Courses in Art History
A ARH 170 Survey of Western Art & Architecture I (3)
This course opens with an exploration of cave paintings dating as far back as 30,000 BCE and culminates in a survey of religious visual expressions of the Middle Ages, including the construction and decoration -- painted, sculpted, and stained glass -- of Gothic cathedrals. The class examines all that came between these two eras, in particular art and architecture of the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, the Mediterranean culture of the ancient Aegean, the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, and the splendor of the Byzantine world. The course investigates how artworks interact with their respective cultures, and students will gain familiarity with specific examples from each period and acquire the vocabulary and skills of art analysis.
A ARH 171 Survey of Western Art & Architecture II (3)
This course begins with a consideration of Italian Renaissance art and architecture and proceeds to explore subsequent artistic eras and approaches -- the Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism -- up until the major movements of the twentieth century. This overview of European and American art covers cultural origins as well as individual creators (for example, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Jacob Lawrence). Emphasis is placed on subjects, period styles, and the varied purposes of art -- personal, propagandistic, political, and conceptual -- in these eras. Students will acquire familiarity with specific artworks from each period and with the vocabulary of, and skills necessary for, art analysis as we examine painting, sculpture, and architecture through time.
A ARH 200 Global Encounters: Modern and Contemporary Art in India and South Asia (3)
This course seeks to introduce first-time students to modern and contemporary art in India and South Asia. Developments in art during the colonial, postcolonial and global periods will be covered starting from the nineteenth century to the present day. The impact of East Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East on modern and contemporary art in India and across the subcontinent will be considered. Major themes, concepts, artists and works of art from South Asia will be explored. Art practices studied include painting, sculpture, photography, performance, installation, public and participatory art, environmental and activist art, video, new media practices and art and artificial intelligence from the region.
A ARH 205 Myths of the Greek and Roman World in Western Art (3)
A survey of the major myths of ancient Greece and Rome as they were appropriated for visual imagery and thematic subject matter of western art. Particular periods of art studied will vary; these will include arts of antiquity and may also include painting and sculpture of the Renaissance, the early modern and modern eras. Texts to be studied will feature major literary writings of Greece and Rome in translation. May not be taken by students with credit for A CLC 105.
A ARH 207 (= A CLA 207) Egyptian Art and Archaeology (3)
This course is a survey of the archaeological remains of Ancient Egypt, in which students will gain an understanding of the chronological development and changing artistic styles of this formative North African civilization. Special attention will be paid to the Bronze Age, traditionally considered the height of ancient Egypt's prosperity and production. Students will learn to assess artistic and architectural remains as a means to better understand the Egyptian people and their historical culture. Only one version of A ARH 207 may be taken for credit.
A ARH 208 (= A CLA 208) Greek Archaeology (3)
Survey of the prehistoric and historical cultures of ancient Greece, as revealed by archaeology, from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic era, with emphasis on the evolution of pottery style, painting, sculpture and architecture. Only one version of A ARH 208 may be taken for credit.
A ARH 209 (= A CLA 209) Roman Archaeology (3)
Survey of the monuments of ancient Rome and her empire in a cultural and evolutionary context, including major works of sculpture, wall painting and architecture. Roman towns and principles of town planning also studied. Translated selections from Roman literary and historical sources.
A ARH 221 American Art I (3)
This course focuses on American art and visual culture from the earliest European explorations through the nation's centennial. The course highlights the role of images in shaping American values and identities and in revealing the experiences of different constituencies. It explores the connections between the visual arts and complex issues, such as nationalism, expansionism, Native American removal, slavery and abolitionism, women's rights, sectionalism, and civil war. It addresses the ways in which visual images relate to the evolution of racial, ethnic, gender, and regional stereotypes, uncovering historical roots for many of today's social, cultural, and moral challenges. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 222 American Art II (3)
This course covers American art and visual culture from the dawn of the Gilded Age to the end of the twentieth century. It addresses the relationship between visual images and complex issues, including but not limited to cosmopolitanism, social reform, nationalism, xenophobia, global warfare, environmentalism, civil rights, and feminism. It considers the ways in which the fine arts and popular culture reveal and/or conceal the experiences of different racial, ethnic, gender, and socio-economic groups, and it explores the ways in which visual images engender and/or combat prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination. The course examines shifting images of labor, immigrants, women, African Americans, and Native Americans, highlighting the power of the visual arts to advocate for and effect change. It emphasizes intersections between art and social, cultural, or moral challenges indicative of America's past, present, and future. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 225 (= A HIS 225 & A JST 225) The Modern Jewish Experience in Film (3)
With a specific eye on films, this course examines the transformations of world Jewry as well as important historical themes that crossed geographical areas beginning with the early modern period and continuing throughout nowadays. It is intended to provide an opportunity for students to engage some of the main themes in modern Jewish history by analyzing, watching and discussing American, European, and Israeli feature and documentary movies and videos that document or fictionalize Jewish life in the modern era. Only one version may be taken for credit.
