AHST 2332 Section 1:

Tuesday and Thursday 11:30am to 12:45pm

ROOM: GL 1.208B (in the Green Center)
Richard R. Brettell (972-883-2475; brettell@utdallas.edu)
Graduate Assistant: Debbie de Witte (Gibney) DebbieGibney@tx.rr.com
Assistant: Pierrette Lacour: pierret@utdallas.edu Tel : 972-883-2475 or

469-236-0104 (cell) – Office, Jo 5.412)

Plunging into Art, its Histories and Institutions

The Facts:

1. 29 classes—1 hour and 15 minutes each

2. 1 Museum—The Metropolitan Museum of Art—24 30-minute Teaching Cmpany
lectures by Professor Brettell
3. 1 Artist- J.M.W. Turner (a major exhibition at the DMA) 4- 30 minute lectures
by Professor Brettell
4. 1 New Approach to Art— A New Text for Undergrads (de Witte)
5. 2 Books- 2 discussion sessions (Brettell)
6. 2 site visits—1 to the DMA, another to a private collection (in place of 2 sessions)

Requirements (with Percentage of Final Grade):

1 oral report (6-8 minutes) and primary discussion responsibility for ONE class –
20%
1 paper (7-9 pages)- on a single work of art at the DMA
30%
2 quizes (15 minutes each)—on aspects of the Gibney Text
10%
1 FINAL Exam (2 hours)—on the two books and comparative analysis of works of
art
40%

Books:
1. George Kubler, THE SHAPE OF TIME: REMARKS ON THE HISTORY OF
THINGS, Yale Press
2. William Ivins, PRINTS AND VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

Goals for each student:

- an introductory survey knowledge of the collections of the Metropolitian
Museum of Art
- an introductory knowledge of the life and career of J.M.W. Turner
- thorough knowledge of the methods of visual and historical analysis of works
of art
- a beginning knowledge of the major artistic mediums
- an introductory knowledge of the working methods of two great art
historians, George Kubler and William Ivins
SYLLABUS

January 8: INTRO

January 10: 1- MET: Introduction to the Museum and its History (Brettell)

January 15: 2- MET: The Arts of Greece and Rome (Brettell)

January 17: 3- Introduction to Visual Analysis (de Witte)

January 22: 4- MET: The Arts of Ancient Egypt (Brettell)

January 24: 5- MET: Asian Art (Brettell); The Arts of Asia (de Witte Text)

January 29: 6- MET- Ancient Near East and Islamic Art (Brettell);
Emphasis/Scale/Proportion/Focal Point (de Witte Text)

January 31: 7- Art and Illustion (de Witte Text)

February 5: 8- MET: European Painting; The Renaissance (Brettell) and

Renaissance and Baroque (de Witte Text)

February 7: 9- MET: European Painting: Baroque (Brettell)

February 12: 10- MET- European Painting; 18th Century and Turner Part I
(Brettell)

February 14: 11- MET: European Painting: 19th century and Turner Part II
(Brettell)

February 19: 12- MET: Drawings and Prints (Brettell); Drawings (de Witte
Text)

February 21: 13- Prints (de Witte Text) and discussion of Ivins Book

February 26: 14- MET: Photography (Brettell)

February 28: 15- MET: European Period Rooms and Decorative Arts
(Brettell)
March 4: 16- MET: European Sculpture (Brettell); Unity/Variety (de Witte
Text)

March 6: 17- Visit to the Turner Exhibition at the DMA

March 11 and 13: SPRING BREAK

March 18: 18- MET- Arts of Africa and Oceania (Brettell) CHOICE OF
DMA WORKS DUE

March 20: 19- MET- The Ancient Americas (Brettell) and discussion of
Kubler book

March 25: 20- MET- Arms and Armour AND Musical Instruments (Brettell)

March 27: 21- MET- Costumes and Textiles (Brettell)

April 1: 22- VISIT TO A PRIVATE COLLECTION

April 3: 23- MET- American Art, 1650-1865; Turner Part III (Brettell)

April 8: 24- MET- American Art, 1865-1900 (Brettell); Art and Nature (de
Witte Text)

April 10: 25- MET- 20th Century Art, 1900-1945 (Brettell), Art and Science
(de Witte text)

April 15: 26- MET- 20th Century Art, 1945-2000; Turner Part IV (Brettell)

April 17: 27- MET- The Lehman Collection, 1400-1860 (Brettell); Implied
Depth (de Witte Text)

April 22: 28- MET- The Lehman Collection, 1860-1940 (Brettell)

April 24: 29- MET- The People of the Museum (Brettell)

April 29: FINAL EXAM