ARHT341

The call for "modernity" of Baudelaire; the "misogyny" of Degas; the "obsessiveness" of Cezanne; the "primitivism" of Gauguin; the "feminine spaces" of Mary Cassatt and, of course, the "madness" of Van Gogh will be just some of the notions--or myths--that we will explore in this survey of mid-19th century to early 20th century art. We will examine the historical stature of these artists, their reputations, and their contemporary relevance.

The city of Paris is considered the center of 19th century painting (nearly all the artists we shall study spent significant time there, including Van Gogh). In addition to analyzing the works themselves, we shall consider the social, economic, and political changes in and around Paris that affected the shape and reception of the art produced there. Some background in the art of the period will be helpful to understanding the richness, as well as the controversial nature, of the work we will discuss.

Whenever possible, we shall consider a relatively small number of key works by each artist, rather than attempt to master an exhaustive survey. Even within this lecture format, discussion is encouraged. The required readings represent diverse views within the field of art history.