ART HISTORY
THE MAJOR
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art or Art History are as follows:
I. The common curriculum
II. Declaration of Art Major
III. Departmental requirements:
Art History
A. 30 semester hours of Art History, including ARTH 1307, 1308, 4394, plus 21
semester hours, as follows:
1. 4 courses (12 hours) concentrating on art produced before 1800.
2. 3 courses (9 hours) concentrating on art produced after 1800.
3. One of these courses must address non-Western art (ARTH 1309, 1310, 1311,
1313, 3328, 3345, and applicable special topics courses).
4. One of these courses must focus on architectural history (ARTH 1313, 3322,
3325, 3332, 3346, 3352, 3364, 3365, and applicable special topics courses).
5. At least 6 of these courses (18 hours) must be upper-division courses.
B. 6 semester hours (2 courses) of Studio Art in two different areas, ideally one course
in a two-dimensional medium (drawing, design, printmaking, painting, photography)
and one course in a three-dimensional medium (sculpture, ceramics).
C. Completion of the Senior Experience. ART 4394, generally offered every spring
semester.
ART AND ART HISTORY
D. Students contemplating graduate study are encouraged to develop reading
expertise in at least one foreign language (French, German, Spanish, Italian and,
depending on specialization, Latin, Greek, Russian, Chinese, Japanese) and to
include a period of study abroad in their program. Two semesters of chemistry are
strongly recommended for students considering careers in art conservation.
IV. Electives sufficient to total 124 semester hours.
ADMISSION TO MAJOR STATUS
Art History
Completion of at least three 3-semester-hour courses in Art History or Studio Art with a grade
of C or better. At least two of these must be courses in Art History.
THE MINOR IN ART HISTORY
21 semester hours in Art History including ARTH 1307, 1308, 2 upper-division courses before
1800, 2 upper-division courses after 1800, and one additional course of the student’s choice
in Art History.
THE MINOR IN ART AND ART HISTORY
This interdisciplinary program shared between the Art and Art History programs is designed
to help students relate an understanding of artistic creativity to their major field of study.
Requirements:
24 semester hours in Studio Art and Art History, 9 hours of which must be in Art History and
9 hours of which must be in Studio Art; at least 9 hours must be upper division.
THE HONORS PROGRAM
I. University requirements
II. Departmental requirements:
Art History
The requirements for Honors in Art History are the same as the university requirements,
except that the required 9 semester hours consist of ARTH 4394 (Theories and Practice of Art
History), taken during the senior year, plus 6 semester hours for the Honors Thesis (ARTH
4398, 4399), taken during the senior year. A full description of the honors program in Art
History is available in the departmental office.
ART HISTORY COURSES
LOWER DIVISION
ARTH 1301 Introduction to Film Studies
This course is an introduction to the artistic, cultural, and scholarly importance of
film. The course focuses on the development of film as a complex art form, the
evolution of narrative as part of a formal system, the development of the industry
and film genres, critical and cultural approaches to film analysis, and the
construction of the audience. Students will read excerpts from primary texts as well
as more general texts dealing with film interpretation and criticism. (Also listed as
COMM 1302, ENGL 1301, and FILM 1301.)
ARTH 1307 Art History I: Prehistoric through Medieval Art
This course aims to present works of art in their historical context with emphasis on
the cultural values revealed in selected examples of painting, sculpture, and
architecture, and to acquaint students with the fundamental principles of artistic
design to further enjoyment of works of art. The humanist tradition of Greek and
Roman art, and its relationship to the Judeo-Christian tradition of Early Christian
and Medieval art, will be studied.
ARTH 1308 Art History II: Renaissance to Modern Art
The course is a continuation of ARTH 1307, though it may be taken independently.
The course focuses particular attention on the humanist traditions of the
Renaissance; the influence of religion, philosophy, science, and political patronage
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; and the impact of industry and
modernity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
ARTH 1309 Introduction to Asian Art: India
The origins and development of art and architecture in India set within the religious,
political, and social context.
ARTH 1310 Introduction to Asian Art: China
The origins and development of art and architecture in China set within the
religious, political, and social context.
ARTH 1311 Introduction to Asian Art: Japan
The origins and development of art and architecture in Japan set within the
religious, political, and social context.
ARTH 1313 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
A survey of the major monuments and sites of ancient Egypt. The course will trace
the development of the Egyptian state from its formation down into the early first
millennium BCE.
ARTH 2301 International Cinema
This course focuses on the cultural and critical analysis of international films as an
expression of particular artistic genres and/or styles within specific historical,
ideological, and cultural contexts. Films selected have achieved wide, critical
acclaim; others reveal unique and important visions of human experience; while still
others are selected for their political, ideological, or sociological significance.
