BA Art History

The study of art history encompasses the visual arts and material culture of a wide range of regions and historical periods. Art History courses develop students’ skills in visual analysis, interpretation of images and texts, use of historical sources, and engagement with scholarly debates. Within the department, survey classes provide a chronological overview of an extended period in Western or non-Western art, while Art in Context classes focus on a particular artist or artists, medium or theme, artistic problem, movement or period. Upper-level classes may be similarly focused, but at a more advanced level, or may deal with theoretical questions.