Methodologies of Art History consider theoretical approaches that have shaped many diverse historical and contemporary perspectives on art, from Renaissance classicism to romanticism, symbolism, and formalism, and from modernism to kitsch, post-modernism and the Anthropocene. The course considers the impact of political theories such as Marxism, feminism, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction on interpretations of art. These methodologies enable students to grasp how the very description and theorization of art has continually redefined its multiple meanings over time and also how art, itself, defines historical periods. As the history of art was a Western construct, the course focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on Western theories of art.
Instructor Consent Required
