Art History and Visual Studies

A. Grishin, BA MA Melb, PhD
Reader and Head of Department

Introduction

The Department of Art History and Visual Studies offers a broad range of units at undergraduate, honours and postgraduate levels which examine aspects of the visual cultures of Australia, Europe, Asia and America. Art History has been taught at the ANU since 1977, initially as the Fine Art Program, then as the Department of Art History, and more recently, with expansion in offerings to include curatorial studies, film studies, digital images and the World Wide Web, as the Department of Art History and Visual Studies.

Our units are designed to introduce students to painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, architecture, film, digital images and the decorative arts seen within their historical, social, cultural and political context. Art History is a rapidly changing discipline and our units reflect the wide range of new approaches, methodologies and technologies found in recent critical, cultural and museum studies. They cover many aspects of art from prehistoric Australian Aboriginal art and classical antiquity through to the art of the present day, focussing on topics which can illuminate specific trends and problems. Questions of technique are often examined in detail to assist in the study of selected monuments.

Reflecting our unique location in the national capital many of our units draw on the collections and staff expertise of the national cultural institutions. Some of our tutorial classes in many of our units are held at the National Gallery of Australia, National Film and Sound Archives, National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial. Our highly successful Internship Program enables students to undertake curatorial work as part of their studies at approved art galleries or museums. Curators and directors from these institutions have frequently been invited to present guest lectures in our units. The department also conducts regular research seminars which deal with questions of art history, art theory and curatorial practice which bring together local, national and international expertise.

Although there are no prerequisites for Art History 1002, students are reminded that Art History is a visual discipline supported by documentation and scholarly literature. Because of the international nature of the discipline, students are strongly encouraged to develop reading skills in foreign languages.

The BA (Art History and Curatorship)

This named degree includes in its requirements 7 units of Art History (52 credit points). It is available as a BA pass degree and as a BA Honours degree. See Faculty of Arts entry: Undergraduate Courses.

The Major in Art History and Visual Studies

A departmental major in Art History and Visual Studies consists of 6 units (44 credit points) chosen from the units in Art History, with not more than 12 credit points at first-year level. For example, Art History 1002 and Art History 1003, together with later-year units to the value of 32 credit points, form a major in Art History and Visual Studies. The major may also be formed from six later-year units of Art History. Later year film studies units Moving Pictures: Cinema & the Visual Arts (FILM2005) and US Cinema: Hollywood & Beyond (FILM2006) can be included in the Art History and Visual Studies major.

The major in Film Studies

A major in Film Studies consists of 6 units (44 credit points) and consists of Introduction to Film Studies FILM1001 (12 credit points) and 4 later year units (32 credit points). Refer to entry under Programs in the Undergraduate Handbook.

The units Computer Applications in the Humanities, Publishing Humanities on the World Wide Web, and World Wide Web Strategies may not form part of the Art History major, but may be taken as single later-year units or as part of some program majors, eg Art and Material Culture, and Communication and Cognitive Studies.

The following majors are particularly suitable for combination with an Art History major: Film Studies, Classical and Modern European Languages; English; History; Medieval and Renaissance Studies; Philosophy; Archaeology and Anthropology.

Art History and Visual Studies units in Program Majors

Art History 1002 and 1003 may also serve as the first year for the program majors in Medieval & Renaissance Studies and in Art and Material Culture. Art and its Context, Curatorship: Theory and Practice, The Fabric of Life: An Introduction to Textile History, Computer Applications in the Humanities, Publishing Humanities on the World Wide Web, and World Wide Web Strategies may form part of the Art and Material Culture program major.

The units Greek Art and Architecture, Roman Art and Architecture may form part of the Classics major. Medieval, Byzantine and Renaissance art units may form part of the program major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Byzantine units may form part of the Classics major and are included as West Asia-related units in the Faculty of Asian Studies. Asian Art units may form part of the Religious Studies or Contemporary Asian Societies program majors.

Honours and combined honours degrees

Students may take the Arts degree with honours in Art History and Visual Studies or in certain combined Honours Schools. See below.

The Honours Degree in Art History and Curatorship

See Faculty of Arts entry: Undergraduate Courses

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

Graduate Adviser: Dr Sasha Grishin

Graduate Diploma

Graduates in any field may study for a Graduate Diploma in Art History or in Art History and Curatorship.

Master of Letters (MLitt)

Graduates with a degree containing the equivalent of a major in Art History of sufficient standard may study for the degree of Master of Letters in either Art History or Art History and Curatorship.

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy

These degrees can be taken in the Department. A good honours degree or MLitt is normally required for admission to these courses. A graduate with a pass degree in Art History or a higher degree in another field who wishes to proceed to the degree of Master of Arts may be required to undertake a Master of Arts qualifying course.

Further information

Assessment: Assessment may include a mixture of essay, tutorial and/or seminar presentations, together with visual tests, the balance of marks to be determined at the beginning of each unit after discussion with students. Art History Honours IV will normally be assessed on a thesis, and on seminar presentations and the resultant papers. For Computer Applications in the Humanities, Publishing Humanities on the World Wide Web and World Wide Web Strategies see the individual entries.

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 normally form the prerequisites for later-year units in Art History; other subjects are sometimes acceptable as prerequisites for specific units (see individual entries for details). For intending students without the listed prerequisites, special permission may always be sought from the Head of Department. The later-year units may be taken in any order, although not all units will be available every year.

It is impossible in Handbook entries to explain in sufficient detail the units offered by the Department. Prospective students are encouraged to approach either the Departmental Administrator or the Faculty of Arts office for a copy of our Information for Students (which gives much greater detail about the department and its units). In addition, members of staff are always delighted to provide further information.

All units are offered subject to (a) availability of staff and (b) appropriate funding levels.

Summary of units offered in 1999

FIRST YEAR UNITS

Introduction to Art History    ARTH1002

(6cp)

First semester
Three hours a week in lectures and tutorials

Lecturers: Dr Esau and Dr Grishin

Syllabus: An introduction to selected themes and topics in the history of art and architecture, this unit requires no previous knowledge of the subject. As well as studying the artistic production of selected periods, it also introduces broad questions of art-historical methodology. Classes will also be given on general and bibliographical research methods, so that students may approach with confidence the literature of art. Some tutorials are oriented toward the study of works at the National Gallery of Australia and other collections in Canberra, while others concentrate on questions of the techniques and reception of art works.

Preliminary reading

• Janson, H W, History of Art, Thames & Hudson
• Hartt, F, Art, 4th edition, Thames and Hudson
• Stokstad, M, Art History, Abrams

Introduction to Modern Art    ARTH1003

(6cp)

Second semester
Three hours a week in lectures and tutorials

Lecturer: Dr Esau

Prerequisite: Art History 1002 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: This unit will examine the development of Modern Art from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day. As well as studying the art of this historical period, the question, What is Modernism?" will also be addressed. We will employ a number of methodological approaches to gain as many perspectives as possible on the art of our century. Some tutorials will be held in the Australian National Gallery where we will be able to study at first hand the rich story of Modern Art.

Preliminary reading

• Janson, H W, History of Art, Thames & Hudson
• Arnason, H H, A History of Modern Art, Thames & Hudson

Introduction to Film Studies    FILM1001

(12cp)

Annual Unit
Five hours a week, including at least one lecture, a tutorial and a screening

Coordinator: Dr Hillman

Syllabus: This unit is intended as an introduction to the aesthetics, history and genres of film. Throughout the unit, there will be a mix of formal, cultural and historical analysis. Once equipped with an understanding of elements of film technique, students will address questions of narrative, and of film as a document of society and culture. Film viewed as a representation of realities will lead to issues of documentation, personalised history and ideologies. Students will be introduced to historical and theoretical perspectives to deepen their understanding of what they see (and hear) and to develop critical thinking about film as art, as industry and as social critique.

Films to be analysed come from European, Hollywood and Australian/NZ traditions. They will include works by Eisenstein, Welles, Hitchcock, Wilder, Fassbinder, Jane Campion and many others.

