AMERICAN ART II: CIVIL WAR TO CIVIL RIGHTS

Catalog description

(Slashed with ARTH 42057 ) In this second section and in-depth study of American art history, students will explore shifts and advancements in American art since the closing of the Civil War. New styles in abstraction and technological innovations in photography, lithography and cinema dramatically altered the trajectory of American art and resulted in an expansion of art museums and patronage. As the United States gained economic power and expanded its borders, American art was also profoundly influenced by movements such as French Impressionism and Mexican muralism and shaped by artists as close as Canada and as far as Australia. While American artists were debating whether to welcome “foreign” influences in their work, debates over racial segregation and women’s suffrage permeated art and politics on the homefront. In looking widely at objects such as paintings, photographs, silverware and public monuments, this class will examine the art and visual culture of the United States from the Civil War to Civil Rights movement.