Professors: Glenn Andres, Cynthia D. Packert (chair), John Hunisak, Kirsten Hoving; Associate Professors: Pieter Broucke (Associate Curator of Ancient Art), Richard Saunders (Director of College Museum); Assistant Professors: Eliza Garrison; Visiting Assistant Professor: Katherine Smith Abbott; Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture: John McLeod; Robert P. Youngman Curator of Asian Art: Colin Mackenzie; Visiting Lecturer in Architecture: Andrea Murray; Cameron Visiting Architect: Brian Healy; Department Coordinator: Monica McCabe
The Department of History of Art and Architecture is dedicated to the belief that study of the visual arts provides a rewarding framework for a liberal arts education. Our students study works of art and architecture as objects of intrinsic significance, as well as in relation to the Western and non-Western cultures that produced them. Our goals are to provide students with a broad, general exposure to the history of art and architecture; to help students develop a familiarity with the formal properties of works of art and architecture; to help students develop critical and analytical tools for the study of the history of art and architecture; to encourage students to ask meaningful questions about works of art and architecture by seeing them as manifestations of culture in a historical context; and to provide students with extensive first-hand experience of actual works of art and architecture. For senior majors, a trip during the final week of winter term to an important artistic center to observe the art world in action (New York or another large city) is an integral component of study in this department.
The Middlebury College Museum of Art is an important resource for the study of art history. Works of art on exhibit are examined in the context of courses and students are encouraged to participate in the Museum Assistants Program (MAP). Students often work as interns in the Middlebury museum as well as in other museums and galleries.
Required for the Major, History of Art Track (12 courses): HARC 0100 (survey of Western art);, HARC 0102 (survey of Asian art) or another course in non-Western art history; one course in studio art; at least six additional courses in the history of art or architecture distributed among several historical periods or traditions, with at least one being at the 300-level or above; HARC 0700 (fall of senior year); HARC 0710 and HARC 0711 (senior thesis, winter and spring terms; or equivalent course for joint majors). It is not possible to pursue a double or joint major with another department that also requires participation in winter term of senior year. Advisory: Graduate programs in the history of art and classical archaeology require students to pass reading examinations in at least two foreign languages.
Joint Major, History of Art Track (8 courses): HARC 0100 (survey of Western art); HARC 0102 (survey of Asian art) or another course in non-Western art history; three additional courses in the history of art or architecture distributed among several historical periods or traditions, one of which should be at the 300-level or above; HARC 0700; HARC 0710 and HARC 0711 (senior thesis, winter, and spring terms). It is not possible to pursue a joint major with another department that also requires participation in winter term of senior year. Joint majors should register for spring thesis work in either (but not both) department. A proposed program of study, including educational rationale and specific courses to be taken, must be submitted to the department for approval before registering as a joint major.
Minor, History of Art Track (6 courses) HARC 0100 (survey of Western art); HARC 0102 (survey of Asian art) or another course in non-Western art history; four additional courses in the history of art or architecture distributed among several historical periods or traditions.
Required for the Major, Architectural Studies Track (12 courses): HARC 0100 (survey of Western art); HARC 0102 (survey of Asian art) or another course in non-Western art history; two studio courses; two courses in architectural studio (HARC 0130 during winter or spring term and HARC 0330 during fall term, or an approved substitute course for the latter); four additional courses in the history of art and architecture distributed among several historical periods or traditions and taken at a mix of levels (it is strongly recommended that these deal specifically with issues of architecture, urbanism, or contemporary art); HARC 0730 and HARC 0731 (senior architectural design, winter and spring terms). It is not possible to pursue a double or joint major with another department that also requires participation in winter term of senior year. Advisory: This does not qualify as a degree in architecture. Architecture schools expect candidates to have taken two semesters each of math and physics.
Joint major, Architectural Studies Track (8 courses): HARC 0100 (survey of Western art); HARC 0102 (survey of Asian art) or another course in non-Western art history; two courses in architectural studio (HARC 0130 during winter or spring term and HARC 0330 during fall term, or an approved substitute course for the latter); two additional courses in the history of art and architecture distributed among several historical periods or traditions (it is strongly recommended that these deal specifically with issues of architecture, urbanism, or contemporary art); HARC 0730 and HARC 0731 (senior architectural design, winter and spring terms). It is not possible to pursue a joint major with another department that also requires participation in winter term of senior year. A proposed program of study, including educational rationale and specific courses to be taken, must be submitted to the department for approval before registering as a joint major.
