Graduate Group in the History of Art
N.B. Applicants to this graduate group may now apply on line using this electronic application.
CONTENTS:
A. Faculty
B. Structure of
the Graduate Group
C. Fields of
Study
D. Libraries and
Other University Resources
E. Other
Regional Institutions
F. Admission
G. Financial
Support
H. Language
Requirement
I. Grades and
Satisfactory Progress
J. Academic
Review
K. Transfer of
Credit
L. Comprehensive
Examination
M. Colloquium
N. Teaching
Requirement
O. Registration,
Tuition, and Fees
P. Leaves of
Absence, Dissertation Research Abroad Status
Q. Courses in
Other Departments
R. Scope of this
Bulletin and Exceptions
A. Requirements
B. Program of
Study, Timing, and Time Limits
C. Research
paper
III. The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
A. Requirements
B. Admission to
Candidacy
C. Program of
Study, Timing, and Time Limits
D. Major Field
and Distribution Requirements
E. Dissertation
Proposal
F. Ph.D.
Preliminary Examination
G. Dissertation
Reader(s) and Committee
H. Dissertation
Colloquium
I. Dissertation
Timing and Progress Reports
J. Dissertation
Presentation and Final Examination
K. Dissertation
Calendar and Format
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. Faculty
- David B. Brownlee, Ph.D.; Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of the History of Art and Chair
- Lothar Haselberger, Dr.-Ing.; Morris Russell and Chidsey Williams Associate Professor of Roman Architecture in History of Art
- Susan Sidlauskas,
Ph.D.; Associate Professor of the History of Art and Graduate Group
Chair
- Karen Beckman, Ph.D.; Jaffe Assistant Professor of the History of Art
- Philip Betancourt, Ph.D.; Adjunct Professor of the History of Art
- Michael Cole, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of the History of Art
- Julie Nelson Davis, Ph.D. ; Assistant Professor of the History of Art
- Annette, Fierro,
Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Architecture (
- Kathleen A. Foster,
Ph.D.; Adjunct Professor of the History of Art and Curator of American
Art at the
- Renata Holod, Ph.D.; Professor of the History of Art and Director of Visual Studies
- John Dixon Hunt,
Ph.D.; Professor of Landscape Architecture (
- Ann Kuttner, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of the History of Art and AAMW Chair
- David Leatherbarrow,
Ph.D.; Professor of Architecture (
- Suzanne Lindsay, Ph.D.; Adjunct Associate Professor of the History of Art
- Millicent Marcus, Ph.D.; DeVito Professor of Romance Languages and Film
- Frank Matero, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Architecture and Chair of Graduate Group in Historic Preservation (Architectural Conservation)
- Robert Maxwell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of the History of Art
- Catriona MacLeod, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of German
- Michael W. Meister, Ph.D.; W. Norman Brown Professor of the History of Art
- Detlef Mertins,
Professor and Chair of Architecture (
- Holly Pittman, Ph.D.; College Women Class of 1963 Professor of the History of Art and Acting Undergraduate Chair
- Christine G. Poggi, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of the History of Art
- Larry A. Silver, Ph.D.; Farquhar Professor of the History of Art
- Robert St. George, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of History
- Nancy Steinhardt, Ph.D.; Professor of East Asian Studies
- Michael Taylor,
Adjunct Associate Professor of the History of Art and Acting Curator of
Modern and Contemporary Art at the
- Liliane Weissberg, Ph.D., Professor of German
Emeritus and Retired Faculty
- Malcolm Campbell, Ph.D.; Class of 1965 Professor of the History of Art, Emeritus
- David G. De Long,
Ph.D.; Professor of Architecture (
- Elizabeth Johns, Ph.D.; Silfen Term Professor of the History of Art, Emerita
- John W. McCoubrey, Ph.D.; Farquhar Professor of the History of Art, Emeritus
- Charles I. Minott, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of the History of Art, Emeritus
- Joseph Rykwert,
Ph.D.; Professor of the History of Art and Paul Crete Professor of
Architecture (
- Leo Steinberg, Ph.D.; Benjamin Franklin and University Professor of the History of Art, Emeritus
- Cecil L. Striker, Ph.D.; Professor of the History of Art, Retired
- Paul F. Watson, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of the History of Art, Emeritus
B. Structure of the Graduate Group
At the
The Graduate Group is headed by a Chair, nominated
by its members and appointed by the Deputy Provost upon the recommendation of
the SAS Associate Dean for Graduate Education. In matters of curriculum
and student policy, the Chair reports directly to the SAS Associate Dean.
In other areas, notably faculty staffing, the Chair of the Department
represents the interests of the Graduate Group in dealings with the
The Department of the History of Art also provides administrative support for the Graduate Group in Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World.
C. Fields of Study
The Graduate Group offers courses leading to the A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in the history of art, concentrating on the art of the Western world from the ancient period to the present. Programs in Near Eastern, Islamic, East Asian, and South Asian art are also offered, supported by collaborations between this Graduate Group and other departments in the University that provide instruction in related fields. The following list identifies those members of the Department faculty with primary responsibility for the principal areas of study.