A ARH 230 The Art of Medieval Knighthood (3)
The art and culture of medieval European knighthood from its beginnings in mounted soldiers of the eleventh century to its role in elaborate tournaments and jousts of the sixteenth. Attention will be given to the social expression of the knightly class through visual and literary means. Objects of study will include architecture, sculpture, manuscript painting and ivory carvings. Literature will include chivalric epics, romances, and manuals of war. Among the topics to be addressed will be arms and armor, castles and manor houses, the arts of courtly love and the visual spectacle of chivalry. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 238 (= A FRE 238) Great Classics of French Cinema (3)
An introduction with detailed analyses to a dozen of the most well-known French classic films as contributions to the art of cinema and as reflections of French society at various historical moments. Taught in English. May not be used to fulfill the requirements of the major in French. Only one of version of A ARH/A FRE 238 and A FRE 315 may be taken for credit. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 240 (formerly A CAS 240) Images and Issues of Diversity in the Visual Arts (3)
This course will examine the visual and performing arts produced in selected subcultures and will consider the ways in which such social identities as race/ethnic identity, socio-economic class, gender and age are represented. The course focuses on the relationship of artists and their work to cultural and critical history, the impact and relevance for modern society, the social conditions under which these artists create, and the effect of these conditions on the themes, content, forms and shape of the reality in their art.
A ARH 241 Introduction to Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture (3)
This course focuses on art and architecture made in Italy during the Renaissance (ca. 1250-1600). Each week, lectures explore one or a few major sites, works, or buildings. The class will discuss how artworks fit into their physical contexts, the influence of patrons, and the social, civic, religious, intellectual, and political significance of art. Lectures also examine artistic exchange between Italy and Northern Europe.
A ARH 250 Art in France from Absolutism to Impressionism (3)
Introduction to art of all mediums produced in France from the consolidation of the country under the Valois and Bourbon kings of the Renaissance and Baroque eras, through the origins of Modernism in 19th century art and culture. The course culminates with an examination of the French Impressionists and the many ways in which their radical new painting styles intersected with French social life and concerns of their era.
T ARH 252 Art to War: France & England-18th Century (3)
This course examines the complex blend of cultural exchange, rivalry and outright political hostility that coexisted between two major European powers in the eighteenth century: France and England. Through a close examination of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, graphics, architecture, and decorative arts, students will learn how material culture provides unique evidence of societal interests, concerns and conflicts. The imperialist and commercial ambitions of both England and France will factor into our consideration of how art was valued and interpreted in the eighteenth century, and special attention will be paid to the ways in which the arts of both countries profited from, and indirectly referenced, enslaved labor in the Caribbean colonies. Honors College students only.
A ARH 260 Introduction to Film Studies (3)
This course offers an introduction to the analysis of cinema as an art form. Students will learn the basic language of film analysis in order to critically understand and interpret the movies as technological, cultural, and artistic products. From mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and film sound to narrative structure, alternatives to mainstream narrative fiction film, and contextual analysis, this introductory course provides the foundation for advanced film studies courses and fulfills the General Education requirement for Arts. The aim of this class is to increase students' visual literacy skills and the ability to recognize film language at work in the creation of meaning on screen.
A ARH 261 Independent and Art House Cinema (3)
This introduction to independent, underground, and art house cinema covers a range of visual and narrative alternatives to the films produced by the studio system. By examining cinema as a mode of visual storytelling and personal expression, these films open up the possibility of an alternative authorship that includes the visions and stories of those operating outside the mainstream or beyond storytelling traditions that are limited by genre conventions and economic expectations. From independent cinema and the avant-garde to underground film movements, midnight movies, cult cinema, and film festival favorites, these films raise questions of what cinema is or can be, highlights cinema's relationship to other art forms, and points to the changing dynamics between the industry and independents in both film history and contemporary filmmaking practices.
