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Theories and Methods of Art History
Tuesday, Thursday: 8:00-9:30am
This course introduces students to a range of theories and methods used by art historians in the past and present. It aims to prepare students to recognize, understand, and critique some of the concepts and approaches they will encounter in art historical writing. Topics include formalism, iconography, social history of art, feminism, psychoanalysis, the death of the author, queer theory, postcolonialism, and decolonial methods. Largely focused on the Euro–American tradition of art history, the course also considers some of the criticisms and limitations of that tradition. Although this course is designed with History of Art majors in mind, it is open to students majoring in any subject who are interested in developing their critical analysis skills and learning about theories and methods that shape the study of art and culture.