Welcome New Students!

Dear Class of 2012,

Welcome! We hope that Penn's world-famous History of Art Department will be among the first places that you discover when you get to campus. Our home is the lovely Jaffe Building, right next to the main library. Stop in between 10 and 4 on Friday, August 29, or Tuesday, September 2, if you'd like to learn more about our courses or simply to visit one of the prettiest places on campus. We'll have coffee and cold sodas.

Although our home base is comfortable and small-scale, the History of Art Department is ready to introduce you to all of the exciting world of the visual arts. We think that "learning to look" is an essential part of modern education, because visual signs and symbols are now
the predominant medium of communication. Our prize-winning teachers will demystify this
kind of visual communication while also introducing you to the artistic creativity of almost
every period in history. We can also help you explore the art our own time, in part through our collaboration with the exciting programs in Visual Studies and Cinema Studies.

History of Art courses make the greatest possible use of the artistic riches that surround us; we regularly visit the architecture of the region and the treasures in Penn's and Philadelphia's museums. Some of our seminars organize exhibitions in those museums and galleries; others travel to the places that they study. next page >