A ARH 263 Film Genres (3)
This course provides an introduction to the theory and study of film genre, including the Western, the musical, science fiction, melodrama, horror, film noir, and the road movie. From narrative conventions to visual style, film genres and subgenres shape how movies are made, marketed, and experienced. This cultural and historical approach to genre incorporates films that have defined or renegotiated genre conventions, filmmaking practices, and audience expectations. It may be offered as a survey course or may focus on a specific film genres topic.
A ARH 264 Radical Film Movements: 1960s and 1970s Cinema (3)
This course examines the new wave of radical cinema produced alongside the social, cultural, political, and artistic movements of the 1960s and 1970s both in the United States and internationally. Films of this time reflect the violence and energy of political and personal turmoil, the aesthetics of counter-cultural experimentation, an embrace of film as a subversive art form, and new ways of telling stories both in and beyond Hollywood. This course may provide a survey of radical cinema from the 1960s and 1970s, or may focus on a specific decade or country.
A ARH 265 History of Photography (3)
A survey of photography from its invention in 1839 to recent trends. Emphasizes why it was developed, the major 19th century documentary and artistic uses, and the extraordinary range of 20th century explorations. An integrated approach tied to parallel social and artistic events.
A ARH 266 Photography 1970 to the Present (3)
A thorough survey of recent photography. Emphasizes fine art photography and the use of photography by artists working in other media, including documentary and photojournalistic work, photography books, mixed media and digital work. The materials for study are drawn from slide lectures, local exhibitions, contemporary criticism, library materials, and the media. No prior photography or art history required.
A ARH 267 International Film Movements (3)
From the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, German Expressionism, and Soviet Cinema to Dogma 95, Iranian Cinema, Bollywood, and Bangkok Cinema, this course examines various film movements and tendencies that operate alongside and against Hollywood and other international film industries. Film form, content, style, narrative, and meaning will be understood in the context of cultural, economic, and political climates and in relation to other art forms, genres, and movements. International in scope, this course approaches cinema as both an art form and industry that is technologically and politically determined, artistically motivated, and ultimately transformative of the language of cinema as it is practiced by filmmakers in specific contexts and as understood by viewers nationally, internationally, and transnationally.
A ARH 269 The Crime Film (3)
This course provides an introduction to the theory and study of the crime film within the larger umbrella of film noir in Hollywood and international cinema. From narrative conventions and visual style to the technological, artistic, and political capabilities of this particular sub-genre, this course examines the cultural contexts of the crime film as well as its driving aesthetic principles and potential for political and social commentary on issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Students will learn how to situate the crime film and film noir technologically, aesthetically, and narratively in film history both in and beyond Hollywood, and will point to contemporary renditions of the crime film in cinema today.
A ARH 270 Introduction to Ancient Art: Greek and Roman Mural Painting and Floor Mosaic (3)
A study of two of the primary visual forms, wall paintings and mosaic pavements, which survive from the ancient world will serve to introduce students to the art of the classical civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The course consists of a historical survey of the wall and floor decorations produced in the Greek and Roman worlds from the palace civilizations of the Aegean Bronze Age through Classical and Hellenistic Greece to the Roman Empire and early Christianity. Parallel developments in Etruscan art are also included. Style, content and technique in both wall paintings and floor mosaics will be studied in the ancient social and cultural contexts in which the art was created. Both pebble and tessellated mosaic pavements and fresco paintings are examined, as well as ancient literary texts which reveal ancient opinion on the visual arts. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 275 Medieval Visual Perspectives on Life, Death, and Cultural Conflict (3)
This course examines the art and architecture of Europe and the Middle East produced over 1100 years from around 300 CE to 1400 CE. Particular attention will be paid to how producers and consumers of visual images and architectural structures sought creative responses to such vital concerns as war and violence, cultural and religious difference, gender and sexuality, spirituality, and death. Only one of A ARH 275 or T ARH 275 may be taken for credit. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
T ARH 275 Medieval Visual Perspectives on Life, Death, and Cultural Conflict (3)
This course examines the art and architecture of Europe and the Middle East produced over 1100 years from around 300 CE to 1400 CE. Particular attention will be paid to how producers and consumers of visual images and architectural structures sought creative responses to such vital concerns as war and violence, cultural and religious difference, gender and sexuality, spirituality, and death. T ARH 275 is the Honors version of A ARH 274. Only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 285 Contemporary Art: A Global Perspective (3)
This course seeks to introduce first-time students to contemporary art. Major themes, concepts, artists and works of contemporary art will be explored. While emphasis is given to American and European art practices, contemporary art will be looked at from a global perspective which includes recent art from Latin America, South Africa, Middle East, India and China.
