Time Schedule:
Susan P Casteras
ART H 581
Seattle Campus
Art historical problems of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Class description
This seminar focuses on Victorian private and public places and spaces--both interior and exterior--and their portrayal, meanings, and users/occupants as revealed in the visual arts. Domestic interiors such as parlors, bedrooms, nurseries--and exteriors like the middle-class garden will be explored. Areas dedicated to the pursuit of leisure (ballrooms, theaters, art galleries, studios, vacation spots), as well as city structures such as prisons, shops, and hospitals, will moreover be studied. Changing theories about gendered spaces and home decor are other topics, along with the psychology of space and how occupants are impacted by different environments.
Student learning goals
gain familiarity with main artists, objects, and sites
identify different types of rooms, their uses, and any psychological meanings
develop analytical skills and interpretive abilities
establish relationships of art with Victorian literature, history, and culture
expand writing abilities on objects, ideas, and authors' writings on the subject
General method of instruction
lectures by the professor and active classroom discussion based on weekly reading and looking assignments
Recommended preparation
AH 203 or some knowledge of 19th-century art is highly recommended
Class assignments and grading
Students may write about British, American, or European art produced between ca. 1840-1910 and will be required to do specific readings and participate actively and lead class discussions on directed topics. Required papers are 2 short papers (3-4 pages) and one long one of about 10 pages; there is no final exam.