Preliminary reading

• Giannetti, L, Understanding Movies (latest edition)
• Bordwell, D, and Thompson, K, Film Art: An Introduction, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill, 1993

(Note: Either one of these texts should be bought as your textbook for the year)

• A brick of readings

LATER-YEAR UNITS

Greek Art and Architecture    ARTH2053

(8cp)

Not offered 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Either 12 first-year or 8 later-year credit points of Art History or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or any 2 units of classical language

Syllabus: A study of aspects of the art of the ancient Greek world from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, and of the Italian peninsula, including Etruscan art, to the end of the Roman Republic. Topics will include the design, function and decoration of buildings in cities and sanctuaries; developments in sculpture, painting, ceramics, metalwork and coinage in relation to the society. There will be a focus on works which have influenced later art and on ancient theories about art. Use will be made of the antiquities in the Classics Museum in the ANU and there will be a visit to the Nicholson Museum in the University of Sydney.

Preliminary reading

• Pedley, J G, Greek Art and Archaeology, Cassell
• Green, J R & Rawson, B M, Antiquities, A Description of the Classics Department Museum in the ANU, ANU
• Spivey, N J, Greek Art, Phaidon

Roman Art and Architecture    ARTH2054

(8cp)

Not offered 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Either 12 first-year credit points or 8 later-year credit points of Art History or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or any 2 units of classical language

Syllabus: A study of aspects of the art and architecture of the Roman Empire from the time of Augustus to the sixth century AD. Topics will include historical and funerary monuments, urban planning and amenities, especially in Rome, Pompeii and Ostia, but also in the provinces, and the foundation of Constantinople. A range of sculpture, silver and coinage, frescoes and mosaics, manuscripts and textiles will be studied in their social and religious context, including early Christianity. Particular attention will be paid to technological innovations, ancient treatises and literary sources, and modern approaches to the subject.

Preliminary reading

• Ramage, N & A, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Roman Art, Cambridge
• MacDonald, W L, The Architecture of the Roman Empire, 2 vols., Yale
• Kitzinger, E, Byzantine Art in the Making, Faber

From Roman to Romanesque    ARTH2037

(8cp)

Second semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Professor Greenhalgh

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This course will examine aspects of late antique and early medieval art to ca AD 1150 in an historical context. The focus will be on choices of architectural design, style and iconography, materials and techniques of production, lay and ecclesiastical patronage, and regional influences. Areas of special study may include early Christian art, Anglo-Saxon and Viking art, the Carolingian and Ottonian renaissances, Romanesque architecture and the convergence of Christian and Islamic influences in Spain, Sicily and the Crusader states. Illuminated manuscripts, silver and ivories, will receive as much attention as church architecture, frescoes and sculpture.

Preliminary reading

• Milburn, R, Early Christian Art and Architecture, Gower
• Beckwith, J, Early Medieval Art: Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque, Thames & Hudson
• Petzold, A, Romanesque Art, Weidenfeld

This unit may also form part of a major in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program.

The Classical Tradition in Art    ARTH2014

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: 12 points of Ancient History or Art History 1002 and 1003 or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: An examination of the various ways (stylistic, intellectual, political and social) in which the art and architecture of Antiquity has been of use and value to later generations. Special consideration will be given to Charlemagne at Aachen, the Renaissance in Italy, Rome and the Papacy, the rediscovery of Greece, and Classicism and Romanticism in the 19th and 20th centuries.

This unit may also form part of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program major.

The Byzantine Empire    ARTH2015

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Ancient Israel (HIST2137) or The Historical Jesus (HIST2138) or Religious Studies I or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Dark Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: A study of Byzantine art, cultural institutions and patronage from AD 330 to AD 1204. Specific works of art and architecture ranging in provenance from Syria and Armenia to Constantinople and Sicily will be studied in the context of the society: theology and liturgy; politics and investment; court ceremony; and urban, provincial and monastic life.

