architecture of the Middle Ages across a broad chronological and geographic scope, from the late Roman empire through the late Gothic period (c. 250-1500), including western Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world. We will study the painting, sculpture, architecture, stained glass, metalwork, and manuscripts produced by the diverse cultures during this period in terms of materials and methods of production, style, and iconography. We will also pay special attention to the historical context for the creation and reception of medieval art, including issues of patronage, politics, gender, cross-cultural interactions, and the multivalent purposes of images and buildings during the Middle Ages.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Irish Studies Course, Medieval, Ren & Reform Studies, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 203 Renaissance Art & Architecture (3 credits)
This course analyzes key works of art and architecture and art historical trends from the period of the 13th to 16th century. The focus of our exploration is on the art of Europe, with a particular emphasis on Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. We discuss the careers and works of artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albrecht Dürer. We also explore the social and historical context of the art they produced, including issues of patronage, gender, and audience.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Medieval, Ren & Reform Studies, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 204 Baroque Art and Architecture (3 credits)
This course analyzes key monuments and art historical trends from the late 16th century to the mid-18th century. The focus of our exploration is on the art of Europe, with a particular emphasis on Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. We discuss the careers and works of artists such as Caravaggio, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Jan Vermeer, and also explore the social and historical context of the art they produced.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Medieval, Ren & Reform Studies, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 205 Revolution to Realism1780-1880 (3 credits)
From the power of Neoclassicism to the decadence of the fin-de-siècle, painters, sculptors, and architects challenged tradition and transformed art during the dynamic and often turbulent years between 1780 and 1880. The death of the revolutionary hero, the search for spiritual meaning, the "rape" of the countryside by industrialism, the anxious masculinity of romanticism, and the emergence of such conceptions as "Orientalism" and nationalism are some of the themes that are addressed through the art of this period. Students study the careers of such artists as David, Delacroix, Ingres, Gericault, Constable, Turner, and Goya, and the radical landscape painting of the mid-century that foreshadowed Impressionism. Themes explored include gender and sexuality, patronage, and political censorship, and we focus on the social and political contexts in which works were produced, exhibited, and understood.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 206 Impressionism& PostImpressiosm (3 credits)
This course examines paintings produced between the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We consider artists from many countries who worked and exhibited in Paris at this time, including Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cassatt. This course also includes discussion of artists who immediately followed the Impressionists, such as Seurat, Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. We consider the reception of the work of these artists by their contemporaries and by later audiences, and examine these works within their wider artistic, cultural, political, and social contexts.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 207 American Art and Architecture (3 credits)
This course offers a survey of the history of American art and architecture. Organized around important episodes in American history, including the Civil War, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement, this course considers such topics as the role of gender and racial identity in the content, authorship, and reception of artworks. The class examines major movements in the history of American art, with an emphasis on works that historically have been overlooked because of the race, gender, religion, nationality, and/or ethnicity of the artist or architect. In an effort to show the currency and relevance of these issues, and to scrutinize how art institutions treat (or ignore) issues of diversity, the course requires students to visit area museums and galleries.
Attributes: American Studies Course, Diversity Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 208 Modern Art & Architecture (3 credits)
This course offers a survey of the history of European and American art and architecture, with a focus on the first half of the 20th century. Students are introduced to a wide range of artistic practices, styles, and media, including painting, drawing, prints, photography, sculpture, film and architecture. The class examines major movements within the history of art, including such artists as Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Frida Kahlo, and Salvador Dalí. It takes advantage of the many rich collections of art and architecture in the Philadelphia area by visiting these institutions and analyzing works firsthand.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 209 Contemporary Art & Architect (3 credits)
The period from the mid-twentieth century to the present is one of exceptional political, social, cultural, and technological upheaval. This course offers a survey of European and American painting, drawing, prints, photography, sculpture, installation art, performance art, film, video, and architecture within the context of these changes. Topics covered include debates regarding abstraction and figuration, as well as feminism, primitivism, modernism, postmodernism, and the impact of such factors as technology, religion, and war on the creation and reception of art.
Prerequisites: ENG 101
Attributes: American Studies Course, Undergraduate, Writing Intensive Course- GEP
ARH 210 Museum Studies (3 credits)
This course is an introduction to museum history, theory, and practice. Through case studies and key texts, it explores the evolving structure and mission of the museum and its impact on our understanding of art, society, and culture. Additionally, students will gain insight into the various jobs and responsibilities at museums. A key component of this course is immersive, on-site learning experiences that take advantage of the distinguished art institutions available in the Philadelphia region. Although centered on art museums, this course considers a broad range of museum practices and related fields.
