ARTH1001

This course serves as a general introduction to key questions about the nature and history of art in the West from the prehistoric to contemporary eras: Who creates art and why? What unique insights does it provide into the past? And, finally, what good does art do? Organized around these three central questions, lectures, readings, and assignments will address several themes, central to understanding the history of Western art in a wider global context: (1) the forms, functions, and symbolism of images, objects, and spaces; (2) materials, techniques, and skills deployed by artists, architects, artisans, and laborers to make aesthetic objects; (3) the historical and cultural construction of visual experiences; and (4) customs, beliefs, and values associated with art production, collection, and exhibition in various cultures, including patronage, fame, trade, cross-cultural influence, authenticity, and reproduction.