This unit may also form part of the program major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

The Byzantine Commonwealth    ARTH2038

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Ancient Israel (HIST2137) or The Historical Jesus (HIST2138) or Introduction to Religion A and B (RELS1002/RELS1003) or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: A study of the Palaeologan culture after 1204 through to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. The unit will examine Byzantine art and culture in particular regions: Greece (especially Thessaloniki and Mount Athos), Cyprus and the Levant, Bulgaria, Serbia and Russia, Crete and Renaissance Italy.

This unit may also form part of the program major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Northern Renaissance Art    ARTH2018

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: This unit will discuss the role of panel painting, manuscript illumination and sculpture during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Northern Europe, examining such artists as Van Eyck, Fouquet, Durer and Holbein, and looking at questions of function, style, meaning and patronage. Particular emphasis will be given to contemporary developments in areas such as history, literature, philosophy and theology.

This unit may also form part of the program major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Art and Architecture of the Italian Renaissance    ARTH2019

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Middle Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit will examine both chronologically and thematically aspects of the development of painting, sculpture, and architecture from Giotto through to the death of Michelangelo. Amongst the themes to be treated will be: art and the State; the revival of classical forms; the Papacy and the development of Rome.

This unit may also form part of the program major in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

The High Renaissance in Rome and Venice    ARTH2094

(8cp)

First semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Professor Greenhalgh

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Rome: From Republic to Empire (HIST1019) and Illuminating the Dark Ages (HIST1023) or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: Rome and Venice during the early 16th century generated ideas, themes and artworks which form the bedrock of European culture until well into the 19th century. The unit will study the ensembles which give their complexion to the age ¾ Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel; Raphael in the Papal Apartments; Bramante and the building of the New St Peter’s; Titian in the Frari and in his great paintings for Philip II ¾ and the ideological and political horizons of the connoisseurs, statesmen and prelates who commissioned them. It will conclude with an assessment of the impact of the High Renaissance on later art ¾ the Baroque in Italy; Velasquez in Madrid and Poussin and French art.

This unit may also form part of the program major in Medieval & Renaissance Studies.

Preliminary reading

• Vasari, G, The Lives of the Artists, Penguin
• Levey, M, High Renaissance, Penguin

The Age of Baroque    ARTH2020

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The course will examine the contrasting cultures and societies of France, Italy, Britain, Spain and the Low Countries during the 17th century, and concentrate on the artistic aims and production of figures such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Bernini, Velasquez and Poussin.

Preliminary reading

• Martin, J R, Baroque, Penguin

Art and the Constitution of Power    ARTH2048

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This is a course designed to investigate the way in which art structures social relations and shapes social subjects. We will be using contemporary theories of power and the body (primarily those of Michel Foucault) to theorize the way in which art functions to produce particular forms of power-relations, such as those of gender, class, religion and politics. Topics include violence and sacrifice in Ancient Greece and early Christianity; gender, sexuality and pleasure in 18th century France; and colonial art in Latin America. Our imagery will range from Ancient Egypt and 18th century Europe to 20th century Mexico and modern day Iraq.

Preliminary reading

• Foucault, M, History of Sexuality, Pantheon Books, NY, 1980
• Foucault, M, Power/Knowledge, (ed) C Gordon, Harvester, Sussex, 1980

The Body in Question: Images and Spectators in Western Art    ARTH2051

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes per week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This course will explore the complex and highly-charged interaction between viewers and the representation of the human figure in Western art. We will investigate this interaction in detail, using material from contemporary critical theory, psychoanalysis and film theory. Central to the course will be issues of gender differentiation (and confusion) in art, and other ways in which our identity is formulated and mediated by images. We will concentrate on works produced since 1500, including current representations of the fragmented human body.

Preliminary reading

• Foster, H (ed), Visions and Visuality: Discussions in Contemporary Culture, Bay, Seattle
• Rose, J, Sexuality in the Field of Vision, Verso, Chapter10

Romanticism in European Art 1750-1850    ARTH2021

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Classical German Literature or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit will study the development of the significant themes and concepts of the Romantic period, such as the role of the intellect and of the imagination in artistic activity; heroes and heroines; representations of nature; the Sublime and the Picturesque. Interwoven with these themes will be a close study of the work of particular artists, architects and sculptors from the period.