Joint major, Architectural Studies/ Environmental Studies "Architecture and the Environment" (15 courses): ENVS 0112, ENVS 0211, ENVS 0215, and GEOG 0320, all to be taken before the end of junior year; two ES Cognate Courses (both science courses with labs, listed under Environmental Studies); HARC 0100; HARC 0231; HARC 0130; HARC 0330 (or a pre-approved substitute); two elective courses in the history of art or architecture, selected in consultation with the student's architecture adviser; ENVS 0401, and HARC 0730 and HARC 0731. Advisory: architecture schools expect candidates to have taken two semesters each of math and physics.
Minor, Pre-architecture Emphasis: no minor is offered.
Honors: Cumulative departmental average (including senior work) of at least 3.1. Categories of honors: 3.1-3.4, honors; 3.5-3.6, high honors; 3.7-4.0, highest honors.
Please note: Courses offered by other departments and programs may, by prior departmental approval, be used to satisfy elective requirements, including, but not limited to, RELI 0185 Art and the Bible, AMST 0244 Knickerbocker New York, AMST 0245 American Landscape 1825-1865, and AMST 0408 American Art in Context: The Art and Life of Winslow Homer.
HARC 0100 Monuments and Ideas in Western Art (Fall, Spring)
This course is an introduction to the study of Western art history through an investigation of selected art works, considered individually and in broader contexts. The course chronicles the evolution in painting, sculpture, and architecture of the western world. It is designed for those who wish to build a broad acquaintance with the major works and ideas of Western art in their historical settings and to develop tools for understanding these works of art as aesthetic objects and bearers of meaning for the societies, groups, or individuals that produced them. Registration priority will be given to first and second year students. 2 hrs. Lect.,/1 hr. disc. ART HIS CMP EUR (J. Hunisak, P. Broucke)
HARC 0102 Monuments and Ideas in Asian Art (Fall)
This course is an introduction to the study of Asian art history through an investigation of selected art works, considered individually and in broader contexts. This course chronicles the evolution in painting, sculpture, and architecture, and other media of Asia. It is designed for those who wish to build a broad acquaintance with the major works and ideas of Asian art in their historical settings and to develop tools for understanding these works of art as aesthetic objects and bearers of meaning for the societies, group, or individuals that produced them. Registration priority given to first and second year students. ART HIS AAL CMP (C. Packert)
HARC 0130 Introduction to Architectural Design (Winter, Spring)
This is a studio course that introduces its members to the values and methods used in the practice of architecture, landscape architecture, and environmental art. A daily journal and intensive group and individual work within the studio space are requirements. This course demands an exceptionally high commitment of time and energy. The course's goals are to use the process of design to gain insight regarding individual and community value systems, and to provide basic experience in the design professions. It is recommended for anyone wishing to improve his or her appreciation for the built environment. Students should anticipate that substantial additional time will be required in the studio in addition to the scheduled class time. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab. ART (A. Murray)
HARC 0200 Renaissance Architecture (Spring)
A selective survey of Italian architecture from the inception of the great dome in Florence to the completion of that at St. Peter's in Rome . This course will examine the works of major fifteenth- and sixteenth-century masters (Brunelleschi, Alberti, Bramante, Michelangelo, Palladio), conceptual approaches (perspective, classicism, neo-platonism, mannerism), and centers (Florence, Milan, Rome, Venice) to understand their potency for their time and as models for architectural production ever since. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (G. Andres)
HARC 0201 Italian Renaissance Art: 1350-1550 (Spring)
This course will focus on the art produced in Italy during the late fourteenth through the early sixteenth centuries. In addition to studying the chronological development of painting, sculpture, and architecture, we will consider such issues as artistic training, patronage, domestic life, and the literary achievements of this period of "rebirth." Focusing on urban environments such as Florence, Siena, Padua, Venice, Rome, and Urbino, we will give special attention to the manner in which artistic production was shaped by place. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (K. Smith Abbott)
HARC 0202 Modern Art (Spring)
This course will survey the major movements and artists in the history of modern art, from Impressionism to around 1980, in Europe and in the United States. We will focus on the development of style, aesthetic concerns, and social contexts. Topics will include individual artists, such as Picasso and Matisse, as well as the development of styles, such as Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. 3 hrs. lect. ART EUR (K. Hoving)
HARC 0204 Approaches to Islamic Art (Not offered 2008-09)
A survey of major expressions of Islamic art from the inception of Islam to the present, from all parts of the Islamic world. This is not a traditional survey; rather, it focuses on key monuments and important examples of portable and decorative arts: mosques, tombs, palaces, manuscript illumination, calligraphy, metalwork, textiles, ceramics, etc. We will consider their meanings and functions in their respective socio-historical contexts, and we will also analyze the impact of patronage and region. We will try to understand what general principles unify the richness and diversity of Islamic art: what is Islamic about Islamic art? Finally, we will address the issue of contemporary Islamic art. (No prerequisites). 3 hrs. lect. ART AAL
