Art 2300: Methods for the Study of Art History
University of Texas at Arlington, Spring 2014
Thursdays 2:00-4:50pm
Description:
How do art historians interpret works of art? This seminar introduces undergraduate majors in art history to the basic
methodologies and theoretical practices fundamental to the discipline of art history, including: formalism, iconography,
the social history of art, feminism, and postcolonialism. We will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these various
approaches, and consider the factors that evinced shifts in art historical approaches. Additional focuses of this course
include academic writing, art history research skills, and training in art history presentations. Throughout the semester,
students will peer review their classmates’ writing, work with the campus writing center, and present their research in
class.
Instructor: Dr. Benjamin Lima, Fine Arts 2101, (214) 517-8733 [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesdays 12:30-1:30pm.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. 1. Students will become familiar with some of the most influential ideas that have shaped the discipline of art
history as well as the various methods and approaches art historians use in their work.
2. Students will develop advanced skills in techniques of art historical research, including the use of the internet, and
computer bibliographic databases.
3. Students will learn to express analytical skills in verbal and written form.
4. Each student will learn to develop a well-argued, scholarly paper with appropriate bibliographical citations.
5. Each student is expected to present their research results in an in-class PowerPoint presentation.
Textbooks:
Michael Hatt and Charlotte Klonk, Art History: A Critical Introduction to Its Methods (Manchester University Press, 2006).
Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art, 10th edition (Prentice Hall, 2011).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
40 percent: Weekly writing assignments.
20 percent: Attendance and participation.
40 percent: Final paper and presentation.
Grading Policy
A (90-100): excellent, thoughtful, thorough, comprehensive understanding
B (80-89): good or very good, solid, minor mistakes, no major flaws
C (70-79): solid, fulfills requirements, some mistakes
D (60-69): major mistakes or omissions
F (0-50): does not fulfill requirements for the course
Left: Dennis Adams, Malraux’s Shoes, 2012. Right: Caravaggio, Saint Jerome Writing, 1605-1606.
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Art 2300 | Methods | UTA Spring 2014 | Dr. Benjamin Lima | [email protected]
Course materials will be available on the SkyDrive: http://sdrv.ms/1hvlzRe
Use this link to upload assignments to the SkyDrive: http://sdrv.ms/1at1s40
TOPIC OUTLINE
Dates
Jan. 16
Topics
Introduction and goals of
the course
Assignments
For next week:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 3, “Hegel and the birth of art history”
* Read Barnet chapter 1, “Writing about art”
* Write a “Hegelian” analysis of one artwork
* Explore research databases
Jan. 23
Research methods;
formalism
Due this week:
* Hegelian analysis
* Report on research databases
For next week:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 5, “Formalism: Wölfflin and Riegl”
* Read Barnet chapter 2: “Writing About Art” and chapter 3, “Formal Analysis
and style”
* Write a formalist analysis of one artwork
Jan. 30
Iconography
Due this week:
* Formalist analysis of one artwork
For next week:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 6: “Iconography-Iconology”
* Read Barnett chapter 4: “Analytic thinking”
* Write an iconographical analysis of one work
* Write a list of possible questions to ask about your main research topic,
using ideas in Barnett chapter 4
Feb. 6
Marxism
Due this week:
* Iconographical analysis
* list of questions about your research topic
For next class:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 7, “Marxism”
* Read Barnet chapters 5, 6, 7 on comparison, catalog entry and exhibition
review
* Write a comparison or catalog entry or exhibition review that can be
incorporated into your research paper
* Write abstract and annotated bibliography for your research paper
Feb. 13
Work Day – no class
Feb. 20
Marxism
Due this week:
* Abstract and bibliography for your research paper
* Comparison or catalog entry or exhibition review
For next week:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 8, “Feminism”
* Read Barnett chapters 8 and 9, “How to write an effective essay” and “style
in writing”
* Prepare brief presentations on topics in Barnet chapters 8 and 9
* Write a feminist analysis of one artwork
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Art 2300 | Methods | UTA Spring 2014 | Dr. Benjamin Lima | [email protected]
Feb. 27
Feminism
Due this week:
* Feminist analysis
* Presentations on Barnet chapters 8 and 9
For next week:
* Read Hatt and Klonk chapter 9, “Psychoanalysis”
* Read Barnet chapters 12 and 13, “Writing a research paper” and
“Manuscript form”
* Prepare brief oral presentations on selections from Barnet ch. 12 and 13
* Prepare outline for research paper
Mar. 6
Writing a paper
Due this week:
* Outline for research paper
* Oral presentations on selections from Barnet chapters 12 and 13
For next class
* Read chapter 10, “Semiotics” in Hatt and Klonk
* Write semiotic analysis of one work
* Confirm research paper requirements, grading methods with other
professors
Mar. 13
Spring Break – No Class
Mar. 20
Semiotics
Due this week:
* Semiotic analysis of one work
For next week:
* Read chapter 11, “Postcolonialism” in Hatt and Klonk
* Write postcolonial analysis of one work
Mar. 27
Postcolonialism
Due this week:
* Postcolonial analysis of one work
For next week:
* Draft Powerpoint presentations for final project
Apr. 3
Final Projects
Due this week:
* Draft Powerpoint presentations
For next week:
* Rough draft of research paper
Apr. 10
Due this week:
* Rough draft of research paper
Apr. 17
Apr. 24
May 1
In-class presentations
In-class presentations
In-class presentations
Due this week: Final paper
