Art History Area

What Does an Art Historian Do?

Art Historians study art and visual culture in context, placing artistic expressions at the crossroads of their creators and their audiences. Art objects and practices are influenced by geography, by historical events, by religious beliefs and social values, and by expressions such as music, literature, and mass culture. Art can be worn on the body, serve as shelter, support ritual practices and ceremonies, and house human remains. Art objects are material documents of the past which inform our understanding of human history and shape today’s ever-evolving social values.

The study of art in history relies on the close observation and scientific investigation of material evidence, on archaeology, and on the study of textual primary sources. Art historians also study the development of art styles and their interactions with visual culture

As an Art Historian, you will uncover how art objects express the complexities of the societies that created them--both their enduring conflicts and their most brilliant endeavors. You will explore how human creativity has shaped the past. The past starts today.

Art History Courses
Introductory

ART 1100 - Art Appreciation

Art Appreciation is a course focused on fostering an awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the visual arts. Through exposure to cross-cultural art images throughout history, students will build a global artistic vocabulary that allows for the constructive analysis of art objects. Students will also gain an understanding of the influence of art on other important aspects of culture including politics, history, religion, and science.

Hours:
3

Notes:
Course is equivalent to ARTS 1100.

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ART 2510 - Introduction to Art History I

A survey of art and architecture from prehistoric times to the Gothic period. Selected works are examined through visual presentations, lectures, and readings. Students enrolled in this course are required to attend exhibitions, guest lectures, and/or other cultural presentations outside the regular class time.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ENGL 1101 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 2520 - Introduction to Art History II

A survey of Western art and architecture from the Renaissance to current trends. Selected works are examined through visual presentations, lectures, and readings. Students enrolled in this course are required to attend exhibitions, guest lectures, and/or other cultural presentations outside the regular class time.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ENGL 1101 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3500 - Visual Literacy & Communication

A study of the theories and processes involved in making art, individual and societal responses to various art forms, and the ways in which visual forms are used as tools of communication, and means of interaction within a social environment. Students will learn how to look at, analyze, and formulate responses to art in an interactive classroom environment. Subjects will include the evolution and uses of art as a communicative tool, and the development of art media and techniques such as printmaking, photography, cinema, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ART 2510 and ART 2520 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3

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Media

ART 3503 - History of Graphic Design

This course examines the history and evolution of graphic design from its beginning to the present. The invention of writing, the manuscript, the graphic renaissance in Europe, the industrial age, the modernist era, the information age and the digital revolution are explored. Changes in subject matter and stylistic concerns, in the contexts of social and political influences upon them, and the different roles and uses of typography and graphic design are discussed. Significant readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3505 - History of Digital Art

This course explores the historical, cultural, and aesthetic impact of digital techniques and technologies on traditional art forms such as paintings, photography, and sculpture, as well as the rise of new media art, from video to digital installation, and from computer-generated art to virtual reality. Students will discuss critical issues related to how art-making practices have shaped (and been shaped by) new and emerging technologies. Significant readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 or ART 3500 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3507 - History of Illustration and Sequential Art

This course examines the history of illustration and sequential art, with an emphasis on the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Topics include social, political, and aesthetic impact on the development of and roles played by illustration and sequential art. Students will discuss issues related to how illustration and sequential art have shaped (and been shaped by) changing critical an popular perceptions of those art forms, and, in particular, the rise of visual and material culture studies. Significant readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 or ART 3500 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3509 - History of Animation and Visual Effects

This course examines the history and technology of animation and cinematic visual effects from the origins of animation forms and techniques to contemporary computer-generated imagery. Topics include cultural and political impact on the aesthetic development of and social roles played by animation and visual effects in a variety of analog and digital forms, including Claymation, stop motion, cel animation, and CGI. Students will discuss issues related to how animation and visual effect have shaped (and been shaped by) changing critical and popular perceptions of those art forms, and in particular, visual and material culture studies. Significant readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 or ART 3500 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 4511 - History of Photography & Prints

An examination of the history and aesthetics of photography and prints from their beginnings to the present. Changes in subject matter and stylistic concerns, different roles and uses of photographs and prints, and the development of photographic and print techniques and equipment will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on photographs and prints as artistic expression and their relationship to other arts within the contexts of social and political influences upon them and their creators. Significant outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520

Hours:
3

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Periods

ART 3510 - Art & Architecture of Ancient Greece & Rome

An examination of the development of art and architecture in the Mediterranean from the prehistoric Aegean period through the late Roman Empire. The stylistic development of art and architecture and comparative analyses of artistic expression in various cultures are made. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of art to religious, political, philosophical, and social beliefs and practices within each. Outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2510 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3530 - Renaissance Art History

An examination of paintings, sculpture, prints, and architecture of the early, high, and late Renaissance in Italy, France, the Holy Roman Empire (including Germany), the Netherlands, and Spain. Using a combined chronological, comparative, and thematic approach, emphasis is placed on the distinct contributions of specific artists and of different regions. The economic, philosophical, religious, political, and cultural developments of early modern European society and cities in this period, are explored in detail. Outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3550 - Modern Art History

A focused examination of developments and changes in Western visual and material culture in the period defined as the modern era in art history, approximately 1800 to 1945. Outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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ART 3560 - Contemporary Art History

A focused examination of developments and changes in Western visual and material culture from 1945 to the present. Outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

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Regions

ART 3570 - Mexican and U.S. Latino Art

This course studies the history of art in Mexico as well as the history of Mexican American art in the United States. It includes topics on Mesoamerican art, colonial art created in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, post-independence Mexican art, the Mexican mural movement, the tradition of magic realism, and contemporary Mexican art. The course addresses the origins and development of the Chicano art movement and contemporary U.S. Latino art.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 2510 and ART 2520

Hours:
3

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ART 4540 - American Art History

The development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts in the United States from colonial era to the present. Works are examined within the contexts of their political, social, economic, and religious backgrounds and in relationship to European art of the period, and with an emphasis placed on the changing socio-economic position of the United States and the country's rise as an international artistic center in the twentieth century. Significant outside readings are incorporated into class discussions.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520

Hours:
3

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ART 3581 - Classical to Contemporary Chinese Art

Surveying the major trends in the arts of China from the tenth century through today, this course examines classical and imperial works as the foundation for modern and contemporary art. Lectures engage closely with the visual properties of artworks as well as their cultural and historical significance. Readings and discussions focus on major issues in art history and East Asian studies. Topics may vary each time the course is offered. No knowledge of the Chinese language is required.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2510 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of department

Hours:
3

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ART 3582 - The Arts of Japan

The course explores a variety of monuments and themes of the visual culture of Japan throughout the history. Painting, sculpture, and architecture will be our primary focus, supplemented by discussions of such arts as ceramics, garden design, costumes, Zen art, tea ceremony, and woodblock prints. Topics may vary each time the course is offered. No Knowledge of Japanese language is required.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2510 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of department

Hours:
3

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ART 3583 - Korean Art

The course is a focused study of the arts in the Korean peninsula from ancient to contemporary times. Lectures, readings, and discussions will analyze how Korean artists assimilated and responded to the visual cultures of their Chinese and Japanese neighbors and developed distinct characteristics. Topics may vary each time the course if offered. No Knowledge of the Korean language is required.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2510 with a grade of C or higher, or permission from the head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

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Topics

ART 3575 - Orientalism and Techno-Orientalism in Art

This course explores Orientalism in art from nineteenth-century depictions by European and American artists of North Africa to the Middle East through Techno-Orientalist views of Asia by artists today. Subjects, motifs, and aesthetic principles of Orientalism from 1801 to c. 1930 are covered. The examination of Techno-Orientalism, heavily influenced by Japanese manga and anime, focuses on c. 1950 to the present. Emphasis is placed on social, political, and cultural contexts and interpretations of Orientalist and Techno-Orientalist art, including illustration and animation, architecture, sculpture, and decorative arts.

Hours:
3

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ART 4561 - Feminist Theory and Criticism in Contemporary Art

A seminar style introduction to feminist art criticism and the feminist art movement as part of postmodern theory in contemporary art. Students will discuss, write about and analyze critical texts and artworks that explore the diverse ideas and themes associated with the feminist movement in art from the 1960s to the present.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2520 or permission of instructor (must have completed ART 1100 to receive permission)

Hours:
3

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ART 4590 - Special Topics in Art History

A detailed study of an artist, stylistic movement, artistic theme, art historical methodology, or other special topic of current interest not covered in catalog listings. May be repeated for a total of up to 9 credit hours.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 2510 and ART 2520 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3

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Special Topics Courses That May be Offered

Pop Art

Surrealism

Exhibition Practices

Contemporary Art Exhibitions

Michelangelo

Portraits of Artists

Art History Classrooms

Gainesville campus - Arts and Technology, rooms 1203, 2001, 2003, 2203

Dahlonega campus - Hansford Hall, 209 | Nix Mountain Cultural Center, room 308

Oconee campus - Student Resource Center, 530

Cumming campus - Academic Building, 161

Art History Area

Introductory

Media

Periods

Regions

Topics

Special Topics Courses That May be Offered

Opportunities

Interested in presenting your art or art history research?

TimeFrame - UNG Art History Club

Internship: Research and document artworks from the UNG Permanent Art Collection