HARC 0205 Painting and Sculpture of Nineteenth-Century Europe (Spring)
During the nineteenth century, Paris was the capital of the art world, and the structure of this course will be based upon that central, undeniable fact. From the revolutionary 1780s until the Universal Exposition of 1900, we will consider nineteenth-century painting and sculpture primarily as a Parisian phenomenon, with detours to other countries and cultural centers whenever appropriate. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (J. Hunisak)
HARC/CHNS 0206 Chinese Painting: Tradition & Innovation (Fall)
See Department of Chinese for course description. ART AAL (J. Berninghausen)
HARC/WAGS 0209 Women in the Visual Arts (Not offered 2008-09)
This course explores both the history of women working in the visual arts and the historical representation of women in painting and sculpture. We will consider issues such as women's education, artistic training, and social issues which have either constrained or promoted women interested in producing art. While the course will include examples from the Medieval period through the present, an emphasis will be placed on women artists of the twentieth century. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS CMP
HARC 0211 American Design (Not offered 2008-09)
A historical survey of architecture and related design (especially furniture) in the United States from its colonization through the mid-twentieth century as a manifestation of colonial inheritances, foreign fashions, national outlooks, changing technologies, social and economic patterns, and native materials. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS NOR (G. Andres)
HARC 0213 Roman Art and Architecture (Fall)
This course presents a chronological survey of the developments in architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts of Republican and Imperial Rome, from the eighth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. Issues discussed include the relation between public and private art, art in the service of social ideology and political propaganda, the impact of breakthroughs in technology and engineering, the artistic exchanges between Greece and Rome, and the interactions between center (Rome) and periphery (the provinces). 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (P. Broucke)
HARC 0214 Northern Renaissance Art: The Rhetoric of the Real (Fall)
This course will provide students with an overview of art objects created in a variety of media in Northern Europe between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We will analyze the changing uses of art in cultures where people defined themselves and the depths of their piety in relation to their material wealth and social standing. During the last few weeks of the semester, the class will look at the emergence of genre painting and the representation of peasant life. We will consider how these phenomena were tied to the histories and careers of individual artists and their workshops. General questions will include: How does the convincing representation of "reality" make for a persuasive image? What are the benefits of fusing secular and religious subject matter? Is it valid to speak of a new artistic self-awareness? 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (E. Garrison)
HARC 0216 The Power of the Image in the Middle Ages (Spring)
We live in a society saturated with images, but in the medieval period the average person encountered pictures only within a limited range of contexts. In this course we will examine architecture, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, and luxury artworks of the fifth through the fifteenth centuries in Europe and will consider the significances these works held for their original viewers. Key topics include: the image in Christian devotion, the role of the luxury arts in royal propaganda, the use of the image to crystallize stereotypes, and the status of the female figure as embodiment of positive and negative forces. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (E. Garrison)
HARC 0218 History of Photography (Fall)
This course will consider the history of photography as a medium from its inception in 1839 to the present. We will focus on technological advances in photography, aesthetic developments, and the evolution of acceptance of photography as an art form. We will examine the use of photography in different genres, such as landscape, portraiture, and documentation. To illustrate our study, we will rely heavily on examples of photographs available in the Middlebury College Museum of Art. 2 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc. ART NOR (K. Hoving)
HARC 0219 Understanding Early Medieval and Romanesque Art: Seeing Ste. Foy (Fall)
This course is an introduction to key artworks and architectural monuments made and built in Europe during the eighth through twelfth centuries. We will study such structures as Charlemagne's Palace Chapel and the reliquary statue of Ste. Foy at Conques to explore how these monuments were products of independent cultures that valued the creation of a visual fusion between the Judeo-Christian God and humankind. Likely lines of inquiry include: the persistence of a Classical ideal and its myriad adaptations; the coordination of art objects to specific locations; and, not least, the self-conscious staging of political and ecclesiastical power. 3 hrs lect. ART HIS EUR (E. Garrison)
HARC 0220 The Art of the City (Fall)
A study of humanity's most complex and critical physical monument, from ancient agoras to edge cities. City form in general (historical and ideal) and great cities, urban environments, and city designers in particular will be surveyed from antiquity to the present in an investigation of changing purposes, elements, and organization. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS (G. Andres)