Preliminary reading

• Honour, H, Romanticism, Pelican

Painters of Modern Life    ARTH2039

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or English Literature 1789-1939 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit examines aspects of 19th-century art and architecture in Europe after Romanticism, and will concentrate on the emergence of modernism in the painting of the Impressionists and their circle. Themes to receive special attention will include the representation of everyday life, realism and naturalism, and the changing roles of academic art.

Preliminary reading

• Frascina, F, et al, Modernity and Modernism: French Painting in the Nineteenth Century, Yale,1993

Post-Colonial Discourses in Australian Art    ARTH2093

(8cp)

First semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Dr Esau

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Australian History or Australian Literature or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: Current debates about the question of ‘art on the periphery’ and the idea of ‘the other’ have direct relevance to the development of art in Australian colonial life and to the practice of art today. This unit will examine these questions by concentrating on aspects of art, architecture and design in Australia, both in the colonial era and in the current re-appropriation of early Australian imagery. The unit will address such issues as the dependence on imported modes, the role of landscape imagery, and the distinctions between ‘high’ and ‘popular’ art forms.

Preliminary reading

• Bonyhady, T, Images in Opposition: Australian Landscape Painting 1801-1890, OUP
• Smith, B, and Smith, T, Australian Painting 1788-1990, OUP
• Allen, C, Art in Australia: From Colonization to Postmodernism, Thames & Hudson

The Art of the Modern Print    ARTH2052

(8cp)

Second semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Dr Grishin

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: The unit will examine the emergence of the modern print in nineteenth century Europe and trace its development up to the present day. Questions of technique, from etching, lithography and relief prints, through to photograph-based printmaking and the computer digitised image, will be considered in considerable detail. Questions of what constitutes an original print and some of the theoretical implications of these definitions will be discussed. Although the unit will examine the heritage of European and American printmaking, a major focus will be twentieth century printmaking in Australia. Extensive use will be made of the major collections of Australian and international prints in public collections in Canberra.

Preliminary reading

• Grishin, S, Contemporary Australian Printmaking, Craftsman House
• Tallman, S, The Contemporary Print from Pre-Pop to Postmodern, Thames
• Ivins, W M, Prints and Visual Communication, MIT

Photography: A History in Art    ARTH2050

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will focus on the history and theory of photography from its beginnings to the present day. Its aim is to examine the critical questions and methodological framework of photography as an art form. Topics to be covered will include: the development of photographic technologies and their impact; theoretical constructs; art and photography; documentary photography; photography and politics; word and image; photography of the body; postmodernism; Australian photography.

Preliminary reading

• Newhall, B, The History of Photography from 1839 to the Present, Museum of Modern Art
• Sontag, S, On Photography, Penguin

Modernism and Postmodernism: Architecture in our Century    ARTH2092

(8cp)

Second semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Professor Greenhalgh

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit will address the exciting developments in architecture and urbanism worldwide from 1900 to the present day. These will be studied through themes (such as the skyscraper, the planned city, postwar reconstruction) related to the major social, economic and political changes of our century.

Preliminary reading

• Banham, Reyner, Theory and Design in the First Machine Age, MIT Press
• Venturi, Robert, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Modernism in 20th Century Art and Design    ARTH2043

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Urban Society or Modern Society or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit will examine the evolution of art and design from 1900 to the present day. An understanding of the idea of modernism as an aesthetic and theoretical concept will be a predominant theme. Differing views about the social role of visual culture and the institutions which maintain it will be explored. The course will include studies of original works held in Australian galleries.