1.
Ancient
2. Greek, Roman, Etruscan (Haselberger, Kuttner)
3. Medieval (Maxwell, Silver)
4. Islamic (Holod)
5. South Asian (Meister)
6. Southern Renaissance and Baroque (Cole)
7. Northern Renaissance and Baroque (Silver)
8. 19th and 20th Centuries (Beckman, Brownlee, Poggi, Sidlauskas)
9. American (Staff)
10. East Asian (Davis)
D. Libraries and Other University Resources
The University Libraries rank
among the best in the nation. The Fisher Fine Arts Library (117,000
volumes, 475,000 slides, 60,000 photographs, and 48,500 digital images)
occupies the
The
The University's Architectural Archives are especially rich, providing material for research and exhibition.
The Department of the History of Art occupies the Jaffe History of Art Building (3405 Woodland Walk). The building provides seminar rooms, a graduate student lounge with individual lockers, group project workrooms, a computer lab, and conference rooms for teaching fellows.
E. Other Regional Institutions
The Graduate Group maintains close
connections with the leading
The other museums of
Students at the
F. Admission
All application files are individually reviewed by members of the faculty, who pay particular attention to the applicants' statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, and academic records. Applicants are encouraged to come to visit the Graduate Group as part of the application process, making appointments to speak with faculty in their areas of interest.
While the Graduate Group has established no absolute prerequisites for admission, candidates for advanced degrees are expected to bring to their graduate study a superior undergraduate liberal arts education, including adequate preparation in the languages needed for the study of art history (see below) and a record of successful work at intermediate and advanced undergraduate levels in the history of art. Students with demonstrated high academic achievement in the liberal arts but without special preparation in the history of art may also be admitted, but they are expected to complete their preparation by enrolling in selected courses at the 400 and 600 levels.
Applicants to the Graduate Group are required to submit their scores on the Graduate Record Examination, and non-native speakers of English must submit a TOEFL score. All applicants should send a written sample of art-historical or related research.
The
G. Financial Support
Merit-based University fellowships and scholarships are available on a competitive basis to graduate students. Fellowships and scholarships do not require the student to perform services for the University and are awarded without regard to financial need. Application for fellowship and scholarship awards (except where otherwise specified) is made simply by checking the appropriate box on the first page of the application for admission. To be assured of receiving full consideration for University fellowships and scholarships, applicants should be sure that their applications and supporting documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, and Graduate Record Examination scores) are received by the deadline, usually in mid-December. Applicants are urged to file their applications and supporting material as early as possible to allow time for the most careful consideration. Since awards are made for the purpose of accelerating study toward advanced degrees, all fellows must register for full-time programs (i.e., four course units per term for credit) unless they have already completed the courses necessary for their degrees, in which case the awardee registers for dissertation tuition. All award holders must maintain good academic standing according to the standards set by the individual graduate group. In all cases, the amount of an award is subject to possible adjustment in the event that the recipient also receives another fellowship award.
Dissertation research (which usually begins in the fourth year) is conducted with support from many fellowship sources. The Graduate Group is responsible for nominating students for University fellowships and for certain external fellowships, most notably those of the Kress Foundation and the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery, Washington. Students who wish to put their names forward for such nominations are advised to contact the Graduate Chair as soon as the deadlines are announced. The Graduate Group and the office of the Graduate Division also work hard to assemble information concerning the many fellowships that do not require official nomination.
Pennsylvania students' success rate in external fellowship competitions is very high; recent doctoral students have received support from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (National Gallery), the Social Sciences Research Council, the Luce Foundation, the Fulbright Fellowship program, the Delmas Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, Rotary International, the British Council, the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kress Foundation, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Small summer travel grants are awarded by the
Graduate Group, with preference given to those who must travel in order to
prepare dissertation proposals. The Dean of the
Information concerning student loans can be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Services, 100 Franklin Building.
H. Language Requirement
Serious graduate study in the history of art assumes proficiency in reading the foreign languages most commonly used in research. A knowledge of German, French and Italian is essential for the study of Western art. Facility in the use of German and either French or Italian is required for the M.A. and for admission to Ph.D. Candidacy. A student is expected to demonstrate ability in one language by the first month of his/her first year, and in a second language by the beginning of his/her second year in the program. Incoming graduate students who do not have the requisite language skills are strongly urged to enroll in formal, intensive language courses before undertaking graduate study.
Proficiency can be tested by language examinations
administered by the Graduate Group in September of every year.
Certification may also be given to students who have passed graduate-level
language examinations at other institutions or who have passed the tests given
at the conclusion of the special summer language reading courses offered by the
Students undertaking work in ancient, medieval, Islamic, East Asian, or Indian art will be expected to fulfill certain additional language requirements, as established in consultation with the Graduate Chair and relevant faculty.
