Take in Some Art History with These Fine Courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder

Discover art in just about every culture around the world. You'll be taking courses to better understand where and how certain works of art came from. The art history department even offers courses in the art of ancient Egypt. Find out about literature, history, culture and art in such classes as Medieval and Early Modern Visual Culture. There are many kinds of art covered in this department, including paintings, pottery, architecture, etc.

What is Art History

Art history is the academic study of pieces of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts; such as, genre, design, format, and look. Moreover, art history generally is the research of artists and their cultural and social contributions.

As a term, Art history (also history of art) encompasses several methods of studying the visual arts; in common usage referring to the study of works of art and architecture. The definition is, however, can also overlap with elements of art criticism and art theory. "The field of art history is much like Caesar's Gaul, divided in three parts inhabited by three different, though not necessarily hostile tribes: the connoisseurs, the critics, and the academic art historians" was something observed by Ernst Gombrich. Works of art criticism and of art theory frequently have been the pivots upon which the understanding of art history has turned.

Art history is an individual entity, unique in its context. Criticism is more concerned with establishing a relative artistic value upon individual works with respect to others of comparable style, or sanctioning an entire style or movement. Art theory is concerned with the fundamental nature of art, and is more related to aesthetics and determining the essence of beauty; such as, artistic appeal. Technically, art history is none of these things, because the art historian uses historical method to answer such questions as: How did the artist come to create the work? Who were the patrons? Who were his or her teachers? Who were his or her disciples? What historical forces shaped the artist's oeuvre and How did he or she and the creation, in turn, affect the course of artistic, political, and social events?

Coolest courses on art history

ARTH 1300: History of World Art 1 (3 Credits) - Get to know art styles from the Paleolithic period through the Renaissance. This includes European, Asian, and the Pre-Columbian/Islamic world. The class focuses on comparing Western and non-Western visual expressions as evidence of differing cultural orientations.

ARTH 1509: Trash and Treasure, Temples and Tombs: Art and Archaeology of the Ancient World (4 Credits) - Students are introduced to the art and archaeology of ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece, and Rome. The course examines various ancient approaches to power, religion, death, and the human body. Also, the class will analyze art, architecture, and believe it or not, everyday trash to learn about ancient humanity.

ARTH 1709: Experiencing Art - Image, Artist, and Idea (3 Credits) - The course offers a broad introduction to understanding and appreciating art from all time periods and all parts of the world. Particularly directed to nonmajors.

ARTH 3009: Critical Thinking in Art History (3 Credits) - The class provides an understanding of how art history has evolved as an academic discipline and how art historians evaluate complex issues of style, form, content, and theory in the visual arts through structured discussions, selected readings, and written assignments.

ARTH 3039: Greek Art and Archaeology (3 Credits) - Students will discover prehistoric Aegean through the fourth century B.C., including architecture, pottery, painting, sculpture, and personal ornament.

ARTH 3079: Medieval Art Survey (3 Credits) - Students take a look at the history of Western art from Constantine to around the year 1300 and certain styles of the period; such as, Carolingian, Ottonian, Anglo-Saxon, Romanesque, and Gothic.

ARTH 3209: Art, Culture, and Gender Diversity, 1400-1600: Renaissance Art Out of the Canon (3 Credits) - You will study the rising status of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Europe. Find out how Europeans perceived non-Western art during the early modern period.

ARTH 3509: American Art (3 Credits) - American art and material culture from the precolonial era to the present day is looked over in this class. Cultural and artistic interaction, ethnic expressions, patronage, European and non-Western influences, and the struggle to develop a uniquely American artistic identity are among the subjects discussed.

ARTH 3619: The Arts of China (3 Credits) - Students will take a look at Chinese painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts from neolithic to modern times.

ARTH 3629: The Arts of Japan (3 Credits) - Students will take away an appreciation and chronological development of the arts of Japan with this course. The class focuses on the arts of Shintoism and Buddhism. Also, the class will take a look at the particular Japanese aesthetic from prehistoric times to the present.

ARTH 4019: Art of Ancient Egypt (3 Credits) - Come to understand the development of Egyptian architecture, sculpture, painting, and the minor arts from their beginnings to the establishment of Christianity.