HARC 0221 Greek Art and Archaeology (Spring)
This course explores the artistic expression in architecture, urbanism, sculpture, and painting in the ancient Greek world (Greece, Sicily, southern Italy, and western Turkey). The chronological range spans from the late Neolithic period and the Aegean Bronze Age (with its Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean civilizations) to the formative archaic period, the classical moment during the age of Perikles, and the cosmopolitan Hellenistic age, ending with the advent of Imperial Rome in 31 BC. Special emphasis will be placed on how Greek art production related to developments in politics, history, literature, and science. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (P. Broucke)
HARC 0223 The Classical Tradition in Architecture: A History
(Not offered 2008-09)
From the Late Bronze Age to the postmodern present, this course traces the development of the classical formal language in western architecture. With elements, orders, and canons developed by the Greeks, the classical tradition first flourished as an "international style" under the Romans. After a setback during the Middle Ages, the classical tradition reemerges with vigor during the Renaissance, displays great flexibility during the Baroque, and reconnects with antiquity during the Neoclassical period. Attention is given to the relationship between architectural styles and archaeological discoveries and to the assimilation of developments in building technology. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR
HARC/JAPN 0224 Arts of Japan (Not offered 2008-09)
This course will provide a survey of the varied and rich artistic heritage of Japan from its most ancient manifestations in the Jomon period to the present. We will focus in particular on the development of the pictorial and sculptural traditions, but will also consider the decorative and craft traditions in some detail. Topics to be investigated include: native traditions; the impact of Chinese civilization; the development of Buddhist painting, sculpture and architecture; narrative hand scrolls; the arts of the Zen Buddhism; courtly traditions; woodblock printing; and the influence of the West. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS AAL
HARC 0226 Tombs, Scholars, Palaces, and Tea: The Social Lives of Ceramics in Asia and Beyond (Not offered 2008-09)
For over 5000 years ceramics were a defining presence in the cultural landscape of East Asia. They were used as ritual vessels for offering to the ancestors, as funerary sculpture, and as interior decoration for palaces, and they lay at the heart of the Japanese tea ceremony. They were prized as collectibles and were traded on a massive international scale. In this course we shall explore the multifarious roles of Asian ceramics and learn how to describe their significance in lucid, compelling prose. A key component of this course will be a mini-exhibition in the Museum curated by the class. 3hrs. lect. ART HIS AAL
HARC 0227 Poetry, Piety and Power: Indian Painting 1200-Present (Spring)
This course considers the history, context, style, and significance of a broad spectrum of Indian painting traditions. We will look closely at Jaina and Hindu religious illustrations, the evocative courtly and religious imagery from the Rajput and other regional kingdoms, the extraordinarily refined and naturalistic Mughal imagery, the influence of colonialism, and the development of modern and contemporary works. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS AAL (C. Packert)
HARC 0230 Modern Architecture (Fall)
In this course we will survey the major stylistic developments, new building types, and new technologies that have shaped European and American architecture since the late eighteenth century. Students will learn about the work of major architects as well as key architectural theories and debates. Special emphasis will be placed on the social contexts in which buildings are designed and used. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS (J. Hock)
HARC 0231 Architecture and the Environment (Fall)
Architecture has a dynamic relationship with the natural and cultural environments in which it operates. As a cultural phenomenon it impacts the physical landscape and uses natural resources while it also frames human interaction, harbors community, and organizes much of public life. We will investigate those relationships and explore strategies to optimize them, in order to seek out environmentally responsive architectural solutions. Topics to be covered include: analysis of a building's site as both natural and cultural contexts, passive and active energy systems, principles of sustainable construction, and environmental impact. Our lab will allow us to study on site, "off-the-grid" dwellings, hay-bale houses, passive solar constructions and alternative communities, meet with "green" designers, architects, and builders, and do hands-on projects. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab. ART (A. Murray)
HARC 0232 American Architecture and Urbanism Since 1945 (Spring)
This course surveys the major changes in America’s built environment in the years since 1945. Students will learn about the work of leading postwar American architects as well as the developers and policy-makers whose decisions shaped the American landscape in an era of affluence and change. Major themes include the impact of European modernism on American architecture and urbanism, the evolution of new residential and commercial typologies, suburbanization, and the decline and redevelopment of the central city. ART HIS NOR (J. Hock)