Preliminary reading

• Chipp, H B, Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics, Uni. of California
• Arnason, H H, A History of Modern Art, Thames

Australian Art: 20th Century    ARTH2027

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999, but may be offered in 2000
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or Australian History or Lines of Growth in Australian Literature or 20th Century Australian Fiction or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit will examine a variety of visual sources for mainly non-Aboriginal art in Australia during our century and up to the present day. While it will in no way attempt a survey of Australian art, it will range widely, looking at different media and art forms including architecture, printmaking and sculpture.

Preliminary reading

• Haese, R, Rebels and Precursors, Allen Lane
• Smith, B, Australian Painting, Oxford

Australian Art: Methods and Approaches    ARTH2049

(8cp)

Not offered 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The course will examine aspects of Australian painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and the applied arts from a methodological perspective. It will raise questions concerning the analysis of Australian art by art historians and art critics and will suggest possible alternative readings of Australian art history within a broader international context.

Preliminary reading

• Hughes, R, The Art of Australia, Penguin
• Kirby, S, Sight Lines ¾ Women’s Art and Feminist Perspectives, Craftsman House
• Grishin, S, Contemporary Australian Printmaking, Craftsman House

Art and its Context: Materials, Techniques, Display    ARTH2044

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999, but may be offered in 2000
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: The unit has two aims. The first is to examine how art works have been made over the centuries, studying techniques of fresco and oil painting, drawing, and printmaking, sculpture, metalwork, textiles, furniture and glass. Wherever possible, students will be given the chance to examine their application via original art-works in Canberra collections. The second aim is to study how works were originally meant to be displayed, as well as how later generations have housed them.

Preliminary reading

• Works of Art in Canberra, 2 vols, NCDC
• Griffiths, A, Prints and Printmaking, BM
• Fleming, J and Honour, H, The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts, Viking

Curatorship: Theory and Practice    ARTH2045

(8cp)

Not offered 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: This unit critically examines the role of the curator of cultural objects in museums and art galleries. Topics will include the development of art galleries and museums, especially in the 20th century; the development, management and display of art collections; and approaches to documentation and publication. The unit will study issues related to the responsibilities of the curator to the community (accessibility, education, exhibition and public relations) as well as responsibility to the objects (conservation, storage, accessioning and loan policies). The course will focus on Australian institutions and collections at national and regional levels.

Preliminary reading

• Dean, D, Museum Exhibition: Theory and Practice, Routledge, London, 1994
• Hooper-Greenhill, E, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge, Routledge, London, 1992
• Serota, N, Experience or Interpretation: The Dilemma of Museums of Mode in Art, Thames and Hudson, London, 1996

This unit may also form part of the Art and Material Culture program major.

The Fabric of Life: An Introduction to Textile History    ARTH2055

(8cp)

First semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Ms Maxwell

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will provide a broad historical introduction to textile arts in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Australia. Contrasting the role and importance of textiles in Western and non-Western societies, the course will examine textiles in court and village cultures, as symbols and markers of religious and social affiliations and hierarchy; the impact of colonialism, trade and industrialization on the organization of textile manufacture and traditional gender roles; and the evolution of textile motifs, designs, materials and technology. The history of textile collecting, display and analysis will also be studied.

Preliminary reading

• Barber, E J W, Women’s Work: 20,000 Years of Textiles: Women, Cloth and Society in Early Times, Norton, New York, 1994
• Maxwell, R, Textiles of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transformation, Australian National Gallery/OUP, 1990
• Parry, L, Textiles of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Thames and Hudson, New York, 1988

Art and Architecture of Southeast Asia: Tradition and Transformation    ARTH2056

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999, but may be offered in 2000
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or approved units in Asian studies or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will provide a broad introduction to major themes and forms of art and architecture in Southeast Asia, from the prehistoric pottery of Thailand and bronzes of Vietnam, through the great Hindu-Buddhist architecture and sculpture of Angkor and Borobodur to modern art of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will focus on the interplay between enduring ancestral themes in regional village and court arts, and the influence of world religions, trade and colonial power on form and meaning in Southeast Asian art. Themes of special importance will be the relation between art and royal patronage, between art and religious practice, and between the centre and the periphery.