Students should develop an awareness that the medium of film has a history and
that its history is not confined to national boundaries. (Also listed as COMM 2301,
ENGL 2300, FILM 2301, and ML&L 2301.)
UPPER DIVISION
Completion of three semester hours of Art History, or sophomore standing, or
consent of instructor, is prerequisite to taking upper-division courses.
ARTH 3320 The Minoan-Mycenaean Civilization
This course deals with the rediscovery of the Aegean Bronze Age civilizations of
Crete and Mycenae, using an interdisciplinary approach based on material from
archaeology, anthropology, and the Homeric epics.
ARTH 3321 Greek Vase Painting
The development of the shape and decoration of Greek pottery from the Geometric
period through the end of the Classical era. The characteristics of individual artists
and the treatment of Greek myths in different periods are studied.
ARTH 3322 Greek Architecture
The development of Greek architecture from the Geometric period through the
Hellenistic period. The development of the temple is emphasized, but private and
public buildings, city planning, and religious sanctuaries are also considered.
ARTH 3325 Roman Art and Architecture
This course examines the major monuments and art styles in the city of Rome and
the Roman provinces from the Republic to the Imperial period, ending with the reign
of Constantine the Great.
ARTH 3328 Art and Archaeology of Mesopotamia and Persia
An examination of the archaeology of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and Persia
(modern Iran), focusing on the visual expression of royal power in art and
architecture.
ARTH 3330 Art and Architecture in the Late Classical World
This course will consider the art and architecture of Roman, Jewish, Christian, and
early Islamic communities from the later Roman Empire to the seventh century CE.
ARTH 3332 Medieval Art
The art of the Middle Ages from the sixth to the fourteenth centuries in Europe and
the Mediterranean region. Byzantine, Barbarian, Romanesque, and Gothic works
will be studied in the contexts of contemporary history, thought, and literature.
ARTH 3335 Pre-Columbian Art of Mesoamerica
This course is a survey of the art of Mesoamerica and will examine the art of the
Olmec, Western Mexico, Gulf Coast, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltecs, Zapotecs,
Mixtecs, and the Aztecs. Art mediums will include architecture, sculpture, ceramics
and other portable art, murals, ancient manuscripts such as codices, jewelry, and
even graffiti. Students will have an opportunity to work with materials on and offexhibit
in the Pre-Columbian collection at the San Antonio Museum of Art for their
research papers.
ARTH 3338 Culture and Creativity in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
A course focusing on the interrelation of art, music, literature, and history at
significant moments in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The goal is to make it
possible for students to draw new connections between the areas of culture dealt
with in the course. The syllabus may include such important cultural figures and
works as: Charlemagne, Gregorian chant, The Song of Roland, Thomas Aquinas,
motets, Michaelangelo, and Shakespeare. The course will combine lectures with
detailed work in discussion sections. (Also listed as ENGL 3305, MDRS 3301, and
MUSC 3351.)
ARTH 3340 Northern Renaissance Art, 1300-1550
Whether called late medieval or Renaissance, this period in northern Europe was a
new era of discovery for painting and with painting. How pictures were made to
serve the requirements of both nature and the supernatural is the leading theme of
this course, which traces developments in painting from Van Eyck to Dürer.
ARTH 3341 Early Renaissance Art in Italy
This course will deal with the art and architecture of fifteenth-century Italy, with
emphasis on Florence. The cultural context of Humanism will be explored, as well
as the social and political currents that influenced the art of the period.
ARTH 3342 High Renaissance Art and Mannerist Art in Italy
This course deals with the art and architecture of sixteenth-century Italy. The first
half of the course focuses on papal Rome, and the work of Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Bramante, and their followers, in relationship to the social and
cultural currents of the time. The second half of the course broadens the focus to
include other Italian centers and the impact of Mannerism on both monumental and
decorative arts.
ARTH 3343 Italian Baroque Art
This course will examine the art and architecture of Italy in the late sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries, with emphasis on the major figures and cultural factors
associated with Baroque movements. In addition, this course may follow the impact
of Italian Baroque art and architecture elsewhere in southern and northern Europe.
ARTH 3344 Netherlandish Art in the Age of Bruegel, Rubens, and
Rembrandt
Covering the period from 1500 to 1700, this course investigates the nature of an art
that altered fundamental perceptions of the world while defining conflicting values
in the cultures of Catholic Flanders and Protestant Holland. It also examines why
certain categories of painting, such as landscape, still-life and genre scenes, arose
and flourished in this period.
ARTH 3345 Spanish Colonial Art and Architecture in Mexico
A study of the arts of Mexico from Conquest to Independence (1521-1821), with
special attention to architecture and to architectural painting and sculpture. The
study also includes the Spanish sources of this art (the Late Gothic, Plateresque,
Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-Classical stylistic periods) and the persistence of
indigenous forms, images, and sensibilities. The course includes original material
at hand: the San Antonio Missions and works in the San Antonio Museum of Art.