HARC 0235 A History of Architectural Structure (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we explore the development of structural form in architecture from the Neolithic to the present. Emphasis is placed on the invention of structural devices (arch, rib vault, dome, truss, space truss, shell, tensile and pneumatic structures) and new building materials (concrete, reinforced concrete, steel). Case studies include the Pyramids, Mycenaean beehive tombs, Greek temples, the Pont- du-Gard near Nîmes, the Pantheon in Rome, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance domes, the bridges, greenhouses and railroad architecture of the Industrial Revolution, Gaudí's catenary structures in Barcelona, Frei Otto's tensile constructions, and the development of the skyscraper in America. 3 hrs lect./3 hrs. lab. ART HIS EUR
HARC/AMST 0246 American Painting, Beginnings to the Armory Show (Not offered 2008-09)
This course is an introduction to American painting from seventeenth century limner portraits to the rise of modernism in the twentieth century, with special attention to Copley, Cole, Church, Homer, Eakins, and Sargent. We will discuss the kinds of insights obtainable from a variety of different approaches: formalist, biographical, cultural, and comparative. A central concern will be to follow the changing function of painting in a culture that considers itself to be simultaneously democratic, capitalist, and "nature's nation." (Formerly HARC/AMCV 0246) 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS NOR
HARC 0251 The Gothic Cathedral in Context (Not offered 2008-09)
This survey course will consider closely the major architectural monuments of the Gothic period in Western Europe, using them as a point of departure in a larger consideration of the artistic culture of this time. In looking at Gothic art and architecture, the class will ask some of the following questions: How were buildings embedded in the promotion of distinct political programs? How do liturgical considerations determine the shapes of buildings and sites? How can we track the emergence of a non-Christian "other" in art of all media? How can we characterize the visual and intellectual culture of "courtly love"? 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR
HARC 0300 Colloquium in Art History: Medieval Reliquaries in Context (CW) (Spring)
In this seminar we will explore the meanings and uses of medieval reliquaries and other types of liturgical art. Students will gain an understanding of the historical and theoretical concerns surrounding the cult of relics, the cult of saints and the cult of the dead. In the interest of building a familiarity with the dynamic historiography of this sub-field of medieval art history, our investigations of these art objects and the collections to which they belonged will include critical engagements with the scholarship devoted to them. Topics covered will include: the meanings of shaped and body-part reliquaries, the role of gender and the significance of precious materials and materiality. Strongly recommended for history of art and architecture majors in their sophomore year. Preference will be given to history of art majors. ART EUR (E. Garrison
HARC 0302 Baroque Art: Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture of Seventeenth-Century Rome (Not offered 2008-09)
During the period to be considered, Rome was the undisputed capital of the art world. From the vast projects of Pope Sixtus V to the death of Bernini, we will investigate the richness, diversity, and splendor of artistic creation under a church triumphant. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR
HARC 0307 Contemporary Art and Criticism (Not offered 2008-09)
Art from Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s and '50s, through Pop, Minimalism, and the various "neo-" and "post-" styles of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century will be examined, via slide lecture, art criticism of the times, and discussion. Course readings will consist of articles and reviews by critics from Clement Greenberg to Dave Hickey, Roberta Smith and others. The purpose of the class is to bring students to a basic understanding of the variegated world of contemporary art and the critical thinking attendant to it. 3 hrs. lect. ART NOR
HARC 0308 American Art: 1945-1980 (Not offered 2008-09)
An investigation of the leading figures and movements in American modernism. We will consider developments in painting and sculpture from the Armory Show to the present, although special emphasis will be placed on the period between 1945 and 1980. Attention will be given to the theoretical issues that have influenced such directions as abstract expressionism, color field painting, pop art, assemblage, minimal art, photo- and super-realism, conceptual art, and other recent developments. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS NOR
HARC 0314 Life After Death in Ancient China 5000 BCE - 200 CE (Fall)
The ancient Chinese consigned vast quantities of artifacts – jades, bronze vessels, lacquer, ceramics, and textiles – to tombs. These tombs and their contents not only reveal attitudes about the afterlife, but are also primary evidence for the material culture and power structures of the living. The course will explore the role of ritual objects in the veneration of the ancestors who conferred power on the elites in the early periods, and contrast these with other more personal objects that embodied new beliefs in individual immortality that arose in later periods. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS AAL (C. Mackenzie)
HARC 0315 The Silk Road and Chinese Culture from the Han to the Tang Dynasties (Not offered 2008-09)
Linking Rome with the Chinese capital Xi'an and innumerable cities in between, the Silk Road was the greatest transcontinental highway of the ancient world. A network of routes, rather than a single road, the Silk Road was a conduit for people, animals, religious beliefs, and a myriad of exotica. Of these, the most far-reaching influence was Buddhism, which during this time spread from India to China. Using the evidence of archaeology, architecture, artifacts, and historical texts, the course will explore the profound transformation undergone by Chinese culture as a result of this period of intense communication with the outside world. 3 hrs lect. ART HIS AAL