I. Grades and Satisfactory Progress
For those enrolled in courses, the minimum standard for satisfactory work is a B average in each academic year. Those who have completed course requirements and are preparing either the M.A. Research Paper or the Ph.D. Dissertation must demonstrate steady and substantial progress toward the completion of the degree. Those who do not maintain the necessary average or who fail to demonstrate progress in their research may be required to withdraw.
Incomplete work is assigned the mark "I" on students' transcripts. Work left incomplete for more than one year becomes permanently incomplete ("I*"). Those with incompletes on their records cannot serve as teaching assistants or hold University fellowships.
J. Academic Review
The Graduate Group reviews the academic records of all students once every semester during their first year, and annually thereafter. The purpose of the review is to provide a periodic appraisal of students' general progress and achievement, on the basis of which recommendations may be offered concerning the course of study.
K. Transfer of Credit
At least eight course units of the
total program required for the M.A. and at least twelve course units of the
total program required for the Ph.D. must be completed at the
L. Comprehensive Examination
The Comprehensive Examination fulfills both the M.A. Final Examination requirement and the Ph.D. Qualifications Examination requirement of the Graduate Faculties. Students who take the examination will be notified whether they have passed at the M.A. or Ph.D. level.
The examination is given once yearly in late January on a date announced at least two weeks in advance. The examination consists of slide comparisons and essay questions designed to test the student's knowledge of the art and architecture of the West from antiquity to the present.
Students become eligible for the examination in the semester in which ten course units have been cumulatively registered, and no more than twelve course units may accrue unless the exam has been passed and the student has successfully petitioned for Ph.D. Candidacy (see below). Students with no transferred credits should take the Comprehensive Examination in January of their fourth semester. Students planning to transfer one year of credits should take the examination in January of their second semester.
The Comprehensive Examination may normally be retaken once, one year after an unsuccessful attempt. A request to retake the exam must be submitted to the Graduate Chair.
A student in a non-Western field may request a Comprehensive Examination that covers his/her non-Western areas broadly defined. The student must, however, demonstrate competence in the field of Western art by a strong undergraduate record in the field. In addition, students in non-Western fields must complete at least four diverse graduate-level courses in the art of the West.
M. Colloquium
The intellectual forum of the Graduate Group is its Colloquium, which brings together department faculty, graduate students, and senior undergraduates. Colloquia take place most Fridays during the fall and spring to discuss the work of a faculty member or visitor. Attendance is required of first year students and expected of more advanced students. Penn Ph.D. candidates also present colloquium papers as their required Dissertation Colloquium.
N. Teaching Requirement
The Graduate Group believes that teaching
experience forms an important part of graduate training. Students who join the
Ph.D. program in 2003 and subsequently are required to serve as teaching
fellows for four semesters, usually during the second and third years. This
activity is recorded on the transcript as two independent studies (ARTH 999)
with the supervising instructors, usually recorded during the summer after the
second year and the sixth semester of study.
In some cases, a mentored research assistantship may be substituted for part of
the teaching requirement. Students who are granted credit for courses taken
prior to matriculation at the
O. Registration, Tuition, and Fees
It is each student's responsibility to insure that he/she is properly registered every semester, even when not taking courses, and that all financial obligations are met. Financial matters are handled in the office of the Dean of the Graduate Division, but it is possible to check oneís registration status on-line through Penn in Touch. For a full explanation of tuition and fees, consult the Graduate Catalog.
P. Leaves of Absence, Dissertation Research Abroad Status
A student who wishes to take a leave of absence must submit a written request to the Graduate Chair for initial approval. Final approval rests with the Dean of the Graduate Division. A student who has reached general dissertation tuition status will not be granted a leave except for military service or medical reasons. The granting of a leave, except for military service, does not automatically extend the time limits for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, which are discussed below. Language Examinations, the Comprehensive Examination, and the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination may not be taken while a student is on leave, nor may degrees be awarded.
A student who receives outside funding for dissertation research to be conducted elsewhere may apply to the Graduate Chair and the Dean of the Graduate Division for Dissertation Research Abroad Status. This special status allows the student to remain registered without incurring tuition charges.
Q. Courses in Other Departments
The Graduate Group encourages its students to take courses in history, literature, philosophy, and some languages that complement their work in art history. Such should be approved by the Graduate Chair before registration.
R. Scope of this Bulletin and Exceptions
This "Bulletin" does not
supersede the Graduate Catalog, with which students must also be
familiar. Requests for exceptions to these regulations should be
addressed to the Graduate Group Chair.
II. THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
A. Requirements
1. Ten course units, with one 700-level seminar in
every semester, and participation in the Colloquium in the first year.
2. Competency in two foreign languages (German and either French or Italian);
see above.
3. Comprehensive Examination, passed at the M.A. level; see above. (This serves
as the M.A. Final Examination.)