Attributes: American Studies Course, Diversity Course, GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 211 Art & Magazines (3 credits)
Artists have been involved with magazines since they first appeared - designing covers, illustrating stories, designing pages, and even making their own. With an emphasis on the 19th through the 21st century, this course explores artists' involvement in periodicals, including artists' journals, contributions to mass circulation magazines, and underground "zines." It explores how serials have helped artists disseminate their ideas, shaped their artistic beliefs, and informed what kind of images they made. It also considers why artists have accepted commissions from commercial periodicals like Fortune and The New Yorker. The course examines a wide range of artists, including not only photographers and "fine" artists, but also graphic designers and those hired as illustrators. It will delve into the material nature of magazines, from paper to digital, and analyze how magazines interrogate entrenched divisions between "high" and "low." As part of the class, students will have the option to experiment with making their own magazines.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 212 History of Photography (3 credits)
Photography is a widely used but relatively little understood medium. This course offers a survey of photography in the United States and Europe from its invention to the present. We examines the ways in which photography has been employed by amateurs, artists, anthropologists, politicians, and scientists for a wide range of purposes. We also examine how the medium has affected portraiture, painting, documentation, journalism, and advertising. The class considers photography in the context of continuing debates regarding the nature of reality and truth, photography's status as art or document, subjectivity versus objectivity, and issues of originality, authenticity, and power.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 213 Art &Pilgr Parthenon to Disney (3 credits)
This course explores all sorts of journeys, with a focus on the emphasis on pilgrimage in different religious traditions, but also travel for other reasons such as warfare and exploration, or even touristic pilgrimages to places like baseball stadiums, or Disney parks around the world. We will pay particular attention to how these experiences are both reflected and shaped by material culture. While the primary focus of the course will be the pilgrimage experiences of the medieval Christian, we will also examine pilgrimage in the ancient world, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. In addition to looking at the art and architecture of particular pilgrimage sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, and Canterbury Cathedral in England, we will also discuss the significance of the cult of the saints in medieval religious belief and practice; relics and reliquaries; objects associated with pilgrims such as pilgrim badges; the Crusades as a form of pilgrimage; memory and spiritual journeys; and representations of pilgrims and travelers in all forms of visual culture.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 214 Intro to Art Conservation (3 credits)
This course introduces the field of art conservation. Students will be introduced to the methods used to study and analyze art objects, types of treatment, and strategies to prevent damage to objects. The various activities of conservators in the museum will also be presented, including preventive conservation, exhibit installation, and object treatment. Students will have an opportunity to study an object in the collection of the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum and produce a condition report.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 215 Museum Ops, Mgmt & Professions (3 credits)
This course is an introduction into the organization, management, and professions of museums in the U.S. After a brief introduction to museum history, theory and practice, students will learn about various types of museums and major aspects of museum operations. A key component of this course is immersive, on-site learning experiences that take advantage of the museums available in the Philadelphia region, especially the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum. These include guest lectures from museum staff as well as field trips to local institutions. The course is organized broadly into the major initiatives and functions of museums today, with the goal of providing critical insight into current museum practices and professions.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 216 Curating an Exhibition (3 credits)
Students will participate in various aspects of mounting an exhibition, including learning background information about the exhibition theme, researching objects, writing labels, designing the exhibition space, and mounting the show, usually in the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum. This course is open to any SJU student but will be especially pertinent to Art History majors and minors, and Museum Studies minors.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 270 Special Topics in Art History (3 credits)
Concentrated focus on a selected topic in Art History at an introductory level.
Attributes: Undergraduate
ARH 301 Mystery&Monument:Anc Greece (3 credits)
This course examines the material culture remains of various cities prominent in the history of Greece. Knossos, the main city of the island of Crete, Troy, and Mycenae are among the sites studied for their importance in the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BCE). After a detailed study of Greek architecture and the evolution of key building types such as the temple, the stoa, and the theater, students explore the material remains of Olympia, Delphi, and Athens. The myths associated with these cities are also included.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 302 Mystery&Monument:Anc Rome (3 credits)
An introduction to the art and archaeology of Roman Italy, which will explore through digital images the major surviving monuments of Rome and its environs, of the Etruscans, and of other famous sites in Italy.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 480 Art History Research Seminar (3 credits)
This course is designed to prepare Art History majors and minors for graduate study and professional employment after graduation. It is optional for minors and required for majors (who may take it in either their junior or senior year). It offers students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in their art history and related courses to a project focused on a topic of their choosing. This topic will be the basis of an extensive research paper and a public presentation. Working closely with fellow classmates, the professor, and additional mentors, students will share and develop their ideas while honing their research, analytical, and writing skills. Outside readings will provide students with various methodologies to consider while pursuing their work. Students also will be exposed to various art history-related professions and offered guidance regarding the practical aspects of pursuing graduate school and professional employment.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate
ARH 481 Museum Internship (3 credits)
This course is optional, but recommended for Art History majors. It is open to Art History minors upon consultation with the Chair. Students work 10 hours per week (total 130 hours), write a resume and sample cover letter, keep a journal, and attend and write about an SJU Career Development Center event. Students who complete the requirements will receive 3 credits for one upper-division Art History course.
Attributes: GEP Art/Literature, Undergraduate