A ARH 286 Art in Protest/Art as Protest (3)
This class examines the inextricable link between the creation (or destruction) of art and imagery and the act of protest. It explores this link in a variety of contexts and over a broad sweep of time, although the focus is on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The class considers the definition of "protest art" -- art in protest, art that protests, art made after protests -- while looking at a number of specific topics and examples including: how art has been used to protest war and violence; art, race, and racism; art and feminism; the use of art to further LGBTQ rights and causes; the ways art has been used to critique the (mis)treatment of the environment; the art museum as subject and site of protest; and art's role in addressing colonialism and apartheid. A number of artworks located on the UAlbany campus and in the Capital District are discussed.
A ARH 288 Film History I (1894-1945) (3)
This international-based course provides an introductory survey of film history in its first fifty years, and addresses the history of cinema technologies, movements, and genres as the art form developed. Film History I (1894-1945) provides an important introduction to early film history that covers pre-cinematic and early cinematic technologies, the introduction and growth of narrative fiction film, international and artistic developments surrounding editing and the aesthetics of the image, early studio alliances in the United States and the growth of the Hollywood studio system, and the subsequent transition to film sound. This course sets the stage for the further study of international film history courses such as Film History II and International Film Movements. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260.
A ARH 289 Film History II (1945-Present) (3)
This international-based course addresses the history of cinema technologies, movements, and genres from World War II to the present day. In addition to the Classical Hollywood studio system, Film History II covers major international film movements surrounding and following World War II and the industrial changes in film history that are technologically determined, economically motivated, and socio-politically influenced. This course sets the stage for the further study of contemporary cinema in relation to earlier film histories and advanced Film Studies courses, and is not limited to a Western-centric approach. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260.
A ARH 298 Topics in Art History (3)
Introductory study of a special topic in Art History not otherwise covered in the curriculum. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
A ARH 301 Aegean Prehistory (3)
Archaeology of the Aegean area from Paleolithic times to the end of the Bronze Age, with emphasis on Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece. Prerequisite(s): A CLA 208. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 302 (= A CLA 302) Villanovans, Etruscans, and Early Romans (3)
Archaeology of the Etruscans and of early Rome in the context of the Iron Age cultures of the Italian peninsula. Only one version may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ARH/A CLA 209 and A ARH 270, or junior or senior class standing. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 303 Artistic Encounters in the Early Medieval World (3)
This course examines the art and architecture serving Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Europe and the Middle East from the second through the tenth century of the Common Era. Particular attention will be paid to those objects and monuments which articulate the common values and areas of tension among the adherents of all three religions. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 329 Archaeological Field Research (2-6)
Supervised participation in the excavation of approved Old World prehistoric, classical or medieval sites. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing and permission of the department chair. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 331 Monks, Monarchs, and Medieval Art: Europe 500-1100 C.E. (3)
An examination of western European architecture, painting, sculpture and portable arts from the 6th to the 12th century. Course covers Jewish, Christian, and Muslim art with some emphasis on the interaction between these three dominant European medieval belief systems. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 332 Gothic Art and Architecture (3)
Examines Gothic Art of the 13th and 14th centuries in France and its spread throughout Europe. Includes a study of religious and lay architecture (cathedrals, castles, town halls); cathedral sculpture; stained glass, murals and mosaics; manuscript illumination, painted altarpieces and art of precious metals. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 341 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1250-1450 (3)
This course will focus on paintings, sculptures, and architectural structures produced in Italy between 1250 and 1450. We will focus on works produced in major centers like Florence and Milan, as well as those made in smaller cities like Siena and Padua. The course will stress the effects of historical, social, and political contexts on the production of images and structures. Topics to be covered include the influence of the mendicant orders, the effects of the Black Death, patronage, urbanism, the construction and decoration of churches and palaces, the influence of antiquity, courtly art and architecture, the role of gender in art, and the social status of the artist. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 342 Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture: 1450-1600 (3)
This course will focus on artistic and architectural monuments created in Italy between 1450 and 1600, a period that saw the development of the High Renaissance and the eventual emergence of the Mannerist style. We will focus on paintings, sculptures, architectural structures, and graphic work produced in major centers, including Florence, Venice, Rome, and Milan. Topics to be covered include the role of the patron, politics and art, the continuing influence of antiquity, sexuality and gender in imagery, and the evolving social position of the artist. Special attention will be paid to papal patronage and, naturally, the influence of the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation on art in Italy. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 343 Northern European Art: 1350-1600 (3)