4. Research Paper.
B. Program of Study, Timing, and Time Limits
Students should complete the course requirements for the Master's degree in three semesters by taking four course units in each of the first two semesters, including at least one 700-level seminar each semester. In the third semester students should then take two course units: a 700-level seminar and a 999 independent study for work on the Master's Research Paper. In the fourth semester a student should take the Comprehensive Examination and will be awarded the degree upon certification that all requirements have been met.
The maximum time allowed for the completion of M.A. course requirements is six consecutive years, or seven years if the first attempt to pass the Comprehensive Examination is unsuccessful and the exam is retaken. Only two semesters of further registration is allowed after the completion of course requirements.
C. Research Paper
The M.A. Research Paper is not the
formal M.A. Thesis required by some other Graduate Groups. It is, however, a
substantial piece of original scholarship that often begins as a research problem
for a 500- or 700-level course and is continued as an independent study (999),
according to the advice of the supervising instructor and with the approval of
the Graduate Chair. Alternatively, it can originate as an independent study
project. In either case, the grade recorded in the 999 must be certified by the
advisor and the Graduate Chair as fulfilling the M.A. research requirement of
the Graduate Faculties, and a final version of the Research Paper must be
deposited with the Graduate Group. The title page should bear the title,
author's and advisor's names and the words "Submitted in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts,
III. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE
A. Requirements
- Ph.D. Qualifications Examination and admission to Candidacy (see below).
- Twenty course units, with a 700-level seminar course every semester, and participation in the Colloquium in the first year.
- Major Field and Distribution requirements.
- Four Semesters of Teaching (see I. N. above)
- Dissertation Proposal
- Ph.D. Preliminary Examination.
- Dissertation Colloquium.
- Dissertation.
- Dissertation Defense.
B. Admission to Candidacy
Students must file an application for Ph.D. Candidacy by a letter to the Chair of the Graduate Group for action by the Graduate Group. Neither admission to graduate study nor the M.A. degree carries automatic admission to Candidacy. (Indeed, students are not required to fulfill the requirements of the M.A. degree as part of their preparation for the Ph.D.) Applicants for Candidacy must fulfill the following requirements:
- Comprehensive Examination, passed at a level that shows sufficient preparation for Ph.D. work (This serves as the Ph.D. Qualifications Examination stipulated by the Graduate Faculties. The examination is described above.)
- Competency in two foreign languages (German and either French or Italian); see above.
- Designation of a proposed major field of specialization and a dissertation supervisor. The dissertation supervisor shall be a member of the Graduate Group, unless an exception is specifically allowed by the Group.
Students must apply for Candidacy no later than the semester in which twelve
course units have been cumulatively registered, and no student normally will be
permitted to register beyond twelve course units until he/she has been admitted
to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Students who arrive at
C. Program of Study, Timing, and Time Limits
Students who arrive without transfer credits should complete all requirements for the doctorate--except the dissertation--in six semesters. This is the expected program
ß 1st semester: four courses, including one 700-level course
ß 2nd semester: four courses, including one 700-level course
ß 3rd semester: three courses, including one 700-level course; teaching requirement
ß 4th semester: three courses, including one 700-level course; teaching requirement; Comprehensive Examination in January
ß Summer after 4th semester: one course
ß 5th semester: three courses, including one 700-level course; teaching requirement
ß 6th semester: two courses (usually both ARTH 999); teaching requirement; Ph.D. Preliminary Examination (see below).
ß 7th semester: fulltime dissertation research begins
Students who transfer a year of graduate work to the program should complete
all requirements except the dissertation in four semesters.
The University imposes a time limit of seven consecutive years on the completion of all course requirements, language requirements, and all examinations preliminary to the completion of the doctoral dissertation.
Doctoral students who begin their studies at
After ten semesters of dissertation registration, doctoral candidates will be considered half-time students unless the Graduate Group certifies (with the concurrence of the SAS Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the Deputy Provost) that they are engaged in full-time research on their dissertations. According to the standard established by the Deputy Provost, the student's acceptance of full-time employment creates the presumption that a he or she is not engaged in full-time research. The student and the Graduate Group may offer evidence to refute this presumption.
D. Major Field and Distribution Requirements
Ph.D. students must plan their course of graduate study to develop special competence in a major field and substantial proficiency in several other fields of study. The major field corresponds to the general field in which the dissertation lies, and competence in the major field is tested by the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination (see below). The major field is defined in consultation between the candidate and the dissertation supervisor and with the approval of the Graduate Group.
Proficiency in other fields is demonstrated by coursework that fulfills the following distribution requirements:
- Each student shall take courses with at least eight members of the Graduate Group.
- Each student shall take two courses with at least three members of the Graduate Group.
Students who transfer credits to the program from other institutions may petition to have these requirements relaxed. Students who transfer the maximum of eight credits must take courses with at least five members of the Graduate Group.
E. Dissertation Proposal
After admission to Ph.D. Candidacy, a student should immediately undertake the preparation of a Dissertation Proposal, indicating the scope, methods, and significance of the proposed work and providing a succinct bibliography. Work on the Proposal may be conducted as an independent study (999). The document should be designed to be used in support of his/her application for fellowships.