Preliminary reading

• Guy, J, Ceramic Traditions of Southeast Asia, OUP, Singapore, 1989
• Maxwell, R, Textiles of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transformation, OUP, Melbourne, 1990
• Rawson, P, The Art of Southeast Asia, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967

Art and Architecture of Asia: Continuity and Change    ARTH2059

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or approved units in Asian studies or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will provide a broad introduction to the art and architecture of India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. Themes of special importance will be the relation between art and religion, between art and royal patronage, and between indigenous styles and foreign forms and ideas. Art works from a range of religious and philosophical orientations ¾ autochthonous, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Confucian, Daoist, Islamic and Christian ¾ will be studied.

Preliminary reading

• Blurton, T R, Hindu Art, British Museum, London, 1992
• Fisher, R, Buddhist Art and Architecture, Thames and Hudson, London, 1993
• Brend, B, Islamic Art, British Museum Press, London, 1994

The Art and Politics of Collecting    ARTH2057

(8cp)

Second semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Ms Maxwell

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will examine the history of art collecting and collections from their origins in temple treasuries, through the private collections of the mediaeval worlds of Europe and Asia, to the role of patrons and princes past and present in the establishment of art collections and policies. It surveys the impact of colonial scientific and archaeological expeditions on the content of public and private collections and the establishment of the great public institutions of the 19th and 20th centuries. Themes will include the relationship between artist and collector; the contribution of art dealers and auction houses; and the compartmentalization of art in and between museums by period, geography, religion and media. The impact of social, political and ethical environments on museum collection, display and documentation will be explored, with particular reference to Australian public collections and collecting policies.

Preliminary reading

• Hooper-Greenhill, E, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge, Routledge, London, 1992
• Mauch Messenger, P, (ed.), The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Property, University of New Mexico Press, Alberquerque, 1989
• Watson, P, From Manet to Manhattan: The Rise of the Modern Art Market, Vintage, London, 1993

Text and Image in Eighteenth-Century Art    ARTH2058

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit examines the discourse surrounding painting, sculpture and architecture from the point of view of those who produced, commented on and consumed it. Through the study of such critics as Winckelmann, Shaftesbury, Diderot, Goethe and Lessing, and artists such as Reynolds, Chardin, Hogarth and David, we will consider issues of textuality and visuality in the fine arts of the eighteenth century.

Preliminary reading

• Bryson, N, Word and Image, Cambridge, 1981
• Crow, T, Painters and Public Life in Eighteenth-Century Paris, Yale, 1985
• Fried, M, Absorption and Theatricality, Chicago, 1980

Russian Art: Icons and Revolutions    ARTH2060

(8cp)

Not offered 1999, but may be offered in 2001
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or a unit of Russian or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will examine recurring themes in Russian art from the period of Kievan Rus to the postmodernist art of the Perestroika period. Two major focal points for the unit will be Russian avant-garde art of the revolutionary period and Russian theatre art connected with the Ballets Russes. Both of these areas are extensively represented in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia and a number of classes will be held at the Gallery working with original major art objects by Malevich, Goncharova, Tatlin, Chagall, Bakst and Larionov. The unit will also examine the impact of Russian art on Australian visual culture.

Preliminary reading

• Gray, C, The Great Experiment: Russian Art 1863-1922, Thames
• Bird, A, A History of Russian Painting, Phaidon, Oxford
• Rudnitsky, K, Russian and Soviet Theatre, 1905-1932, Thames

The Postmodern Sublime    ARTH2061

(8cp)

Not offered 1999, but may be offered in 2001
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 1003 or permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: This unit will both survey postmodern art in general, and will pursue a more focussed approach to a dominant theme of such art, the sublime. In this respect, we will concentrate on the writing of Lyotard. Once the issue of the sublime is raised, the question of the links to Romanticism automatically follows, and the unit will investigate whether postmodern art should be considered fundamentally neo-Romantic, or whether it should stand as an independent, revolutionary category in itself. The relation of Modernism to neo-Romanticism will also be investigated, thus allowing for a consideration of Modernism and Postmodernism to each other. Other topics to be examined include the political values and claims of postmodern art and the status of the art-producer as artist-theoretician.

