ARTH 102: Symbols and Stories in Art

ARTH 102-001: Symbols/Stories in Art
(Fall 2026)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR

Blue Ridge Hall 129

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Section Information for Fall 2026

This course explores storytelling through art in South Asia, from the Jataka tales carved onto Buddhist stupas at Sanchi (3rd century BCE) to powerful images of Kali, the blue-black goddess of time and transformation, and the political symbolism of Tipu Sultan’s tiger automaton (18th century CE). Across more than two millennia, we will examine how artists used visual form—color, material, form, and composition—to narrate devotion, love, kingship, and even anti-colonial struggle.

By pairing artworks with the texts, performances, and rituals that shape them, we will explore how stories move across time and how art and architecture influence cultural memory. Some weeks we will trace how a single story evolves over centuries; others we will closely analyze a single object to uncover layers of meaning. 

The primary goals of this course are: (1) to learn symbols and popular images in Indian art to gain visual and cultural literacy on South Asian topics and (2) engage critically with Indian art and historical storytelling traditions. This course fulfills a University Mason Arts Core requirement and carries 3 credit hours.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Introduces themes and imagery in art. Approaches and traditions to explore vary with the instructor. Offered by History & Art History. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Arts
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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