The Dissertation Proposal, after being approved by the dissertation supervisor, must be submitted to the Graduate Group Chair at the beginning of the semester that follows the Comprehensive Examination. (This will normally be September of the candidate's fifth semester, if no transfer credits from other programs are awarded; the Proposals of students who transfer a year of credit should be submitted by September of the third semester.)
F. Ph.D. Preliminary Examination
The Ph.D. Preliminary Examination should be taken at the end of the sixth semester (or at the end of the fourth semester if a year of transfer credit has been approved). It is designed to test the candidate's knowledge of the field in which the dissertation lies. The candidate should begin to plan for the Examination when applying for Candidacy.
The Examination is administered by an ad hoc Examination Committee, chaired by the dissertation supervisor and with the Chair of the Graduate Group serving ex officio. The Committee is designated by the dissertation supervisor, with the approval of the Graduate Group Chair, and it may include appropriate outside specialists. A majority of the Committee must be members of the Graduate Group. The field of the Examination is defined by the candidate in a brief written statement which, after approval by the supervisor and Chair of the Graduate Group, is circulated among the Examination Committee.
The Examination consists of written and oral components which test the candidate's ability to deal with broad, theoretical problems as well as his/her knowledge of factual information, bibliography and specific monuments. The written component is taken first. The dissertation supervisor assembles the test from questions submitted by the committee. It consists of no fewer than six questions, of which the candidate must answer three, with choices restricted in order to require the demonstration of competence over the entire field. This first part is written in eight hours on a single day without access to notes, books, or electronic data. The results are reported within one week. Students who fail the first part of the Examination may normally retake it once.
The first part of the examination must be passed in order for the candidate to take the second, oral part, which is held not more than two weeks after the first part is written. Its date is established at the same time that the date for the written part is set. The examiners may pose some of their oral questions with the aid of slides or objects which are shown to the candidate for discussion. Students who fail the second part of the Examination may normally retake it once. The candidate must pass both parts in order to pass the Examination. The passing grades are "Pass" and "Pass with Distinction."
G. Dissertation Reader(s) and Committee
The supervisor, in consultation with the candidate and with the approval
of the Graduate Chair, names a second official dissertation reader (and, optionally,
additional official readers) and defines the role of the reader(s). Official
reader(s) usually review a complete draft of the dissertation after it has been
read by the supervisor and report(s) recommendations to the candidate and
supervisor. The supervisor and official reader(s), together with the Chair of
the Graduate Group, comprise the Dissertation Committee, which is chaired by
the supervisor. A majority of the Committee must be members of the Graduate
Group.
H. Dissertation Colloquium
After conducting substantial research, but before much of the
dissertation is written, the candidate presents the dissertation project at a
Dissertation Colloquium. The Colloquium is attended by members of the faculty
and invited specialists, and it is open to graduate students in the Graduate
Group. It must be held no more than eighteen months after the Preliminary
Examination. Colloquium participants assist the candidate in defining the major
issues of the thesis topic and in planning solutions to its problems.
I. Dissertation Timing and Progress Reports
The dissertation should be completed within two or three years following
the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination, depending largely on the type of research
that the topic entails. During this time, candidates must make regular reports
to their supervisors and, after their fifth year of study at the University,
they must also file an "Annual Progress Report on Dissertation" (form
140) with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies; failure to do so can lead to
severance from the program. (See also the discussion of time limits in section
III.C.)
J. Dissertation Presentation and Final Examination
A Dissertation Presentation and Final Examination are required of all
students matriculating or re-admitted after
The Dissertation Presentation is a public event at which the candidate summarizes his or her findings. It may be scheduled only after all requirements except the approval of the dissertation have been satisfied and after a complete draft of the dissertation has been submitted to the supervisor and reader(s). The Presentation should be scheduled during the regular academic year.
The Presentation is normally followed immediately by the Final
Examination, conducted privately in a meeting of the candidate with the
Dissertation Committee. The Final Examination is limited to the contents of the
Dissertation, and passing the Examination signifies approval of the
dissertation. In unusual circumstances, which may be encountered if the
candidate has applied for an August degree, the Final Examination may be held
at a date later than the Dissertation Presentation, and it may be conducted by
telephone if all parties are unable to be present.
K. Dissertation Calendar and Format
Students should familiarize themselves with the deadline and other requirements governing the submission of the dissertation as summarized in the Graduate Catalog. Regulations governing the format of the dissertation are set forth in a booklet available from the office of the Graduate Division. History of Art dissertations do not require indices.
IV. COURSE OFFERINGS
The courses listed below constitute the permanent register. The University's Course Timetable (published in time for advance registration each semester) and the Course and Room Roster (published at the beginning of each semester) announce which courses are being offered and provide registration information. The Graduate Group also promulgates this information for its courses on its Wide World Web home page and in the form of hand-outs. A description of all courses offered each semester, including descriptions of those courses whose topics change on each offering, is also posted at the office.
