ARTH 200: History of Western Art I

ARTH 200-DL1: History of Western Art I
(Fall 2021)

Online

Section Information for Fall 2021

This course is the first half of a survey of the History of Western Art. We will begin with the mysterious cave paintings of prehistory, discuss the art of Antiquity – the glorious sculpture and temples of Ancient Egypt, the refined figures of Classical Greece, the inventive architecture of Rome -- and progress through the Middle Ages, examining glittering golden manuscripts and soaring cathedrals. Our course will end at the eve of the Renaissance. As we shall see, throughout history, trends in history and culture have been reflected, expressed, and articulated in art, and our course will examine how art has been used for a myriad of purposes, from displays of political power to the performance of rituals for death. One of our central tasks will be to see how art and culture fit together, and how one can shed light upon the other. 

The goal of this course is to learn the basics of art history and of visual analysis, focusing on art of the Mediterranean and European worlds. If you work hard, this course will help you develop skills for identifying works and recognizing their cultural context. It will also give you a broad understanding of the pre-modern history and culture of the Western world and an introduction to works in DC collections. A large part of this course is learning to use the descriptive and analytical terms appropriate for the discipline, learning to discuss, analyze, and write about a work of art.  

ARTH 200 DL1 is a distance education section.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Major periods, monuments, and themes of Western art and architecture. Introduces Washington, D.C., museum collections and a historical framework for further study in art history. Covers prehistory, the ancient world, and the Middle Ages. Notes: Designed as a two-course sequence, but each part may be taken independently without prerequisite. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Arts
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.