Courses - Spring 2026
ARTH200
Art and Society in Ancient and Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean
Examines the material culture and visual expressions of Mediterranean and European societies from early times until ca. 1300 CE, emphasizing the political, social, and religious context of the works studied, the relationships of the works to the societies that created them, and the interrelationship of these societies.
ARTH201
Art and Society in the West from the Renaissance to the Present
Examines representative European and American works of art from the later Middle Ages to the present, highlighting the dynamic exchange between artistic and cultural traditions both within periods and across time.
ARTH255
Explores the origins and evolution of art in the modern American world, from the late colonial era to the present, comparing major artistic movements and their historical contexts. Considers the diversity of art across Latin America and the United States, and the ways in which artworks mediate social, ethnic, political, and national identities.
ARTH290
ARTH301
Aegean Art and Archaeology
Sites and monuments of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the minor arts of Crete, the Cycladic islands, and the Greek mainland from the earliest times to the downfall of the Mycenaean empire.
ARTH324
Leonardo's World: Art and Experience in Renaissance Italy
Painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts of the sixteenth century in Italy.
ARTH337
Cities and the Arts
Cities and the Arts, as taught by different faculty members in the Department of Art History and Archaeology, will investigate the urban environment and visual culture(s) of one or several major centers. The class will consider how a large city's culture absorbs, transforms, and utilizes multiple external sources in developing a particular local brand defined as its "identity." It examines the visualization of ideals of local coherence as well as the arts of fragmentation and competing internal cultures. Cities and the Arts considers how a large city's interface with an expanding external world, even a global one, allows for appropriations and the rise of discrimi-nations; it examines how exclusions form within the city itself, and how social groups visually articulate identities that may run counter to the larger urban mythology.
ARTH357
History of Photography
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: ARTH357 or ARTH457.
An exploration of the historical, social, aesthetic, and technological developments of the photographic medium and its relationship to other modes of visual representation in the creation of the modern world.
ARTH359O
Film as Art; Film Gazes and POVs
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Films have a "Point of View" that is constructed through different elements of form and narrative, from where the camera is placed to who is writing the script. This POV - or "the gaze" -- tells us "who we are" when watching a film (or look at a painting). We will explore Laura Mulvey's original theory of the gaze from the 1970s and then consider how - or if - it changes in films up to the present day, exploring literal points of view, subjective and unreliable narrative, the way films make us Identify with the "wrong" characters, define normality, the way changing a POV changes meaning, and the how the same story changes over time, across cultures or between directors.
ARTH386
Experiential Learning
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Art History & Archaeology department.
Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
Supervised internship experience in diverse areas of art historical, archaeological, and museological work.
ARTH389O
Special Topics in Art History and Archaeology; Curatorial Practices: Histories, Strategies, Institutions
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Explores both the history and practices of curating, analyzing the centrality of the figure of the curator in contemporary discussions about art and its social relevance. We will examine the ways that the curatorial function has developed across different institutional and independent contexts, and what it has meant for artists, curators, critics, and other cultural figures to perform this role. We will look at collective, individual, and institutional strategies for curating, and consider some of the practical roles often performed by curators. We will consider the curator as a historical expert, as a person tasked with caring for collections, as a narrator of artistic practice and significance, and finally as a networker, looking at their contributions to museums, art galleries, and other modern institutions. We will discuss art history as well as to disciplines such as anthropology and archaeology, attending to current debates around conservation (of artworks, monuments, and institutions) as well as discussions around care and cultural survivance as they inform current practices focusing on marginalized cultural groups. This investigation will be global in scope: we will look at the development of curatorial discourse and practice from a variety of geographic contexts and historical periods.
ARTH488E
Colloquium in Art History; Life and Death in Homeric Greece: The Art and Archaeology of Bronze Age Pylos
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Presents the art and archaeology of one of the key settings in Homer's Odyssey, Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1000 BCE) Pylos, in the Greek Peloponnese. Together, we will explore the site and its showpieces, "The Palace of Nestor" and the recently discovered "Grave of the Griffin Warrior" using a variety of methodologies and resources. We will unpack excavation strategies and learn about the site s myriad finds, includingceramics, stone seals, gold signet rings, frescoes, and clay tablets inscribed with Linear B, the script used to write the earliest form of the Greek language. We will also consider the different forms ofmanual and digital documentation and reconstruction that have been used at the site since the 1930s, and pull ideas together in the crafting of individual research papers.
ARTH488M
Colloquium in Art History; Religion and Popular Art in Modern India and South Asia
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Learn how religion in India and South Asia--Hinduism, Islam, and contemporary Buddhism--has shaped popular art since the late 19th century. We will look at posters and advertising, film and television, public statuary, monuments, and festivals, as well as contemporary art that engages popular aesthetics.
ARTH488Q
Colloquium in Art History; Art History in Video Games: Challenging Orientalism in Contemporary Islamicate Visual Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Explores representations of Islamicate societies in video games, examining how history, culture, and aesthetics are adapted and reimagined in interactive media. Students will analyze game narratives, visual design, and mechanics to understand how they reflect or distort historical realities. This course will investigate themes such as Orientalism, authenticity, and cultural appropriation. The course incorporates readings from art history, game studies, and postcolonial theory to support critical engagement. Assignments will introduce students to game design processes, focusing on ethical and historically-informed creative processes. No prior gaming experience is required-just a curiosity about the intersection of art, history, and digital culture.
ARTH488U
Colloquium in Art History; Entertainment and Empire: Rome s Gladiators, Actors, and Charioteers
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Step inside the roaring amphitheaters and boisterous circuses of ancient Rome. This course explores the lives of gladiators, actors, charioteers, and other entertainers - the superstars of the ancient Roman world - as well as the social and cultural forces that made them icons. Learn how power, propaganda, and performance intersected during the Empire's most popular public events. We'll investigate the literary and archaeological evidence for the spectacles themselves, the politics behind the games, and the myths that still shape modern pop culture as seen through Hollywood films. Students will gain a deeper understanding of Roman arena games and a sharper eye for historical accuracy on screen.
ARTH498
Directed Studies in Art History I
Credits:
2 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
ARTH499
Honors Thesis
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
ARTH698
Teaching Art History
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
S-F
ARTH759L
Seminar in Twentieth-Century Art; Contemporary Art and Biology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Considers art since the 1970s, and especially art since 2000, as it addresses some of the thorniest questions and discoveries in biology. We will focus on art involving trees, fungus, and nonhuman animals, as well as art inquiring into the nature of consciousness. Readings will be drawn not only from art history and criticism but also from recent work in biology and consciousness studies. Although our readings will focus on contemporary art, essays on other fields within art history are welcome.
ARTH789C
Selected Topics in Art History; Sculpture: Process, Object, Publics
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Explores key developments in the history, theory and practice of sculpture from the 19th century through the present. Focusing primarily on Britain and the United States, and their empires, the course examines the changing aesthetic priorities and conceptions of sculpture and its role in the world. Key issues include authorship and reproduction, sites and modes of display, the politics of monuments, and sculpture's publics.
ARTH798
Directed Graduate Studies in Art History
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
ARTH799
Master's Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
ARTH898
Pre-Candidacy Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
Reg
ARTH899
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
S-F
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University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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