The
Four levels of art history courses are open to
graduate students:
These are lecture courses open to undergraduates and graduate students. Graduate students may take them to explore areas that they have not studied before entering the program. Usually, no more than one such course is taken in any semester. Graduate students and undergraduates are often given different assignments. 400-level courses are ordinarily repeated at least once every three years and meet twice or three times each week.
These are more specialized
investigations of the history of art, open to graduate students and to
undergraduates who have received the permission of the instructor. Some
500-level courses are taught by lecture and evaluated by examination; others
are "pro-seminars." The topics of pro-seminars usually vary on each
offering, and topics are rarely repeated. All meet once a week.
These are graduate-level affiliates of undergraduate 200-level courses, which graduate students may take if they lack previous training in the field. Attendance at the 200-level lectures is required; additional meetings and special assignments are arranged for graduate students.
These are advanced seminars emphasizing
the preparation and presentation of research on special art historical
problems. Seminar topics usually vary on each offering, and topics are rarely
repeated. All meet once a week.
Independent study and research under the supervision of an
instructor is designated 999.
REGULARLY OFFERED COURSES
400 Series:
412
The history of architecture in
413 20th-Century Art in
414 Post War Japanese Cinema and Visual Culture.
416 Medieval Islamic Art and Architecture. Holod.
An introduction to the major architectural monuments and trends, as well as to
the best-known objects of the medieval (7-14th C.) Islamic world. Attention
will be paid to such issues as the continuity of late antique themes,
architecture as symbol of community and power, the importance of textiles and
primacy of writing. Suitable for students of literature, history, anthropology
as well as art history.
417 Later Islamic Art and Architecture. Holod.
empires."
422 Art of the Ancient Near East. Pittman.
Emphasis on monumental art work of the Ancient Near East as the products of
cultural and historical factors. Major focus will be on
423 Greek Vase Painting. Ann Brownlee.
427 Roman Sculpture. Kuttner.
Survey of the Republican origins and Imperial development of Roman
sculpture--free-standing and portraits, relief, and architectural--to 350 A.D.
We concentrate on sculpture in the capital city and on court and state arts,
emphasizing commemorative sculpture and Roman habits of decorative display. Key
themes include the evolution of styles, depiction of time and space, programmatic
decoration, and the vocabulary of political art.
428 Late Antique Roman Art: Survival and Mutation,
A.D. 200-700. Kuttner.
Survey of commemorative, decorative, and panegyric art, from the period of the
soldier emperors to the 6th century A.D. Genres include mosaic, painting,
sculpture, relief, sarcophagi, numismatics, and such luxury arts as metalwork,
book illustration, figured textiles, carved ivory, and gems. Special themes
are: commemorative and mythological iconography, retrospective and "medieval"
styles, and the relationships of "pagan" to "classical"
culture in the Christianized Empire.
431 Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture. Maxwell.
Architecture and its decoration from early Christian times in the East and West
until the sixth century A.D., and in the Byzantine lands until the Turkish
Conquest.
442 Medieval Art in
A survey of sculpture, painting, and architecture in
461 Netherlandish Painting. Silver.
Painting in the
472 Rococo to Romanticism. Sidlauskas.
Art and architecture in
473 Baroque Painting in
Flemish and Dutch painting in the seventeenth century; special attention given
to Rembrandt and his contemporaries.
492 Modern Sculpture. Poggi.
Major artists and movements in twentieth-century sculpture and related media,
including earthworks, architectural sculpture, assemblage, installations, and
performance.
500 Series:
501 Museum Methods. Staff.
Topic varies. Usually devoted to exhibition planning, organized in cooperation
with local museums and collections.
502 American Museums: History and Debate.
Lindsay.
This seminar explores a major cultural force upon American art and life since
the nineteenth century and the burgeoning literature on museums and culture
under postmodernism. It has two primary aims: to probe the subject as an
established art historical topic and to provide both an intellectual bedrock
and a working global perspective for museum work as well. It will consider the
history of the institution and scholarly work on the topic, then review
selected critical readings on current issues. Subsequently, workshop
discussions will analyze specific regional museums with significantly different
histories sand purposes.
503 Origins of Graphic Art. Silver.
Early history of prints from the fifteenth century and D¸rer to the seventeenth
century and Rembrandt.
504 Structural Archaeology. Haselberger.
A pro-seminar designed to acquaint the participants with the physical evidence
of buildings. It treats the properties of pre-modern building materials, their
static and dynamic behavior, their contexts and reasons for their use, and the
means for their procurement and working. It considers the methodologies for the
historical interpretation of physical evidence, including the recording,
analysis, and presentation of evidence, determining the date and original form
of buildings, their sequence of construction, and their subsequent
modifications. Each participant carries out a small-scale field exercise. No
prerequisites.
511 Ukiyo-e: Japanese Prints and Paintings of the
"Floating World."