HARC 0316 Games and their Meanings in Pre-Modern Societies (Spring)
Since time immemorial games have been a universal human activity. In many societies games were and are central to leisure culture and are a prism through which the aspirations and moral values of a society can be glimpsed. Using case studies as diverse as the ancient Olympics, Chinese weiqi, chess, the Mesoamerican ball game, polo, and the Japanese incense competition, the course will explore the differing ways games functioned in particular societies and will examine the transmission of certain games between geographic regions such as Asia, Europe, and America as part of a broader intercultural dynamic. 3 hrs. sem. HIS AAL (C. Mackenzie)
HARC/AMST 0319 The American Face: Portraiture and Identity in American Culture (Spring)
Portraits in their many forms have been part of American society since the seventeenth century. Why has the portrait been such a resilient form of expression in American culture? What is the relationship between portraiture and identity? And what role has photography played in the social function of portraiture in American life? This course will explore visual and literary portraits over the past 200 years-from public portraits and memorials to biography, caricature, snapshots, and Facebook. Students will be asked to create their own personal web page portraits and will conduct research on individual portraits in the Middlebury College Museum of Art permanent collection for a 2010 exhibit at the Museum. (Formerly HARC/AMCV 0319) 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS (R. Saunders)
HARC 0320 Hands-on Archaeology: Theory and Practice
(Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will explore the theory and practice of archaeology as a scholarly discipline. About half of our meetings will be devoted to investigating the history and scientific development of archaeology, its methods and theoretical underpinnings, and some of its techniques (surveying, stratigraphic dating), and its role in the fields of art history, classics, and anthropology. The other half will be spent on field trips, museum visits, and field research at a local archaeological site where we will survey, record, and catalog the finds, and measure, draw, interpret, and reconstruct the remains. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab. ART
HARC 0322 Humor in the Visual Arts (Not offered 2008-09)
Comedy, wit, and satire appear frequently, and sometimes unexpectedly, throughout the arts of Europe and America from antiquity to the present. In this course we will selectively examine aspects of visual humor, ranging from the hilarious to the scathing. We will begin with essays by Baudelaire and Freud, attempting to isolate the essence of humor. After a broad survey of visual manifestations, we will study in depth absurd behavior by gods and mythological characters in Renaissance art, the birth and flowering of caricature and satire beginning with the age of reason, and the appearance of comics in the modern era. 3 hrs. lect. ART EUR
HARC 0326 Biography of Artists and Art History (Spring)
Giorgio Vasari presented the history of art as “lives of the artists” in his publications of 1550 and 1564, but in modern times art historians and critics have often regarded the use of biographical evidence with suspicion. This year we will investigate the works of three twentieth-century artist-couples: Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe; Willem and Elaine De Kooning; and Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. The central question will be the usefulness of biographical data as a tool for interpreting their art. 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS NOR (J. Hunisak)
HARC 0330 Intermediate Architectural Design (Fall)
This studio course emphasizes the thought and method of architectural design. Members of this studio will be involved in developing their insights towards cultural value systems and their expression in the environments they create. Participants work primarily in the studio space and rely heavily on individual instruction and group review of their work. The course provides a foundation for more advanced study in the areas of architecture, landscape architecture, and other fields related to the design of the built environment, and an opportunity to work with the Cameron Visiting Architect. An introduction to computer aided drawing is integrated into this course. (HARC 0130) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab ART (B. Healy, J. McLeod)
HARC 0332 The American Home (Spring)
American residences are significant artifacts, shaping and reflecting the lives of their occupants. In this course we will explore the history and design of the American home, looking at environments as varied as apartment buildings, tract houses, bungalows, and row houses. We will consider the style, typology, and cultural significance of American homes, as well as the social, cultural, and economic factors that influenced them. We will pay particular attention to the way that gender, race, and class shaped the design and experience of residential space. ART HIS NOR (J. Hock)
HARC/JAPN 0335 Sacred Japan: Religion, Nature, and the Arts (Not offered 2008-09)
This seminar style course will provide students with an interdisciplinary study of key concepts, monuments, rituals, and works of art in the Shinto and Buddhist religions of Japan. We will consider the history of Buddhist art and its interaction and synthesis with native Shinto beliefs through an examination of Ise Shrine, Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines in Nara and Kyoto, mountain temples, and Mount Fuji. Zen temples and gardens will also be discussed, as well as the contemporary Japanese response to the creation of new sacred spaces. Some familiarity with the history or art of Japan is preferable, but not required. 3 hrs. sem. ART HIS AAL
