IUPUI Bulletins » Schools » Herron School of Art and Design » Courses » Art History

Art History

  • HER-H 100 Art Appreciation (3 cr.) An understanding and appreciation of outstanding works of art through analysis of artistic purposes and techniques, and knowledge of historical style and subject matter. Not counted as credit toward the BFA or BAE degree, nor toward the major or minor requirements in art history. Approved as an arts and humanities course for IUPUI's general education requirements.
  • HER-H 101 History of Art I (3 cr.) Historical and contextual survey of selected works and cultures from the history of art. Selected regions of the world will be covered, though the Western tradition will be studied in greater depth. Defines historical terms, processes, contexts, and principles of a range of media from Prehistoric through Late Gothic. Required of all Herron degree students. Approved as an arts and humanities course for IUPUI's general education requirements.
  • HER-H 102 History of Art II (3 cr.) Historical and contextual survey of selected works, cultures, and periods from the history of art. Selected regions of the world will be covered, though the Western tradition will be studied in greater depth. Defines historical terms, processes, contexts, and principles of a range of media from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Required of all Herron degree students. Approved as an arts and humanities course for IUPUI's general education requirements.
  • HER-H 200 Understanding Contemporary Art (3 cr.) An introduction to understanding contemporary art and the methods and issues within the discipline of art history. Chronological overview of the history of contemporary art beginning with 1945 to the present. Course looks at artworks, the social contexts in which they are produced and presented, and the different theoretical models through which they have been interpreted. Course is intended for general education and does not count toward a Herron degree. Course is approved for IUPUI's arts and humanities general education requirement. Students may not earn credit for both HER-H 200 and HER-H 103.
  • HER-H 203 Topics in Art History (3 cr.) Study of selected topics or issues in the history of the visual arts. Topics change in order to coordinate with current exhibitions, special events, or faculty expertise. Refer to the current Schedule of Classes for specific course descriptions.
  • HER-H 205 Introduction to Contemporary Art (3 cr.) This course introduces the vocabulary of visual arts after 1950 . Major movements are briefly introduced with characteristic works. Required for all Foundation Program students other than those planning to major in Visual Communication.  Required for art history majors.
  • HER-H 210 Interpreting Art and its History (3 cr.) This course provides an introduction to theories and methods of art history, with emphasis on developing skills of visual analysis, research, and oral and written communication. Recommended for art history majors and minors who are preparing to take upper level classes. Open to anyone interested in thinking and writing about art.
  • HER-H 221 Art Past and Present (3 cr.) An introduction to the methods and issues within the discipline of Art History. Offers a chronological overview of the history of art. Students will learn to look critically at art, learn about its place in society and history, and develop an understanding of art. 

    This course is approved as an Arts and Humanities course for the IUPUI General Education requirements.

    This is a course for non-majors and does not count toward a Herron degree.
  • HER-H 222 History of American Comics and Graphic Fiction (3 cr.) Art historical overview of American Comics Books and Graphic Fiction. Examines historical shifts from 18th-century origins, inception in popular press, and elevation of artistic status in 1960s. Considers dynamics between comics and socio-political forces, changing visual styles, changes in readership and appreciation, and impact of contemporary publishing including digital technology.
  • HER-H 300 Black Visual Artists (3 cr.) A survey of the artistic traditions of Africans in the New World, from the period of enslavement in North and South America through contemporary and expatriate African American artists. Equivalent to Africana Studies AFRO-A 352; students may not receive credit for both courses.
  • HER-H 302 Post-Impressionism to Cubism: 1886-1919 (3 cr.) From the last impressionist group show of 1886 until the end of World War I, the foundation was laid for new visual expressions by both painters and sculptors. Course topics include postimpressionism, symbolism, art nouveau, fauvism, expressionism, orphism, cubism, and futurism.
  • HER-H 304 Advanced Topics in Art History (1-6 cr.) Lecture/discussion of selected topics in history of art. Some art history experience recommended. Topics change to coordinate with special exhibitions or other opportunities.
  • HER-H 304 Women in Art (3 cr.) This course analyzes the roles of women in the history of art. Topics may include women as patrons, viewers, and subjects of art as well as representations of women. The lives and work of women artists past and present will be featured.
