Home 2014-2015 Undergraduate College Catalog Undergraduate Programs of Study(Majors, Minors & Requirements) Art History

Art History

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Undergraduate Programs of Study(Majors, Minors & Requirements)

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Art History Departmental Honors and Distinction

Introduction

Art History is an interdisciplinary field of study dealing with the cultural, religious, political, literary, technological, and economic circumstances within which works of art are produced. Art historians study art and architecture in their historical context as both aesthetic statements and documents of culture.

Our proximity to the New York City art world offers world-class opportunities for internships at museums, historical institutions, galleries, libraries, auction houses, and corporations in New York City, Westchester County, and Connecticut.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts

Optional Minors

Students can also choose to minor in Art History

Career Ideas

Archivist, Appraiser, Art Dealer, Art Restorer, Art Teacher, Art Historian, Commercial Designer, Editor, Exhibit Designer, Gallery Director, Graphic Designer, High School Teacher, Historic Site Administrator, Interior Designer, Librarian, Middle School Teacher, Museum Curator, Museum Educator, Museum Technicians & Conservators, Publisher, and Set Illustrator.

Program Administrators

Gillian Greenhill Hannum, Program Chair, (914) 323-5456, Gillian.Hannum@mville.edu

Overview

Our program offers both majors and minors the opportunity to broaden horizons through in-depth study of world cultures, develop sophisticated writing and research skills through writing-intensive seminars, become confident and articulate public speakers, and work closely with experts in their respective fields.

Art History majors and minors also participate in hosting an annual lecture sponsored by the department’s Arthur M. Berger Fund, featuring an eminent scholar in art history or an art-related field. Students have the option to travel for academic credit to such destinations as Ireland, Florence, Venice, and Rome, and can also take advantage of two annual field trips, sponsored by the Arthur M. Berger Fund, to New York museums and to special exhibitions and museum collections in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Faculty and Staff

PROGRAM CHAIR

Gillian Greenhill Hannum – American art, Modern art, History of Photography

FULL-TIME FACULTY

Megan Cifarelli – Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, Archeology, Museum Studies

Lisa Rafanelli – Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, Northern Renaissance art, Medieval art, Religious iconography

Deborah Saleeby-Mulligan – Contemporary art, African, Oceanic and Native American art, Mexican art

Art History Major Requirements

Required Courses in the major:

ARH 1011 History of Art I

ARH 1012 History of Art II

ARH 3080 Seminar for Majors (Junior or Senior Year)

ARH 4497 Art History Internship (1-3 credits, Junior or Senior year)

One course in Studio Art

Seven additional Art History courses, must include:

Two 4-credit courses at the 3000 level.

One course (at any level) from each of the following four categories:

Non Western Art

ARH 1042 Africa, Oceania and the Americas

ARH 2025 Survey of African Art

ARH 2070 Islamic Art

ARH 2041 Native American Art

ARH 2042 Art of Civilization’s Cradle

Ancient-Medieval Art

ARH 1018 The Age of Castle and Cathedral

ARH 1019 Art of the Ancient World

ARH 2011 Greek Art

ARH 2022 Art of Ancient Egypt

ARH 2024 Survey of Irish Art

ARH 2039.01 Rome: Ancient to Baroque*

ARH 2043.01 Florence and Tuscany*

ARH 2060 Roman Art

ARH 1066A Venetian Art*

ARH 3030 Ancient Painting

ARH 3063 Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Art

ARH 3073 Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Art

Italian Renaissance and Baroque

ARH 1016 Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo

ARH 2005 Early Renaissance Art in Italy

ARH 2006 High Renaissance Art in Italy

ARH 2020 Northern Renaissance Art

ARH 2038 Baroque Art and Architecture in Italy

ARH 2039.02 Rome: Ancient to Baroque*

ARH 2043.02 Florence and Tuscany*

ARH 1066B Venetian Art*

CSCH 3002 Decoding DaVinci

ARH 3057 The Glory of Renaissance Venice

ARH 3081 The Art of Fifteenth Century Florence

ARH 3079 The Life and Times of Michelangelo

ARH 3082 Women Artists of the Italian

Renaissance and Baroque

18th-21st Century Art

ARH 1021 American Colonial Art and Life

ARH 1026 Twentieth Century Mexican Art

ARH 1030 History of Photography

ARH 1066C Venetian Art*

ARH 2001 Contemporary Art

ARH 2009 Nineteenth Century European Painting

ARH 2013 American Art I

ARH 2014 American Art II

ARH 2018 Twentieth Century Painting

ARH 2023 Twentieth Century Latin American Art

ARH 3005 Feminism and Art History

CSCH 3030 Photos That Changed Lives

ARH 3033 Abstract Expressionism

ARH 3042 The Nude: Female Body in Art

ARH 3076 Art and Conflict in Ireland

ARH 3037 Pre-Raphaelite Art

ARH 3073 Issues in Contemporary Art

ARH 3077 Mexican Muralists

*Denotes a study tour

The following courses count towards the major, although they do not fulfill the area requirements above:

FYP 1001TAH First-Year Seminar: The Fine Art of Travel

MSTUD 1001 Introduction to Museum Studies

MSTUD 2002 Introduction to Museum Education

MSTUD 3001 Museum Studies Seminar

The minimum grade for major credit is C-. In addition, students who are considering graduate school in Art History or Museum Studies are strongly encouraged to take a third 3000 level course as well as two semesters in French, German or Italian.

Art History Minor Requirements

Five courses:

both semesters of History of Art (ARH 1011 and ARH 1012)
one 3000 level art history subject seminar (excluding summer school)
and two other courses at any level.

The minimum grade for minor credit is C-.

In unusual cases, and with departmental approval, students who are unable to schedule History of Art I may substitute one course in Ancient or Medieval Art plus one course in Renaissance Art for this requirement. Similarly, for those unable to schedule History of Art II, one course in non-Western Art plus one course covering a time period from the 17th to the 20th centuries may be substituted. This alternative increases the number of courses required to complete the minor.

Art History Departmental Honors and Distinction

Departmental Honors in art history will be granted to a graduating senior by a unanimous vote of all full-time faculty members after review of the student’s Art History Honors Portfolio. The Portfolio review is voluntary, and submission of a portfolio does not automatically guarantee that honors or distinction will be awarded. Students who intend to go on for graduate study in the field of art history are urged to submit an Honors Portfolio for review. Students who do not earn Honors will be automatically considered for Distinction.

Students who choose to be considered for Honors or Distinction in Art History must submit an Honors Portfolio.

The Honors Portfolio:

Proof of a 3.5 or better grade point average in major classes (with no less than a B+ in Seminar for Majors and in their Internship);
Proof of successful completion of at least two semesters of study in a foreign language, preferably French, Italian, Latin or German. In cases where students are enrolled in their second semester of language study during the Spring term of their senior year, proof of enrollment must be submitted. If honors are awarded, the award will be contingent upon successful completion of this second course.
Two research papers in the field of art history that demonstrate a student’s scholarly potential, and growth as an art history student. Papers will be evaluated for:
- Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, meaningful research;
- Clarity and originality of thesis and conclusions;
- Elegance of writing;
- Clarity, consistency, and logic of methodological approach;
- Sophisticated integration of visual material into arguments.

Deadline: Students must submit their Honors Portfolio no later than April 15 of the Spring semester of their senior year, and must complete their Interview no later than April 30.

Notification: Students will be notified if Honors will be awarded no later than the first week of May.