Art History 241 - 19th Century European Art

This course surveys art in Europe from roughly the French Revolutionary era to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, that is, from the neo-classical painters (David and his atelier) at one end and the great painters of modern life in Paris (Manet and his followers) at the other. That chronology represents one of the most important transformations in the history of art: the origins and early development of what we today call 'modern art.' We will spend considerable time tracing this difficult passage, pausing here and there to readjust ourselves to the shifting language of art and to orient art's relationship to the modern public. Among the major figures to be studied are Constable, Courbet, Delacroix, Friedrich, Goya, Ingres, Monet, Renoir, and Turner.

Course limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors