Art History

In this course, major musical styles and genres of the 20th century, within and beyond the Western canon, are presented and discussed from the theoretical, aesthetic, and socio-cultural points of view. The first part of the course focuses on the mutual influences between jazz and classical music in the first half of the 20th century. An analysis of musical ensembles, forms, and other structural elements leads to an understanding of how and to what extent these two distinct musical worlds influenced each other and in some cases even blended, making the stylistic categorization of some works uncertain. The second part of the course provides an in-depth study of musical genres and listening approaches in relation to the radical technological transformations of the 20th century, which leads to a reflection on the concept of art music and the problem of value in music. Students learn to identify and distinguish musical trends; assess how musical movements have informed contemporary society and recent history, and how society and history have fostered certain musical movements and for what reason; and evaluate how the dialogue between music and technology has evolved over the past decades, and predict potential future scenarios. 

This course examines tombs from the Neolithic period to the Yuan dynasty with a focus on the period between the 2nd and the 14th century to examine their artistic, religious, and social significance.

This course examines the relationship between patrons and audiences in painting, sculpture, and architecture through the 15th century.

The idea of "Britain" has been shifting and contentious throughout the history of the British Isles. A "United Kingdom" only since 1707, Great Britain moved from a minor island nation to an imperial power over the course of the Early Modern Period and contemporary political issues such as Brexit show that its position on the global stage is no more secure or straightforward today. This course looks at art in Britain from the Middle Ages to the present day, exploring how art and artists have responded to and, to some degree, have shaped these social and political developments. Throughout the lectures and seminars, students are invited to question what we can understand to be "British art" and how conceptions of it may have changed.

This course is a survey of the architectural output of the Islamic world from from Spain to Indonesia from the 7th century to the present. It presents major examples of religious and secular architecture, including mosques, madrasas, palaces, and caravanserais and offers an insight into different Islamic dynastic styles in their respective geographic territories beginning with the Umayyads in Syria and ending with the contemporary architecture. With the help of visual material and field trips, the course analyzes major monuments with the objective of arriving at an understanding of each dynasty’s contribution in the context of the continuous development that nurtured it. The course facilitates enjoyment of Islamic architecture, provides an understanding of how art historians think and argue with one another, and expands visual memory.

The art libraries of major museums around the world are important places for art lovers, curators, and researchers to conduct research and studies. This course focuses on the importance and characteristics of specialized art libraries. The course also explores the exhibition catalogue collections of important art historical research centers in Europe and the United States, as well as specific examples of online resources provided by these research centers.  

This course analyzes the development of the central European art, architecture, and design between the 1880s and the 1910s. Focusing on the Austro-Hungarian empire (in particular the cities of Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Cracow) and the Balkans (e.g. Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia), it examines significant new material expression in this key crucible of modern cultural forces. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the artistic search for cultural and personal identity, the state, and contemporary society. Issues of nationalism and supranationalism are analyzed in the course of studying the work of such groups as the Austrian Secession, Wiener Werkstätte, Gödöllő colony, Mánes, and Sztuka societies. Major figures include Klimt, (Otto) Wagner, Hoffmann, Lechner, Luksch-Makowsky, Mucha, Petrović, Rippl-Rónai, and Wyspiański.

This course examines Buddhism and its art from ancient times to the present. Rather than portraying Buddhist art as a timeless ideal, the class deploys case studies to foreground the dynamics of its development. In particular, it examines how styles, iconographies, and media have been purposefully selected and reconfigured in varying contexts across and beyond Asia. The class also explores contemporary art inspired by Buddhist concepts, and the role of collecting and curatorial practices in shaping the interpretation of Buddhist artifacts.

The first part of this course introduces central topics in philosophical aesthetics and philosophy of art. It mainly examines contemporary English-speaking authors, but occasionally also considers historical figures. The second part of the course examines more in detail philosophical problems related to art criticism. At the end of the course, students will have a general understanding of some crucial issues in the field of the philosophy of art, and a detailed understanding of a recent work on the philosophy of art criticism.

This course examines key issues and debates in western feminist art movements between the 1960s and 1980s. The inclusion of case studies on the works of women artists, including Mona Hatoum, Nikki S. Lee, Yin Xiuzhen, Shen Yuan, and Megumi Akiyoshi. It also covers new artistic contents, and alternative cultural formats and theoretical paradigms to the on-going construction of a feminist history of art within the increasingly interconnected, yet unevenly developed globalizing contemporary society.