This course will focus on art created in northern Europe between 1350 and 1600. We will focus on paintings, sculptures, and graphic work produced in France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Topics to be covered include the meaning of realism, symbolism and the use of iconographic analysis, the development of the art market, artistic specialization, the function of images in religious and domestic contexts, the emergence of the self-conscious artist, and sexuality and gender in imagery. Attention will be paid to the influence of antiquity and the Italian Renaissance in the north. We will also examine the influence of the Protestant Reformation on images produced after 1517. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 350 Art and Theatre 1600-1700 (3)
This course focuses upon the close relationship between art and theater in seventeenth-century Europe. We examine the ways in which painters, sculptors and architects employed strategies of performance to stage dramatic visual spectacles, as well as the pictorial qualities of theatrical performance itself. Taking into consideration the international art of the European courts; Catholic cultures in France and Spain; portraiture, still life and narrative painting, we study the diverse theatrical qualities of works by such artists as Bernini, Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Velasquez, van Dyck, Luisa Roldán, and the team of artists who created the palace complex of Versailles. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 351 Art, Commerce, and Colonization in the Dutch Republic (3)
Examines Dutch painting and graphic arts together with the abundant material goods acquired through trade and travel on a global scale through prosperous Dutch sea-faring merchant fleets. At once local and global, worldly and mundane, Dutch art embodied an intense curiosity about science, nature, history, and other cultures, but also the exploitative forces at work in Dutch colonialist practices, above all in Brazil, where sugar plantations and other enterprises entailed coerced labor of both Indigenous populations and enslaved Africans. Students will gain skills for critically evaluating the intersection of pictorial, social, and economic factors within diverse art forms, from the intense narrative dramas of Rembrandt, to the enigmatic figural scenes of Vermeer, to Albert Eckhout’s representations of natural and social life in Brazil. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 352 (= A HST 341) Art and Globalization in 18th Century Europe (3)
This course examines art produced in Europe during the eighteenth century, with an emphasis upon studying its social significance during a period of unprecedented global travel and commercial exchange. The course considers the visual and material aspects of many different artistic media in a range of European countries, and query how this art both represented and actively contributed to Europeans' understandings of their own societies, as well as their perceptions and misperceptions of Asian, Turkish, native American and African cultures. Special attention is also paid to the ways art helped to shape Europeans' gender politics and definitions of race both within Europe and in the slave-holding colonies of the Caribbean islands. Prerequisite(s): one Art History or European History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 361 Understanding Screen Studies: Acting, Apparatus, and Audiences (3)
This course explores the history of screen studies in relation to changing technology and the cinematic apparatus, audience and reception studies, the art of acting and directing, and the understanding of cinema as an art form that is culturally located. Students will learn to recognize the semiotics of cinema in the context of film history, theory, criticism, and practice, and to become critical viewers of the art. This course also grapples with screen studies as it is changing in the new digital age, and raises epistemological questions regarding the nature of representation and reception studies. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260.
A ARH 362 Topics in Film: Significant Cinema Directors (3)
This course offers an in-depth look at the work and influences of selected individual directors or groups of filmmakers in the context of auteur theory, film and art history, and cultural studies. Students will exercise formal and contextual analysis in order to better understand the director-as-auteur trope and will also be asked to deconstruct these theories and traditions in order to create new narratives surrounding authorship, genre, and intertextuality in cinema. On the one hand, this course honors the work of particular filmmakers that are undeniably accomplished, while on the other hand also taking into account issues of privilege, collaboration, technological developments, and economic support from the film industry that makes such authorship possible. Directors will thus be celebrated and critiqued with these issues in mind. This course may be repeated for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260.
A ARH 363 Early Film Technologies: From Zoetrope to Film Sound (3)
This course provides a technological, aesthetic, and cultural history of early cinema and examines the impact of technological experimentation on the art of film in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From early cinematic devices and early experimentations with color and sound to the technological advancements spurred by the Hollywood studio system, the first thirty years of cinema offers an important study of what film is or can be, and provides insight into how individuals, artists, and the growing film industry came to determine what it looks like today. This course situates early cinema technologies in terms of mechanics, artistry, and cultural impact up until the standardization of film sound in the late 1920s, and outlines the many intersections between art, innovation, and industry in early film history. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260.
