ARTH 295 - Special Topics in Art History

Credits: 3 in fall or winter, 4 in spring
Selected topics in art history with written and oral reports. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2015 topic:

ARTH 295: East Meets West in the Visual Arts (4). This course explores the history of the 19th-century western fascination with Japanese art and design generally known as Japonisme (or Japanism). The course focuses on its manifestations in France, England, and the United States. Topics include the study of the significance of “Japan” in the work of painters such as Whistler, Monet, Van Gogh, and also in the graphic and decorative arts. Student examine the ways in which Japanese visual culture and objects were collected, displayed, and interpreted, as well as the impact of Japonisme on modern Japanese art. While the main focus is on Japanese influence on the West, we also explore Chinese porcelain and the concept of Chinoiserie, or fanciful European interpretations of Chinese styles in art and design. Both Chinese porcelain export objects and Japanese woodblock prints in W&L’s permanent collection are examined in the context of East meets West. A field trip to the Sackler and Freer Galleries in Washington, DC is planned. (HA) Ramirez. Spring 2015