Art History (AH)
Art History students investigate how the material world shapes human identities, experiences,
and values. We study images, artifacts, and spaces from many cultures around the
world—including photographs, paintings, architecture, fashion, interior design, and
urban planning. We think about how visual representation relates to issues of race,
ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, sexuality, and religion. Art History cultivates
visual observation, critical thinking, and communication skills that are applicable
to a wide range of potential career paths—including law, medicine, media, museum work,
historic preservation, and many more.
First-year students are welcome to take any 100- or 200-level courses other than AH220 (Writing in Art History) and AH221 (Practices
of Art History), which are intended for prospective majors in the sophomore year or
beyond.
Recommended courses for a prospective major
Choose one or two of the courses below offered in the fall term.
AH 110 The Middle Ages on the Move: Artistic Exchange in and beyond Europe
AH 151 Arts of China and Japan
AH 251 Art of Italian Renaissance
AH 251 Global Modern
113 Filene Hall
518-580-5053