ARTH 4089: Romanesque and Gothic Art (3 Credits) - Examines major artistic trends in Europe between the years 1000 and 1300, a period that witnessed, among others, the development of gothic cathedrals and the rise of the professional artist.

ARTH 4119: Roman Sculpture (3 Credits) - Examines ancient Roman sculpture with emphasis on the display, iconography, and production of private and public monuments in the Roman Empire.

ARTH 4279: Michelangelo (1475-1564) (3 Credits) - Focuses on Michelangelo's long career, marked by outstanding achievements in sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry. Emphasizes his projects and achievements in light of 16th century artistic theory, including relationships to his contemporaries in the arts and literature.

ARTH 4309: Neoclassicism and Romanticism: 1760-1840 (3 Credits) - Students will have a look at painting and sculpture in England and France from the last quarter of the 18th century through the first half of the 19th century.

ARTH 4439: Native North American Art (3 Credits) - Art of North American Indian cultures, including the northwest coast, southwest, southeast, northeast, and plains are looked over in this class. Among the subjects covered are architecture, sculpture, and minor arts for both archaeological and ethnological cultures.

ARTH 4469: Chinese Painting (3 Credits) - Take a look at the history of Chinese painting, with special emphasis on major masters and monuments, the history of styles, and Chinese theories on the art of painting. The course focuses on Chinese painters, their lives, and art as representatives of China's artistic heritage.

ARTH 4509: 19th Century American Art (3 Credits) - This course focuses on American painting, sculpture, photography, folk, and popular art throughout the nation's beginnings through the 19th century, with particular attention to emergence of art styles, the development of art museums and academies, and cultural interaction with Europe.

ARTH 4739: The Intellectual Roots of Italian Renaissance Art (3 Credits) - Students will study critical issues raised in the literature on art, focusing on Renaissance interpretations of key historical themes such as imitation and decorum.

ARTH 5179: Periklean Athens (3 Credits) - Explores in detail the buildings, sculptures, pots, and foreign imports of Athens under the leadership of Perikles, considering material culture of individuals as much as civic programs.

About Colorado University of Boulder

Little known facts: The school was established back in 1876. Their motto is "Let Your Light Shine". There have been approximately 24,000 undergraduates and 4,000 post-graduates. They were the first to create a new form of matter, called the "Bose-Einstein condensate" which is a few hundred billionths of a degree above absolute zero. They were the first to observe a "fermionic condensate" formed from pairs of atoms in a gas. They discovered a protein in the blood that can prevent the AIDS virus from reproducing and spreading to healthy cells. The university has also accomplished many more things; such as, the creation of a classifying and numbering system for human chromosomes, and the production of computerized 3D images of the entire body in anatomical sections.

University or college location: Boulder, Colorado

Directions to the college or university

From DIA: You will fly in or out of DIA or should I say, Denver International Airport. Driving time between DIA and Boulder is approximately 60 to 90 minutes. From DIA, follow Peña Boulevard (10 miles) south to I-70, and exit onto I-70 west. Follow I-70 west to I-270 west. I-270 merges into U.S. 36 west and takes you west into Boulder (about 23 miles). Exit at Baseline Road; turn left on Broadway and turn right or north. The campus is to the right. For alternate routes, see the map from DIA to Boulder.

From the Denver Area and South: To get to Boulder from the Denver area, go west on U.S. 36 (from I-25 or I-270) and exit at Baseline Road. Turn left (west) on Baseline Road, then right or north on Broadway to campus.

From the North: From the north, take U.S. 287 south to Highway 119. Highway 119 becomes Highway 157 (Foothills Parkway) just north of Boulder. Turn right or west from Foothills Parkway onto Baseline Road. Drive west on Baseline to Broadway, then turn right (north) on Broadway to campus.

From the West: Take I-70 east to U.S. 6. Go east on U.S. 6 to CO. 58. Turn right (east) on CO.58 to CO. 93. Make a left (north) onto CO. 93 towards Boulder. CO. 93 will turn into Broadway once in Boulder. Continue on Broadway west until you see the campus on your right. It will be shortly after you pass Baseline Rd.