113/Art 113. Introduction to the Visual Arts. This course is for non art majors only. (Excl).
Visual arts are a part of the human experience in all cultures and all time periods. The ability to appreciate, to understand, and to assess the quality of visual art can enrich a person's life and broaden one's thinking. This course will introduce students having no formal art or art historical background to the major forms of visual expression through human history from the Stone Age to the present. We will examine works of art in various media such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture, graphics, and industrial design. Students will learn how artists use the language of form to communicate information, to express emotion, to explore the world of nature and the world of the mind. Students will learn the basic techniques of the various media. Students will learn how the art of a time and place defines and expands the boundaries of that culture. Assigned readings and visits to museums and galleries will help students become critical consumers of the visual culture as they learn to see, appreciate, and assess art forms. Requirements include periodic quizzes, a final exam, and a term paper. Students will also make some ungraded drawings and paintings as analytical tools. Cost:3 WL:3 (Kapetan)
150. Great Masters of European and American Painting.
No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in 102. (Excl).
Great Masters of European Painting. In scope and approach
not applicable as a history of art concentration prerequisite
(and not to be elected by those who have taken or plan to take
HA 102), this course is designed for those who, as part of a broad
liberal education, wish to enhance their sensitivity to artistic
expression. Concentrating upon eleven extraordinary creative personalities
in the history of European painting (Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, Cézanne, and Picasso), and emphasizing themes particularly
relevant to each of these artists, it seeks to suggest the vastness
and profundity of their contribution to human understanding. A
complete syllabus, the text (F. Hartt, A History of Painting
Sculpture, and Architecture, vol. II, PB), directed optional
reading, a small set of prints, and photo study facilities will
complement the lectures, and students will be evaluated by way
of two exams – a midterm and a final. Cost:2 WL:4 (Bissell)
341. The Gothic Age. Hist.
of Art 101 or permission of instructor. (HU).
Themes in Italian Art and Culture. During the Late Middle
Ages paintings bled, wept and rocked. They leaned over and talked
to you and changed your life forever, The miraculous properties
of images will introduce us to the function of art in medieval
Italy. Our focus will be the bond that was established between
art and its beholders. How was it constructed, encouraged, or
manipulated? For what purposes? To what ends? Works of art played
a significant role in forging the identities of new social institutions, and in uniting civic communities during a period of profound transformation.
They defended the authority of established powers, taught sinners
how to repent and women how to behave. Through lectures and discussion, we will address these issues together. We will concentrate upon the art of Florence, Siena, and Assisi. The course concludes with
Giotto, the painter beloved by Michelangelo and celebrated throughout the Renaissance. Short writing assignments and final examination.
Cost:2 WL:4 (Dunn)
394. Special Topics. (Excl). May be elected
for credit more than once.
The Body in Recent Art. The body had been a primary artistic
motif for all of recorded history. In recent times, it has taken
on new significance. AIDS, artificial intelligence, world affairs, and the marketplace, all play a role in how we conceive of ourselves
and the bodies around us. This class will explore representations
of the body from several positions. The body will be read as technological
apparatus and sexual object, commodity and political organ. It
will be considered as symbolic form, fragmentary shell, and absent
being. The focus will be upon art created globally in the last
12 years. Artists will not be studied as individuals, but rather, their works will be examined as exemplars of the topics under
consideration. The class is a combination of lecture and discussion.
Grades are based upon a series of short papers and one research
paper. Knowledge of recent world history and gender or body theory
is helpful. Either HA 102 or HA 272 is highly recommended. Cost:1
WL:4 (Griffith)
University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index
This page maintained by LS&A Academic Information and Publications, 1228 Angell Hall
The Regents
of the University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA +1 734 764-1817
Trademarks of the University of Michigan may not be electronically or otherwise altered or separated from this document or used for any non-University purpose.