ARTH 3347 Art of the Eighteenth Century
A study of the visual arts and architecture of the eighteenth century, focusing on
France and England, from the age of the Absolute Monarchy of Louis XIV to the
upheaval of the French Revolution.
ARTH 3350 Neo-Classicism to Realism
This course will focus on French art from the Revolution of 1789 until the
establishment of the Second Empire, tracing the political and social context of Neo-
Classicism, the Romantics, and the Realists.
ARTH 3351 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
This course deals with nineteenth-century art from the origins of Impressionism to
its dissolution into the various Post-Impressionist schools (c. 1850-1900). Focusing
on France, the course will stress the social and political context of the art.
ARTH 3352 Nineteenth-Century Architecture and Urbanism
This course covers architecture and urban development in Western Europe and
America from the late eighteenth century to the 1890s, with special attention given
to the theoretical and social contexts for major architectural movements.
ARTH 3353 Nineteenth-Century American Art
American fine arts and architecture from early nationhood to the World’s Columbian
Exposition of 1893. Emphasis on the cultural forces shaping the arts and artists,
along with major figures and movements.
ARTH 3360 Twentieth-Century Art
A consideration of major art movements of the twentieth century, emphasizing both
art historical and critical approaches. Specific course content will vary depending
on the instructor.
ARTH 3362 Theories and Art of the Russian Avant-Garde
The main artistic movements and artists in Russia from 1880 to 1930: Symbolism,
Primitivism, Futurism, Suprematism, Constructivism. Special attention will be given
to the works of Vrubel, Malevich, Kandinsky, Tatlin, and El Lissitsky.
ARTH 3363 Twentieth-Century American Art
American art and architecture of the twentieth century. Emphasis on the pluralistic
character of the arts in this period, and the cultural forces shaping the arts and
artists, along with major figures and movements.
ARTH 3364 Twentieth-Century Architecture and Urbanism
This course covers architecture and urban development from the 1890s to the
1960s. Emphasis on ideological, theoretical, national, and popular architectural
movements, primarily in Western Europe and the United States.
ARTH 3365 Contemporary Architecture
This course covers architecture and urban development from the 1960s through the
present. Emphasis on the artistic, ideological, theoretical, and political factors that
shape contemporary built environments, with primary focus on the United States,
Western Europe, and Japan.
ARTH 3-90 Independent Study in Art History
Independent study in selected areas. 1 to 3 semester hours; may be repeated for a
total of no more than 6 semester hours.
Prerequisites: 6 upper-division semester hours in Art History and consent of
instructor.
ARTH 3391 Topics in Art History
From time to time special topic courses not described in the bulletin will be offered.
Topics will generally cut across the chronological divisions of period courses,
dealing instead with broader issues in Art History. May be repeated on different
topics.
ARTH 3392 Women’s Studies in Art History
Course content will vary depending on the instructor but may include some of the
following: women as artists and architects, images of women in art and society,
feminist methodology, or women as patrons of art. Course may be repeated with
different topics for a maximum of six semester hours.
ARTH 3393 Museum Studies
This course will focus on specific topics in the history, nature, and operation of the
art museum. Specific issues may include connoisseurship, documentation, the
impact of the museum on the development of art, the nature of arts patronage, the
function and purpose of the museum, and debates over the issues of censorship
and/or community responsibility.
ARTH 3395 Colloquium in Museum Studies
This course will provide an experiential overview of the artistic, educational, and
commercial functions of the modern art museum in a colloquium setting. Students
will have the opportunity to work in the classroom and on-site with museum
professionals in San Antonio and the region.
ARTH 3-97 Internship
Internships are offered in conjunction with museums, art agencies, and art
professionals in the San Antonio community and beyond, or may involve an
introduction to visual resources management in the Department’s Visual Resources
Collection. Each internship must be directed by a faculty member who will draw up
an agreement between the sponsoring institution or office, the student, and the
department outlining the scope and requirements of the course. 1-3 hours per
semester, maximum 6 semester hours. Elective credit only. Pass/Fail only.
Prerequisite: Approval by Department Chair.
ARTH 4394 Theories and Practice of Art History
This seminar, required of majors in their senior year (and recommended for minors),
will give historical and methodological perspectives on the discipline of Art History.
The leading approaches used in the field will be studied, using art historical writings
from the Renaissance to the present. The course is generally offered each Spring
semester. This course fulfills the Senior Experience requirement of the University’s
Common Curriculum.
ARTH 4395 Seminar in Art History
From time to time courses will be offered that will provide an in-depth study of
selected artists or problems.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. May be repeated for a maximum of six semester
hours.
ARTH 4398, 4399 Honors Thesis
Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to
the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by Senior Honors students
in both semesters.