  • HER-H 310 Classical Archaeology (3 cr.) This course explores the material remains of the classical lands from prehistoric through Roman times and a variety of approaches by which they are understood. Archaeological theory and methods are illustrated through select sites, monuments, works of art, and other remains of cultural, artistic, and historical significance. Equivalent to Classical Studies CLAS-A 301; students may receive credit for only one of these courses.
  • HER-H 323 History of Printmaking I (3 cr.) This course explores the artistic evolution and cultural significance of printmaking from the invention of printing through the eighteenth century. Emphasis is given to the development of the woodcut, engraving, and etching processes and to the works of major printmakers such as Durer, Rembrandt, and Hogarth.
  • HER-H 325 Islamic Art (3 cr.) The course surveys the art, architecture, and culture of key periods in Islamic history. Students become familiar with styles, contexts, and functions of the arts in the Islamic world.
  • HER-H 326 Romanesque and Gothic Art (3 cr.) Romanesque and Gothic art covers the period from about 1000 until 1550, from the artist-craftsman tradition of monasteries and cathedrals to the end of the Age of Faith in Europe. Painting, sculpture, and stained glass will be considered in their social and architectural context.
  • HER-H 331 Italian Renaissance Art (3 cr.) This course covers the painting, architecture, sculpture and graphic arts of Renaissance Italy with emphasis on the changing role of artists in society, major stylistic movements, the use and reception of art, the work of major artists, and their cultural context.
  • HER-H 333 Art of the Renaissance (3 cr.) Introduction to the architecture, painting, sculpture, and graphic media of Renaissance Europe. Emphasis is placed on the political and social climate prevailing from 1400 to 1600, and its effect on the arts of Italy, Flanders, Spain, Holland, France, Germany, and England.
  • HER-H 334 Baroque Art (3 cr.) Exploration of the characteristics of Baroque art and its development in the seventeenth century. Special emphasis on selected Baroque artists such as Bernini, Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and Poussin, and on their personalities, styles, and positions in seventeenth-century society.
  • HER-H 341 Nineteenth-Century Art (3 cr.) Focus is on the major movements and artists in European painting and sculpture from the French Revolution through impressionism. Topics include neoclassicism, romanticism, realism, and impressionism. Artists such as David, Ingres, Goya, Delacroix, Courbet, Manet, Monet, and Degas will be covered.
  • HER-H 342 From Dada to Abstract Expressionism: 1915-1950 (3 cr.) International movements in painting and sculpture from World War I until the emergence of the New York School after World War II including Dada activities in Europe and New York, the Bauhaus, European surrealism, and American art.
  • HER-H 344 Modern Architecture (3 cr.) Emphasis is given to European and American modern architecture since 1892 and to contemporary architecture in Indiana since 1942. Selected modern movements such as art nouveau, Chicago school, prairie, the Bauhaus, international style, and postmodernism will be studied. Special attention is directed to the American architects Henry Hobson Richardson, Louis Henri Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright and to their contemporaries in Europe: Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
  • HER-H 345 American Art to 1913 (3 cr.) A multicultural and interdisciplinary stylistic approach will be used to study selected examples of American architecture, painting, and sculpture from the seventeenth century to the Armory Show of 1913. Some consideration will be given to Indiana architecture and painting.
  • HER-H 347 Art from 1950 to the Present (3 cr.) Deals with European and American painting and sculpture from abstract expressionism to the present. Topics include post-painterly abstraction, pop art, minimal art, conceptual art, body and performance art, photorealism, site and architectural sculpture, and installations.
  • HER-H 348 History of Photography (3 cr.) This course is a critical examination and in-depth study of photography from 1839 until the present. The general approach is from an artistic and cultural viewpoint, stressing the development of photography as a medium of visual communication for a wide variety of purposes, stressing its relationship to broad artistic trends and sociocultural issues.
  • HER-H 351 African Art (3 cr.) Course explores the styles, functions, and contexts of art in a selection of African cultures. Pre-colonial, post-colonial, and contemporary art may be considered, along with the varying perspectives from which African art has been studied.
  • HER-H 361 Asian Art (3 cr.) Major art forms from regions in western and central Asia, considered in their cultural and historical contexts.