HARC 0336 Modernism, Post-Modernism, and the “Primitive” (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will examine ideas of "otherness" central to the development of modernist and post-modernist painting, sculpture and photography in Europe and the United States. We will study how such artists as Picasso, Emile Nolde and Man Ray interpreted so-called "primitive" art through a modernist lens, and explore their sources in the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Close attention will be payed to the role of photographs and exhibitions in constructing and disseminating ideas about non-Western objects and peoples, drawing on our own experiences with the College museum's exhibition, "Resonance from the Past." 3 hrs. lect. ART
HARC/FMMC 0340 Film and Modernism (Not offered 2008-09)
See Program in Film and Media Culture for course description. (HARC 0202 or THEA 0130 or THEA 0231 or by waiver) ART (T. Perry)
HARC 0345 American Modernism: Four Masters (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will examine the art and lives of four masters of American modernism: Ansel Adams, Georgia O'Keeffe, Man Ray, and Joseph Cornell. While Adams and O'Keeffe projected nationalist and environmental themes in their work, Man Ray and Cornell offered a European-based Surrealist approach. Through examining these artists and the interconnections between them, we will consider photography, painting, sculpture, and film in the context of American modernist art. Questions to be considered include: what makes art modern? What is the role of national identity? How do artists work in a variety of media? What makes these artists important? 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS NOR
HARC 0350 Case Studies in Visual Culture: Early Italian Panel Painting and the Middlebury Alterpiece (Fall)
In December 2005, the Middlebury College Museum of Art acquired its first Italian Renaissance painting, an alterpiece dated to the first quarter of the fifteenth century. In this course students will have an opportunity to investigate the cultural, economic, religious and social backdrop from which this work—and the minor master to whom it is attributed—emerged. Students will meet with museum professionals to discuss issues involved in effectively exhibiting works from the Renaissance. Writing assignments will include researching and developing wall text, photo murals and a brochure that introduces museum visitors to the painting and its cultural milieu. (HARC 100, HARC 201, or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect. ART HIS EUR (K. Smith Abbott)
HARC 0401 Constructing a Myth: Art and Life in Renaissance Venice (Not offered 2008-09)
Venetian Renaissance art evolved in a different manner and at a strikingly different pace than the art produced in central Italy. In this seminar, we will investigate the forces which shaped this evolution, while examining the extent to which art served as a tool for perpetuating the "myth of Venice." A complex amalgam of political, commercial, military, religious, and social concerns, this "myth" ensured the city's uniqueness, as well as her success. Beginning with Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, and reaching an apex in the work of Titian and Giorgione, Venetian artists gave visual voice to this distinct and fleeting moment in the city's history. 3 hrs. sem.
HARC 0402 On Photography (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will examine critical and aesthetic issues pertaining to photography as a unique medium. Among topics to be explored are: photographic "truth," time in photography, the meeting of technology and art, vernacular photography, the ethics of photographic manipulation, photographing the body, photography and memory. We will develop our critical eyes, as well as hone descriptive and interpretive language for examining the role of photography in visual culture. 3 hrs. lect. ART
HARC 0403 Seminar in Modern Architecture: Architecture after the Masters (Not offered 2008-09)
An investigation of recent architectural trends beginning with the climactic work of Wright, Gropius, Mies, and Le Corbusier and following the developments and reactions which it inspired. The seminar will draw heavily on contemporary architectural theory and criticism in an attempt to achieve an historical overview of the period since World War II. Limited to 12 students. Those interested should consult with the instructor before registration (HARC 0220 or HARC 0230) 3 hrs. sem. ART HIS
HARC 0404 Joseph Cornell and the Art of Assemblage (Spring)
Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) created collages and assemblage boxes that are among the most interesting and influential works of 20th-century American art. By placing Cornell's art and life into larger frames of Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, students will consider such issues as creative process, popular culture, and multi-contextuality. In particular, we will examine the question of assemblage, not just in Cornell's signature box constructions, but also in his compilation films and flat collages. Using the online resources of the Archives of American Art, students will do primary research on original topics. ART NOR (K. Hoving)
HARC 0409 Art Museums: Theory and Practice (Not offered 2008-09)
American museums are more complex places than simple collections of objects on display. This course provides an intensive introduction to that world. Participants are made aware of the history of the art museum and its role in American life. The overall orientation of the course is with practical problems and the diverse nature of museum issues. Topics include: politics and censorship, patronage, collections, ethics, conservation, connoisseurship, installation design, and the art market. Students work on the development of an exhibit for the Museum. The course will have a seminar format with an emphasis on discussion, research papers, and field trips. 3 hrs. sem.
