Art History 291ra - Colloquium: Topics in Art History-Representing Animals

This colloquium investigates the space between animal studies and art history. Examining case studies from the early modern period to the present, we consider questions such as: What constitutes the animal, and how do images shape responses to this question? How and why have artists deployed animals as visual signs? How did the collection of animal specimens in the West both depend on and sustain networks of imperialism? Our conversations will center around the meaningful role images and objects play in shaping understandings of the human, the animal, nature, identity, and both human and animal culture. Prerequisite: ARH 110. Enrollment limited to 18. (E)