A ARH 365 Modern Art I (3)
Survey of the first phase of Modernism, focusing on painting and sculpture in Europe and the USA from circa 1780–1880. Movements covered include Neo-Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism; artists include David, Goya, Manet, Cassatt. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 366 Modern Art: A Revolution in Time and Space (3)
This course is designed to survey modern art from the perspective of significant themes, theories and practices from 1848 to the Second World War. While the focus of the course is placed on European and American artistic practices and developments, emphasis will also be given to Asia, Africa, and Oceania in the evolution of modern art. The impact of political crises, economic histories, colonialist policies and the effects of social transformations on modernism will be explored. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course or permission of instructor.
A ARH 368 Documentary Cinema: History, Theory, Criticism (3)
This course provides a historical and theoretical introduction to documentary film history and criticism, from early cinema to contemporary documentary filmmaking practices. Students will examine the aesthetics and ethics of representation with a keen attention to issues of visibility, consent, and the power dynamics of authorship, identity politics, and access to the modes of representation. Canonical moments of documentary film history will be explored alongside lesser known examples of documentary works in order to address complex issues of subjectivity, objectivity, and truth as implicated or compromised by the film camera, filmmaker, and film audiences. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260 or permission of the instructor.
A ARH 369 Experimental Film and Video (3)
This hands-on production course provides an introduction to the wide range of elements, structure, and history of experimental film, avant-garde cinema, and video art. Historical developments will be analyzed in weekly screenings and discussions relating to film and video experimentation from the 1920s to the present, and student work will include their own experimentations with the cinematic medium and new media. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260 or A ART 383/A ARH 383 or permission of instructor.
A ARH 380 Poetry and Cinema (3)
This course examines the relationship between the visual and the verbal both on screen and on the page, and will ask students to investigate how film and poetry have influenced and responded to one another over time and in the context of their respective literary and cinematic transformations. The aim of this course is to outline the possibilities of lyrical cinema within experimental, animation, documentary, and narrative film, and to point toward the similarities of rhythm, structure, and image that are frequently shared by poetry and cinema. Films, filmmakers, and poets will be studied alongside one another; a significant amount of time will be spent reading and discussing the original poems. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260 and junior or senior standing.
A ARH 381/ A ANT 382 Maya Art and Archaeology (3)
This course delves deeply into the cultures of indigenous Maya civilizations from 1000 B.C. into the early Colonial era. Maya peoples lived in a region defined by southern Mexico and Central America today. Maya studies embrace an interdisciplinary approach drawn from archeology, art history, hieroglyphic records, and ethnohistory. Pre-Columbian Maya social identity, modes of governance (and kingship), and political economies varied through space and time. This course follows serial achievements of Maya states, characterized by cycles of collapse and resurgence as well as long-term resilience and sustainability. The class will study kings, their retinues, and their foundations of power from ample works of art and hieroglyphic writing that have long captured public attention. It will also study the everyday life of commoners from the perspectives of household archaeology and ethnohistory. Commoners' diversified labor pursuits were the foundation of regional economies. The course emphasizes and celebrates the understanding of Maya world view and beliefs, shared across the social spectrum in the Pre-Columbian era, and important to indigenous descendant populations today. Course content includes case studies of key kingdoms as well as important topics such as landscape, religion, households, gender roles, economy, warfare, and ritual combat (the ballgame). Only one version may be taken for credit.
A ARH 386 Filmmaking from Script to Screen: Perspectives from the Industry (3)
This master class in film studies and analysis will examine the specialized skills of each stage of filmmaking, and will invite specialists from the film industry to share their knowledge and expertise with students. From screenwriting and casting to editing and exhibition, students will learn about the various aspects of film creation as a collaborative process, the movies as an industry, and cinema as an art form in the context of film history, theory, criticism and practice. Students will further learn to analyze the movies in terms of film form, content, and style. Thus, this course provides a master-class setting for students to deepen their study and appreciation of film, to learn from available experts in the field, and to further develop their own visual literacy and critical thinking skills. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260 or permission of the instructor.
