ARTH 285 Nineteenth Century Art: Culture, Politics, and National Identity

This course will explore artistic practices in the U.S., North America, and Europe, during the long 19th century, from roughly 1789 to 1900. Lectures, discussions, and readings are designed to provide a thematically-driven, chronological overview of the period. Yet, the course will not be a traditional "survey," rather, it will focus on some of the key changes in ideas about artistic culture; art practice; and practices of regional, national, and transnational identity formation as expressed in visual art. This course will explore the role of art in social and political revolution, as well as its formative status as an engine of cultural imperialism in the 19th century, and, in addition will explore some of the more traditional approaches to studying the status of art, such as the role of the artist and the transformation of the art "market" in the wake of the industrial revolution. Key debates within the field of Art History will be explored, as well. Museum visits required.