HARC 0430 Thinking About Buildings: Key Concepts in Architectural Theory (Fall)
This course introduces students to writings that have been used to explain the production and reception of architecture, with an emphasis on modern and post-modern architectural theory. Drawing on a wide array of texts produced by architects, theorists, sociologists, and philosophers, students will analyze the concepts and categories that have structured our understanding of contemporary architecture. ART HIS (J. Hock)
HARC 0510 Advanced Studies in History of Art (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Supervised independent work in art history. (Approval Required) (Staff)
HARC 0530 Independent Architectural Design (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Supervised independent work in architectural analysis and design. (Approval Required) (Staff)
HARC 0700 Methods and Theories in the History of Art (Fall)
This seminar is designed for art history majors and is required of them. We will endeavor to reach a critical understanding of the range of methodologies employed in art historical research and writing, thereby preparing students to undertake their senior thesis work. 3 hrs. sem. (C. Packert)
HARC 0710 Senior Thesis Supervised Research (Winter)
A continuation of HARC 0700, this course provides a framework for intensive research for the senior thesis in history of art. We will work as a small community of scholars on the research process, meeting regularly to discuss the refinement of topics, research methodologies, thesis construction, and the writing and editing process. During the fourth week of the course, the class will observe art history in action by traveling to New York to visit major museums, auction houses, galleries, architecture firms, and other related professions in the visual arts. (HARC 0700) (J. Hunisak)
HARC 0711 Senior Thesis in History of Art (Spring)
Supervised independent work involving research, organization, and writing of a thesis. Midway through the semester, there will be a public symposium at which all students enrolled in HARC 0711 present their work in progress and the state of the research. (HARC 0700, HARC 0710) (Staff)
HARC 0730 Methods and Theories in Architectural Design (Winter)
Designed for senior pre-architecture majors and required of them in preparation for senior architectural design. The course is devoted to methodologies and the development of tools for architectural analysis, the research for, and generation of, a detailed program for architectural design projects (in written and graphic formats), and culminates in a field trip to New York (or another center for art and architecture). (HARC 0130 and HARC 0330, or an approved substitute course in studio design for the latter). (Staff)
HARC 0731 Senior Architectural Design (Spring)
This studio course is devoted to developing an individual project in architectural design. Working with visiting design critics and intense peer review in the studio, the course culminates in a public presentation of the project and a portfolio consisting of written and graphic formats describing all aspects of the completed design. 3 hrs. sem. (HARC 0730) (J. McLeod)
GUIDELINES FOR INDEPENDENT WORK IN THE HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE AND ADMINISTRATION OF PERMISSIONS
1. Independent projects in history of art emphasis can be undertaken only in areas in which students have done previous work at the college level and have demonstrated that mastery of the scholarly material is sufficient to justify independent study. In certain rare instances, exceptions to this rule will be allowed. For example, a student with sufficient art historical background who wishes to pursue an area of inquiry that is not covered in the normal curriculum might undertake an HARC 0510 project in preparation for senior work.
2. For HARC 0510 or HARC 0530 projects, students must find an adviser/sponsor and submit a written proposal for consideration and approval by the entire faculty of history of art and architecture. For proposals in the history of art emphasis, students must indicate previous art historical study, the precise nature of the problem they wish to investigate, a bibliography of works to be used in the study, and the kind of written work that will result. For proposals in pre-architecture emphasis, students must indicate previous experience in architectural history and design, a specific well-developed proposal for the project they wish to undertake, and the format(s) (written, graphic, presentation in public) in which they propose to present it.
3. Before registering for HARC 0711 all students must consult with their advisers; together they will establish the thesis topic and its parameters. No change of advisers, topics, or projects will be allowed subsequently without formal approval of a student's adviser(s) and the department chair. A thesis in the history of art can only be done in an area in which a student has already taken course work at the college level.