  • HER-H 362 Asian Art (3 cr.) Major art forms from regions in east Asia, considered in their cultural and historical contexts.
  • HER-H 375 Visual Artists and Film (3 cr.) The study of films produced by art movements of the 20th century in North America and Europe. These are often outside mainstream studio production and are radically experimental films. The course is a history of "avant-garde" film practice.
  • HER-H 400 Topics and Methods in Art History (1-3 cr.) Critical examination of important topics and methods from the history of art, using the seminar approach. Content may vary according to the specialty of the instructor. May be repeated up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits.
  • HER-H 402 The Roots of Modernism: 1905-1915 (3 cr.) This seminar deals with the decade in the early twentieth century that saw the rise of drastically new attitudes and styles in painting and sculpture. From the first group exhibit of the fauves in 1905 until the arrival of Marcel Duchamp in New York in 1915, the foundations for future developments in art were laid for the twentieth century.
  • HER-H 404 Art of the Past Two Decades (3 cr.) A seminar focusing on directed research into themes, artists, critical writing, and conceptual attributes of current art. The seminar emphasizes reflection, discussion, and writing about topics and issues in contemporary art, seen in a global perspective.
  • HER-H 410 Art Theory and Criticism (3 cr.) This course examines a cross-section of theories that underpin current discussions and developments in the visual arts. This course also examines the nature and goals of art criticism, including how different theories help frame the primary concerns and controversies within art criticism.
  • HER-H 413 Art and Archaeology of Greece (3 cr.) Art and archaeology of Greece from about 1000 B.C.E. through the Hellenistic period. Special attention given to the development of Greek architecture, sculpture, and vase painting. Equivalent to Classical Studies CLAS-C 413; students may receive credit for only one of these courses.
  • HER-H 414 Art and Archaeology of Rome (3 cr.) Development of Roman architecture, sculpture, and painting from the beginning through the fourth century C.E. Consideration given to the major archaeological sites. Continuation of HER-H 413, but HER-H 413 is not a prerequisite. Equivalent to Classical Studies CLAS-C 414; students may receive credit for only one of these courses.
  • HER-H 418 Myth and Reality in Classical Art (3 cr.) An introduction to Greek iconography (the study of images) that explores contemporary approaches to narration and representation. The course examines the illustration of myth, history, and everyday life in relation to ancient society. Equivalent to Classical Studies CLAS-A 418; students may receive credit for only one of these courses.
  • HER-H 419 Art and Archaeology of Pompeii (3 cr.) The Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 C.E., but the trappings of all areas of Roman life were preserved under the ash. By studying the archaeology of Pompeii, this course provides insight into social, political, and commercial life in the Roman world. Course is equivalent to, and often cross-listed with, CLAS-C 419.
  • HER-H 420 The Artist in the Renaissance (3 cr.) This course examines the changing role of artists in Renaissance cities, from anonymous craftsmen in the late Middle Ages to celebrity personalities in the sixteenth century. Workshop structure, relationships with patrons, and competition between artists provide contexts for interpreting Renaissance art and exploring questions central to Renaissance art history.
  • HER-H 431 The Gothic World (3 cr.) Seminar in the Gothic art of the high and late Middle Ages. Focus will be on the cultural, theoretical, and intellectual context of art and architecture of the twelfth through fifteenth centuries.
  • HER-H 460 Visual Culture (3 cr.) The study of visual culture investigates how we see and make sense of images, emphasizing vision's social dimensions. Students will use an interdisciplinary lens to look at diverse visual events, such as advertising, architecture, painting, photography, public art, maps, craft objects, exhibitions, and graphics.
  • HER-H 470 Art History Capstone Seminar (3 cr.) P: Permission of instructor required. In this culminating course for art history majors, students will integrate and apply their learning in the process of completing a substantial research project. They will reflect upon their learning during their undergraduate career, and will prepare to translate that learning to future contexts including but not limited to professional careers.
  • HER-H 495 Problems in Art History (1-3 cr.) P: Research proposal and permission of Instructor required. Directed study in art history for independent research and/or special external programs. May be repeated three times for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
  • HER-H 497 Educational Opportunities Abroad (1-6 cr.) A variable-credit course designed to allow credit for exceptional opportunities in art history study and travel outside the United States.