ARTH 110Introduction to Art History I

Catalog

An introduction to visual and material culture and built environments from prehistory through 1650. We will trace developments in cultural production at the center and periphery of the great empires of the pre-modern world in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with a consideration of political and religious institutions that regulated the production and use of images, objects, buildings, and space. We will also focus on the impact of technological innovation and cultural exchange on art and architecture, including changes brought about by commercial expansion, conquest, colonization, religious conversion, and pilgrimage. In addition to presenting the historic and cultural aspects of art production, this course also introduces key skills in analyzing visual information and using images to advance an academic argument. Fulfills requirement for art history majors and minors.