ARHI 4530 GENDER AND MODERN ART (Eloquentia Perfecta 3 Seminar) Professor K.M.Heleniak
Tuesday 2:30-5:15 PM FMH 234; Office Hours (FMH 443): After class & Wed 11:30-2:30 PM , and by
appointment:Tel: x 4891, e-mail: [email protected]
This is an advanced seminar course addressing the issue of gender in western art from the late 18th century
to the present day. We will examine the role of women as artists and subjects in the history of modern art.
We will discuss the social and educational impediments that both inhibited and shaped women’s careers.
We will also investigate the cultural construction of gender difference in works of art by men and women
artists, and read theoretical texts on the issues involved.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Whitney Chadwick, Women, Art, and Society, (Thames and Hudson,5th
edition). Additional required readings are available on the Web through ERes: the Electronic
Reserve Room (Fordham web, library, electronic resources, password:Heleniak4530).
There is NO MID-TERM or FINAL EXAM in this seminar course.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Weekly assigned reading and reports/discussion (See attached schedule.) [1/3rd of grade]
2. Short written reports based upon visits to museums and private galleries [1/3 of grade]
I. Visit the Metropolitan Museum (www.metmuseum.org) 5th Ave & 82nd Street Due: Jan 27
Hours: Sun-Thu 10-5:30 PM , Fri & Sat 10-9 PM (Visitors are moved out of galleries 15 mins. before
closing.) Recommended student admission: $12 (or pay what you wish) You must attach the receipt to
receive credit for the assignment. Compare Adelaide Labille-Guiard’s Self Portrait with Two Pupils,
1785 with Jacques Louis David’s Lavoisier and His Wife, 1788. Read the museum labels, examine with
care, and write a short essay describing the depiction of the women in these paintings. Both contain
portraits of women artists. How do Labille-Guiard and David construct the female gender in these
paintings? What do the artists seem to be saying about the depicted women? 500-750 words.
II. Exhibition Assignment (TBD) is due March 31.
III. Private commercial gallery(where art is sold): Visit a gallery of your choice exhibiting the work of
a contemporary woman artist after having read a review of the exhibition in the “Arts” section of the
N.Y.Times (major gallery reviews are on Fridays, and occasionally on Sundays). Does the reviewer
discuss the exhibition in terms of the artist’s gender? Should the reviewer? Do gender concerns seem to be
an issue with the artist? 500-750 words plus copy of the review DUE: APR 7 to be discussed in class.
Register your choice with me in advance. Students should go to different exhibitions. All students
may not go to the same galleries in the week before the assignment is due. Make your selection early.
If possible obtain an illustration or a photograph of a work in the exhibition to share with your classmates.
Smartphones are helpful for this.
3. Research Paper and Oral Report (approximately 12 double-spaced pages) [1/3rd of grade]
Each student will propose an individual topic to be approved before Feb. 17. Earlier proposals will be
welcome. Since students will present oral reports on their subjects, duplication of topics must be avoided.
Paper proposals will be shared with classmates for comments and suggestions in short oral reports(5 mins).
An outline of your paper and an annotated bibliography (including books and journal articles with a
brief description of their contents and their value to you) is due **WEDNESDAY Mar. 25 by 4 PM,
returned to you with my comments in individual meetings with students within a week.
Research paper due April 14; late papers will be marked down. Please submit 2 copies. Make
another copy for yourself; you will need it to prepare your oral report.
Bibliography and footnotes: Your paper will require not only a bibliography, but also footnotes or
endnotes --i.e., Whitney Chadwick, Women, Art, and Society (New York, 3rd ed.,2002), 23-7. For a
second citation: Chadwick, Women, Art, and Society, 57-9. For a journal article: Jeanne Siegel, “Eva
Hesse’s Influence Today? Conversations with Three Contemporary Artists,” Art Journal, 63, no. 2
(Summer 2004), 72-88. Internet sources: If you consult a resource on the internet, you must cite
the complete URL address and the date you consulted it. But beware: unlike printed books and
articles that are reviewed by scholars, editors, publishing houses, material on the internet may be
“self-published;” it may lack authority and accuracy. Despite its possibly dubious value, anything
posted on the internet is “published” and copyrighted, and therefore requires full citation if
consulted. (Only use valid sources. Employ good judgment here–i.e. the online version of
published journals, or official museum sites, etc.-- NO Wikipedia!.)
Illustrations: You will also need to illustrate your paper with xeroxed reproductions of any works
discussed at length, carefully identified in the back of your paper. You should also alert readers to the
xeroxes at the back by assigning figure numbers to the paintings in your text–i.e. Mulready’s The Sonnet,
1839 (fig. 1). Titles of art works should be underlined or typed in italics.
Your paper should be well-written. This means writing your paper several times in draft form. I will read a
draft of your paper upon request (approximately a week before it is due). You are required to turn in your
draft copies along with your typed final version. (Print out early versions.) Proof-read your paper. A
sloppy paper deserves a lower grade.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Put all of your material (your paper, my copy, draft copies, and your
original outline and annotated bibliography) in a large envelope with your name on it. I will retain a copy
of your paper for my files.
Oral Reports will begin April 14. As a courtesy to your classmates, make sure that you are on time. Your
oral report will allow you to share your research results with the class. It is based upon your paper. Your
report should be approximately 20 minutes. Ten pages is about 20 minutes, therefore you will need to edit
your paper for your oral report. YOUR REPORT SHOULD NOT BE READ! It should be well organized
and well prepared. Use note cards or a detailed outline. Practice giving it aloud. Check your timing. Your
grade for your oral report will depend upon your coherent, concise, intelligent and enthusiastic
presentation.
VISUAL IMAGES: You will need to illustrate your oral report with images: either with a powerpoint
presentation or an Artstor presentation (to be discussed in class).
ATTENDANCE IN CLASS IS MANDATORY, especially since we meet just once a week. Your
GRADE will depend upon your performance in the above assignments and upon your participation in
class discussions. Absences WILL lead to a lower grade. Excessive absence (more than two
absences) will lead to failure. Late arrivals to class are disruptive to your classmates and
discourteous, and if frequent, will also lead to a lower grade. Coming in and out of class is
also very disruptive and should be avoided, except for a true emergency.