ARHT322

This course will survey paintings, sculpture, photography, graphic arts, and popular visual spectacle in the United States until 1865. It will trace a wide range of artistic and visual works from first contact through the early Colonial, the Revolutionary, Federal and Antebellum periods, through the Civil War. Along with the study of art emerging out of a European tradition, we will simultaneously be studying native North American Art traditions, and paying attention to the interactions between indigenous and immigrant visual cultures. Some classes will focus on an in-depth analysis of one or two artists while others will cover a broader scope. Among the themes we will return to will be the role of the fine arts and of the broader visual culture in constructing American identities, and in defining the meanings of race, class, and gender. Classes will combine lecture and discussion, and students will also work in groups on homework assignments focused on challenging readings. This course has been Cross-Listed with
AMER-322.