A ARH 401 Greek Sculpture (3)
Study of selected sculptural monuments from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic eras, considered in relation to their historical, intellectual and religious context. Prerequisite(s): A CLA 208. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 402 Roman Sculpture (3)
Selected monuments representing the historical development of Roman sculpture in its social and religious context from the early Republic to the time of the emperor Constantine. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 209 or A ARH 270 or A ARH 302 or junior or senior class standing. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 403 Greek Painting (3)
A survey of ancient Greek painting from the beginnings about 1000 B.C. through the Hellenistic age; primarily painted vases, but also including the limited evidence that exists for wall painting and other forms. Prerequisite(s): A CLA 208. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 405 Greek Architecture (3)
The development of Greek monumental architecture from the earliest temples through the Hellenistic Age. Prerequisite(s): A CLA 208. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 406 Roman Architecture and Town Planning (3)
The development of Roman public and private architecture, with emphasis on its urban setting and function, and the evolution of Roman towns in Italy and the Empire from the early Republic to the time of the emperor Constantine. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 209 or A ARH 270 or A ARH 302 or junior or senior class standing. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 432 Gothic Painting (3)
Study of the style and technique of stained glass, manuscript illumination, wall and panel painting in the 13th and 14th centuries, with emphasis on France and Italy. Prerequisite(s): one 100 or 200 level Art History course and junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 442 Art and Change in Northern Europe, 1300-1500 (3)
Research seminar examining selected topics in the art produced in northern Europe from 1300-1500. Special emphasis upon the cultural significance of art in an era that saw dramatic changes in social structures and religious beliefs. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing and at least nine credits of upper-level coursework in Art History or Medieval and Renaissance Studies, or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2023-2024.
A ARH 450 (= A FRE 460) Art and Society in Early Modern France (3)
Seminar examining selected topics in art and architecture produced in France from the 16th through 18th centuries. Special emphasis upon the cultural significance of art in an era that saw the rise and fall of monarchical power as well as dramatic changes in understandings of social hierarchy, gender, the natural world, and philosophy. Only one version may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing and at least nine credits of upper-level coursework in Art History or French Studies.
A ARH 460 Special Topics in Cinema (3)
In-depth study of selected topics in film not otherwise covered in the curriculum. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260, junior or senior standing, and two upper level film studies courses.
A ARH 461 (= A WSS 461) Women in Cinema (3)
This course provides an introduction to women in cinema with an emphasis on images of women in film and films directed by women. Drawing upon film history and feminist film theory, this course takes on the construction of femininity and embodiment on screen as well as the role of the camera, the anticipated or implied spectator, and the film industry at large in those representations. Students will also examine alternatives to the traditional visual relationships and gender dynamics emphasized by Hollywood and other film industries, and will become familiar with experimental, animated, and feminist counter-cinema as important instances of visual culture that either transgress or work through issues of gender and the gaze differently. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior status and either A ARH 260 or six credits of A WSS coursework.
A ARH 462 Research Seminar in Film Studies (3)
Seminar for advanced art history or film studies students on selected topics in film history, criticism, theory, and practice. Topics may range in subject, from experimental and digital cinema to the international film festival. Coursework involves extensive discussion and readings as well as a substantial written or creative project in relation to the specific seminar topic. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260, junior or senior standing, two upper level film studies courses, and Art History major/minor or Film Studies minor, or permission of instructor.
A ARH 463 Landscape in Film: Cinematic Space and Setting (3)
Seminar on landscape in cinema examining the role of setting, set design, art, architecture, and the environment in the creation of cinematic space on screen for both characters and viewers. Examines a wide range of films that feature landscape as a protagonist and undeniable presence within the world of the film, and approaches cinema as a mode of visual storytelling. Incorporates a study of other, closely related art forms such as photography, sculpture, architecture, and dance in order to better understand cinematic space and how film operates to create mood and meaning. Students will apply this approach to their own experiences of spatial mediation and the nature of representation in our lives and in the arts. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 260, junior or senior standing, and 2 upper division film studies courses.
A ARH 464 Advanced Analysis of Film Form, Story, and Style (3)
Advanced film studies seminar on the artistry of film form, story, and style that aims to provide students with the advanced analytical skills and increased visual literacy to identify film language at work (textual analysis), film as a cultural artifact (contextual analysis), and film in relation to other art forms (intertextual analysis). This study of cinema includes its stories, characters, settings, and narrative devices as well as its non-narrative, experimental, or expressive possibilities. The course situates trends in contemporary cinema and its current sensibilities and styles in the context of film history, auteur theory, genre studies, and technological advancements as they effect the industry, aesthetics, and audience expectations. Prerequisites(s): A ARH 260, junior or senior standing, two upper division film studies courses.
A ARH 466 Art Criticism of the Modern Period (3)
A study of the major European and American critics of 20th century art up to circa 1970. Student essays in criticism of actual artworks will emphasize understanding of historically significant critical perspectives, as well as the development of personal approaches to criticism. Prerequisite(s): One 100 or 200 level Art History course, junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor.