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Art 2300 | Methods | UTA Spring 2014 | Dr. Benjamin Lima | [email protected]
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Drop Policy: Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through selfservice in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After
the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw.
Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a
point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially
withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped
for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may
be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of
Financial Aid and Scholarships (http://wweb.uta.edu/aao/fao/).
Americans With Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed
to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to
students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability.
Any student requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official
documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities,
University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will
have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disabilitybased academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students
with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.
Academic Integrity: All students enrolled in this course are expected to adhere to the UT Arlington
Honor Code:
I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard
work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.
I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will
appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and
uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.
Instructors may employ the Honor Code as they see fit in their courses, including (but not limited
to) having students acknowledge the honor code as part of an examination or requiring students to
incorporate the honor code into any work submitted. Per UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, suspected
violations of university’s standards for academic integrity (including the Honor Code) will be referred to the
Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may
result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University.
It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a
completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons
involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and
procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty
includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or
materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another
person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts."
(Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2) All students must review the UTA Library’s
plagiarism tutorial here: http://library.uta.edu/plagiarism/index.html
Student Support Services: UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help
students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and
information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers,
developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For
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Art 2300 | Methods | UTA Spring 2014 | Dr. Benjamin Lima | [email protected]
individualized referrals, students may visit the reception desk at University College (Ransom Hall), call the
Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107, send a message to [email protected], or view the
information at www.uta.edu/resources.
Electronic Communications: UT Arlington has adopted MavMail as its official means to communicate
with students about important deadlines and events, as well as to transact university-related business
regarding financial aid, tuition, grades, graduation, etc. All students are assigned a MavMail account and are
responsible for checking the inbox regularly. There is no additional charge to students for using this account,
which remains active even after graduation. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at
http://www.uta.edu/oit/cs/email/mavmail.php.
Official UTA policy requires the use of the UTA e-mail address for communication between
faculty and students. I will not be able to respond to e-mail from other accounts.
Student Feedback Survey: At the end of each term, students enrolled in classes categorized as lecture,
seminar, or laboratory shall be directed to complete a Student Feedback Survey (SFS). Instructions on how
to access the SFS for this course will be sent directly to each student through MavMail approximately 10
days before the end of the term. Each student’s feedback enters the SFS database anonymously and is
aggregated with that of other students enrolled in the course. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather,
tabulate, and publish student feedback is required by state law; students are strongly urged to participate.
For more information, visit http://www.uta.edu/sfs.
Final Review Week: A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long
sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient
time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as
required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or
exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the
class syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or
more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall
give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. During this week, classes are held as
scheduled. In addition, instructors are not required to limit content to topics that have been previously
covered; they may introduce new concepts as appropriate.
Emergency Exit Procedures: Should we experience an emergency event that requires us to vacate the
building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located at the stairwell
directly behind this classroom [FA 2102A], facing Cooper Street. When exiting the building during an
emergency, one should never take an elevator but should use the stairwells. Faculty members and
instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements
to assist handicapped individuals.