In this course we will study Japanese woodblock prints from the seventeenth
through the twentieth century. For most of the course, we will be
concerned with prints from the Edo, or Tokugawa, period (1615-1868) in the
style known as "ukiyo-e" ("images of the floating world")
and the culture that produced them, but in the final weeks we will also
consider the continuation and adaptation of woodblock printing in modern print
movements. Study of prints at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and other
local collections.
513 Pro-Seminar in East Asian Art.
Topic varies. Previous topics include: Gender Issues and Japanese Art (Aut.
2004). Proposed topic for Autumn 2005: Modern Japanese Arts and the City of
514 Aspects of Indian Art. Meister.
Aspects of sculpture, painting, iconography, or architecture in the Indian
subcontinent. Topic varies.
515 Aspects of Indian Architecture. Meister.
Indian temples explored in terms of morphology and meaning. Topic may vary.
517 From Region to Neighborhood: Reading the City in
the Islamic World. Holod.
Two aims of course: To understand the internal (historically and
culturally developed) ideas and realizations of the city, and to analyze it
with contemporary, externally generated methodologies:
A. Internal (How is city imaged and imagined):
1. early Islamic concepts, a reconstruction
2.
3. the embrace of law and urban order
4. large scale urban complexes and their impact of the fabric of the city
5. conception of space (city, suburb, countryside, region)
a/ in literature
b/in cartography
c/in geographic manuals
d/in its location in the world order
and cosmography
e/in local histories
f/in nomenclature
h/mapping-the visible and invisible
worlds
B. External: (How we can approach the study of urban fabric)
1. culture geography and typology
2. locational analysis
3. water resources
4. routes ( region - city connections)
5. micro-climate and micro-geography
6. thoroughfare and access
7. physical stratigraphy
8. social stratigraphy
518 Art of
Iranian art and architecture of the Parthian, Sassanian and Islamic periods,
with particular emphasis on regional characteristics in the period. Different
themes are explored each time the course is offered. In the past, these have
been Ilkhanid and Timurid painting, Architecture and Geometry, and, most
recently, a Nizami manuscript owned by the
519 Islamic Art in the West. Holod.
A discussion of the arts of the Islamic period in the countries of the western
521 Pro-seminar in Classical Art. Kuttner. The courses taught under the ìumbrellaî headings 521 and 729 regularly discuss a range of topics, including private and public art in Rome and in the provinces; sculpture, painting, coinage, minor arts and other image media; patronage and display; architectural planning and patronage; landscape architecture; the Hellenistic Mediterranean; the Roman Republic, empire and Late Antiquity; and ancient texts about the arts. For specific topics, see the Art History course archives.
522 Art of the Ancient Near East:
Survey of the major monuments of ancient
523 Interconnections:
Emphasis on questions of "style" and "regionality" in the
analysis of artworks serving as evidence for interaction in the Late Bronze Age
in the eastern Mediterranean. Particular attention paid to trade and political
relations as mechanisms of distribution.
524 Pro-seminar in Ancient Iranian Art. Pittman.
Topic varies.
527 Pro-seminar in Greek Architecture. Haselberger.
Topic varies.
528 Pro-seminar in Roman Architecture.
Haselberger.
Topic varies.
529 Vitruvian Studies. Haselberger.
Research on Vitruvius' Ten Books on Architecture, Art, and Construction:
structure, sources, intended readers; analysis of theories and their relation
to practice; formation of art theory; statics and esthetics; discrepancy with
the ideals of the "Augustan Revolution." Working knowledge of Latin
recommended.
541 Seminar in Medieval Art. Maxwell.
Topic varies, e.g., Narrative and Medieval Art (2005)
542 Early Medieval Architecture. Maxwell.
Colloquium on selected problems in the history of Western European architecture
from the 7th century to the dawn of the Romanesque.
552 Proseminar in Renaissance/Baroque Art. Cole.
Topic varies. Most recent topic: ìThe Early Modern Painter-Etcherî (2005).
561 Pro-seminar in Netherlandish Art. Silver.
Topic varies.
562 Northern Renaissance Art. Silver.
Topic varies.
573 Major Issues in Baroque Art. Silver.
Topic varies.
581 Modern Architectural Theory. Brownlee.
A survey of architectural theory from the mid-eighteenth century to the
present. The discussion of original writings will be emphasized.
582 Pro-seminar in Modern Architecture. Brownlee.
Topic varies.
585 Pro-seminar in Nineteenth-Century Art.
Sidlauskas.
Topic varies.
586 Pro-seminar in Twentieth-Century Art. Poggi.
Topic varies.
588 Pro-seminar in American Art. Staff.
Topic varies.
593 Film Theory. Beckman.
600 Series:
603 Prints and Printmakers.
Silver.
Graphic art in
611 Arts in
A survey of sculpture, painting and architecture in the Indian sub-continent from
2300 B.C. to the nineteenth century. An attempt to explore the role of
tradition in the broader history of art in
612 Symbols and Sites of the Islamic Tradition. Holod.
613 Arts of
This course will introduce the major artistic traditions of
614 Arts of
The goals of this course are to introduce the major artistic traditions of
615 Japanese Painting.
An investigation of Japanese painting and practice from the earliest pictorial
representations through the late twentieth century. Painting style and
connoisseurship will form the basis of analysis, and themes such as landscape,
narrative, and the expression of cultural identities in painting, will be
considered in the context of larger social and cultural issues. Topics
include: tomb painting, Heian development of "yamato-e," ink painting
and the adaptation of Chinese styles, the expansion of patronage in the 18th
century, and the turn toward internationalism in the late 19th and 20th
centuries. May include visits to the PMA or other local collections, as
available.
616 Chinese Painting. Davis or Steinhardt.
Study of Chinese painting and practice from the earliest pictorial
representation through the late twentieth century. Painting style and
form the basis of analysis, and themes such as landscape and narrative will be
considered with regard to larger social and cultural issues. The class
will pay particular attention to the construction of the concepts of the
"artist" and "art criticism" and their impact on the field
into the present. Visits to look at paintings at the University of
Pennsylvania Museum, PMA and/or local collections will be offered when
possible.
617 Introduction to the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. Holod.
The course is a one-semester introduction to visual culture of the Islamic world, beginning with contemporary material. Its graduate component is designed to provide student with an intensive and in-depth with an additional tutorial and requirements. The course will examine how visual culture has functioned and continues to operate within Islamic civilization. Visual culture encompasses but is not limited to specific histories of art and architecture; aspects of crafts and popular art will be discussed also. Material in the course will be drawn from the seventh to the twentieth centuries, and will be presented thematically as well as chronologically. Attention will be given to relationships between visual culture, history and literature, using specific case studies, sites or objects that may be related to various branches of Islamic literature, including historical, didactic, philosophical writings, poetry, and religious texts.
618 Early Modern Japanese Arts and the City of
Study of the major art forms and architecture of Tokugawa (or
619 Modern Japanese Arts.
620 Greek Art and Architecture. Haselberger or
Kuttner.
An intensive survey of the art and architecture of the Greek world from
Geometric to Hellenistic times. Variable emphasis on topics ranging from
stylistic innovation and persistence, commemorative genres, narrative, program,
and patronage to tectonic structure, concepts of order, proportion, and
urbanism.
621 Roman Art and Architecture. Haselberger or
Kuttner.
An intensive survey of the art and architecture of
623 Egyptian Art. Pittman.
Survey of the art of Ancient Egypt form the Pre-dynastic period through the end
of the
624. The Art of
640 Medieval Art. Maxwell.
Investigates painting, sculpture, and the ìminor artsî
of the Middle Ages (Late Antique, Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic
periods). Analysis of works emphasizes the cultural context, the thematic
content, and the function of objects. Discussions focus especially on several
key themes: the aesthetic status of art and the theological role of images; the
revival of classical models and visual modes; social rituals such as pilgrimage
and crusading; the cult of the Virgin and the status of women in art; the
"beautiful" and the "ugly"; and, more generally, the
ideology of visual culture across the political and urban landscapes.
641 Byzantine Art and
Architecture. Maxwell.
Surveys the arts of
642 Medieval Architecture. Maxwell.
Introduction to the built environment of the Middle Ages, surveying a range of architectural styles--Early Christian, Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic. Integrates the study of architecture with the study of medieval culture, exploring the role of pilgrimage, courts and civil authority, religious reform and radicalism, crusading and social violence, and rising urbanism.
652 Art in the Time of Michelangelo. Cole.
An introductory survey of the art of the Late Renaissance, with an emphasis on
drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture in central
655 Italian Renaissance Art. Cole.
Survey of the visual arts in
656 Italian Renaissance and Baroque Architecture. Cole.
An introductory survey of architecture on the Italian
peninsula, ca. 1300-1750. The course will cover both standard types (palaces,
churches, squares) and distinctive individual monuments. Topics may include
urban planning, garden and fountain design, and the relation of practice to
theory.
660 Northern Renaissance Art. Silver.
671 European Baroque Art. Cole or Silver.
European art and architecture of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
675 Roman Baroque Art and Architecture. Cole.
An introduction to the city of
681 Early Modern Architecture. Brownlee.
The history of Western architecture from about 1700 until the last quarter of
the nineteenth century. Topics to be considered include Palladianism,
neo-classicism, the picturesque, historicism, and the search for a new style.
682 Modern Architecture. Brownlee.
The history of Western architecture from the late nineteenth century until the
present. Topics to be considered include the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art
Nouveau, expressionism, the International Style, and
"Post-modernism."
683 The
A study of the European and American city in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and
twentieth centuries. Emphasis will be placed on the history of architecture and
urban design, but political, sociological, and economic factors will also
receive attention. The class will consider the development of
684 From Revolution to Realism: European Painting,
1760-1848. Sidlauskas.
The death of the revolutionary hero, the s