Art History (AH)
Description of the major
Art History students investigate how the material world shapes human identities, experiences,
and values. We study images, artifacts, and spaces from many cultures around the
world—including photographs, paintings, architecture, fashion, interior design, and
urban planning. We think about how visual representation relates to issues of race,
ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, sexuality, and religion. Art History cultivates
visual observation, critical thinking, and communication skills that are applicable
to a wide range of potential career paths—including law, medicine, media, museum work,
historic preservation, and many more.
First-year students are welcome to take any 100- or 200-level courses other than AH220 (Writing in Art History) and AH221 (Practices
of Art History), which are intended for prospective majors in the sophomore year or
beyond.
Recommended courses for a prospective major
(choose one or two each semester)
Fall 2022
AH151D (001.002): The Middle Ages on the Move
AH151D (003.004): Pictures, Objects, and Spaces in Early Modern Europe
AH222: Greek Art and Archaeology
AH251C 001: Mesoamerican Art and Culture
Spring 2023
AH108: Imag(in)ing the Modern World
AH151D: Visual Cultures of the Americas
AH251C: Maya Art and Culture
AH251C: Parchment, Thread, and yes even Bread: The Material Stuff of Medieval Art
AH251C: Holy Bones: Art & Architecture of the Medieval Cult of Saints
Art History Department
113 Filene Hall
518-580-5053