A ARH 467 Art Criticism of the Post-Modern Period (3)
Investigation of practice and theory of contemporary art criticism. Readings will concentrate on critics and writers from the 1970s to the present. In writing about works of art, students will practice basic critical skills of description, formal analysis, interpretation, and articulation of personal responses. Prerequisite(s): One 100 or 200 level Art History course, junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor.
A ARH 468 Postwar & Contemporary Art: 1945 to Now (3)
This course is designed to survey late modern and contemporary art from the perspective of significant themes, theories and practices from 1945 to the present. Although modes of painting and sculpture and their innovations will be discussed, the aim of the course is really to help the student to think beyond traditional paradigms and towards how several generations of artists interpret the modern through the lens of what we now term the contemporary. Conceptual art, performance art and installation will be looked at in their earlier experimental forms before analyzing their reappearance in the second half of the twentieth century. Debates concerning multiculturalism and postcolonial thought will be viewed through key exhibitions. Finally, the course will shift from Europe and the United States towards evaluating more recent art from around the world with the onset of globalization.
A ARH 475 (= A WSS 475) Women in Art from the Renaissance to Impressionism (3)
Examines representations of women in European and North American art from the Renaissance through Impressionism. Special attention is given to works made by women, and to the problem of how women artists negotiated their position as both subjects and objects of artistic depiction. While women artists faced challenges to their authority on every level - material, theoretical, and ideological - the course explores the inventive ways they reconfigured, or even challenged, traditional expectations. Only one version of A ARH 475 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing plus either one 100 or 200 level Art History course or 6 credits of Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses; or permission of instructor.
A ARH 476 (= A WSS 476) Women in Art from the New Woman to Now (3)
This course examines the ways in which women artists living within diverse historical and cultural contexts gained social agency through visual imagery and material construction. Beginning with the "New Woman" movement around the turn of the 20th century, it examines women's contribution to avant-garde movements in Europe and North America; the feminist art movement of the 1960s and 70s; "post-modern" feminist art which critiqued the very notion of social identity; and women artists' continuing efforts to enrich, question, and challenge the global art world of the 21st century. May not be taken by students with credit for A ARH/A WSS 475 prior to Fall 2014. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing plus either one 100 or 200 level Art History course or 6 credits of Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses; or permission of instructor.
A ARH 490 Internship in Art History (3)
Supervised placement in an institution devoted to the collection, exhibition and/or conservation of works of art, such as the Albany Institute of History and Art or the State Conservation Laboratory. Provides practical experience in working with original works of art and includes research and writing projects. Art History majors may use 3 credits toward course requirements above the 300 level. May be repeated for credit, with permission of supervising instructor. Internships are open only to qualified juniors and seniors who have an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. Prerequisite(s): at least 6 credits in Art History and junior or senior standing. S/U graded.
A ARH 491 Internship in Film Studies (3)
Internship in the study of film or in film production. Students are responsible for finding and securing the internship with an organization or individual, subject to approval by the director of the Film Studies minor. May be repeated for credit. Three credits may be applied to upper level coursework in the Film Studies minor or the Art History major. Prerequisite(s): open only to juniors or seniors with a Film Studies minor or with at least six credits of film studies coursework, and an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. S/U graded.
A ARH 493 Honors Thesis I (3)
First of two consecutive semesters of Honors research and writing with the goal of producing an Honor thesis. Prerequisite(s): open only to senior Art History majors with Honors status.
A ARH 494 Honors Thesis II (3)
Second of two consecutive semesters of Honors research and writing with the goal of producing an Honor thesis. Prerequisite(s): open only to senior Art History majors with Honors status.
A ARH 497 Independent Study (1–4)
Directed studio project in a selected art area. May be repeated with approval of department chair. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor and department chair.
A ARH 498 Topics in Art History (3)
In-depth study of selected topics in art history not otherwise covered in the curriculum. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies. Prerequisite(s): A ARH 170 or A ARH 171 or permission of instructor.
A ARH 499Y Research Seminar in Art History (3)
Seminar focusing upon selected topics in art historical research. Students will study all aspects of research in art history, including the formulation of a topic; establishing the state of research on the topic; preparing an annotated bibliography and scholarly notes; and using library and web-based catalogues, databases, museum archives, image banks, and other research tools. The main focus of the coursework will be an individual research project. The course may be repeated for credit as the topic varies. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing and Art History major or minor, or permission of instructor.
