Art History

Art history is the study of works of art—broadly defined—in their historical context. Art historians study visual culture—everything from city planning and major architectural monuments, to painting, sculpture, prints and drawings, to film and popular visual culture. Art history is interdisciplinary by its nature: we look to political history, religion, economics, and many other fields to help explain works of art and the motivations of the artists who made them.

Our faculty are specialists in most periods of European art, American visual culture, contemporary art, and Islamic and South Asian art and architecture. We also offer broad surveys of Western Art, World Art, and the History of Architecture. More advanced students can take seminars in specialized topics and Issues in Art History.