Preliminary reading

• Benjamin, A, (ed) The Lyotard Reader, New York, 1989
• Docherty, T, Postmodernism: A Reader, New York, 1993
• Kristeva, J, The Powers of Horror, New York, 1982

The Art & Architecture of the French Revolution    ARTH2062

(8cp)

Not offered 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Art History 1002 and 11003 or permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: Within the context of the impact of political and social change on European art and architecture in the 18th century, this unit focuses on the changes in style, patronage and range provoked, initiated or welcomed by the French Revolution. We shall study painting, sculpture and architecture, as well as the popular prints and ceremonies which were an important feature of public participation in the Revolution and its aftermath, concentrating on the key roles played in the construction of the artistic identity of the French State by creators (JL David, Greuze, Ledoux, Ingres), by politicians (Marat, Danton, Robespierre), by museums and their curators and theorists (Lenoir, Q. de Quincy) and by patrons ranging from the revolutionary committees to Napoleon and the restored monarchy. Several tutorials will centre on extensive discussions of key works of art and architecture, and their involvement with political events.

Preliminary reading

• Agulhon, M, Marianne into Battle: Republican Imagery and Symbolism in France, 1789-1880, Cambridge UP, 1981
• Crow, T E, Painters and Public Life in 18th Century Paris, Yale UP, 1985

Computer Applications in the Humanities    ARTH2032

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Any first-year unit. Incompatible with any unit of Computer Science, Econometrics, Mathematics and Statistics.

Syllabus: The unit, which is specifically tailored to the needs of students without a scientific background, requires no previous knowledge of computing. The unit has two main themes. The first is a study of how computers work and some of the kinds of tasks they can accomplish, no matter what the nature of the actual subject matter which they are given to process. The second will examine the areas of text processing, database, spreadsheets, networking and graphics via specific examples of their use in the Humanities.

This unit may not form part of the Art History major but may be taken as a single later-year unit, or as part of a program major in Art and Material Culture, Communication and Cognitive Studies, or Social Research Methods.

Preliminary reading

• Andrews, D & Greenhalgh, M, Computing for Non-Scientific Applications, Leicester UP
• Goldstein, S J, Computers and their Applications, Prentice-Hall
• Hockey, S, A Guide to Computer Applications in the Humanities, rev. edn, Duckworth

Publishing Humanities on the World Wide Web    ARTH2035

(8cp)

Not offered in 1999
Three classes a week

Prerequisites: Computer Applications in the Humanities or Art History 1002 and 1003 or Anthropology I or permission of the Head of Department. Incompatible with any unit of Computer Science, Econometrics, Mathematics and Statistics.

Syllabus: This unit is designed as a sequel to Computer Applications in the Humanities (ART2032). The main themes of the unit will be (1) strategies for the storage and manipulation of images; and (2) the design and implementation on the Internet of database projects relating to the Humanities. These themes come together in the formation of databases where textual records are linked to graphical ones, and exemplified in scholarly presentations using todays high-speed networks.

Preliminary reading

• Date, C J, Database: A Primer, Addison-Wesley
• Liu, C et al, Managing Internet Information Services, OReilly

This unit may also be taken as a single later-year unit, or as part of the program majors Art and Material Culture, and Communication and Cognitive Studies.

World Wide Web Strategies    ARTH2036

(8cp)

First semester
Three classes a week

Lecturer: Professor Greenhalgh

Prerequisites: Any first year unit. Incompatible with any unit of Computer Science, Econometrics, Mathematics and Statistics.

Syllabus: Directed at all who recognise the success and potential of the Internet and Web as a force in education and commerce, it will be especially useful for those concerned with initiating, developing and managing the provision of electronic information, whether in organisations like the Public Service, museums or galleries, or in commerce. This unit requires no more than a basic knowledge of computers, because students will be brought up to speed on Internet technologies in early laboratories. It offers an overview and detailed examination of the opportunities offered by the Web as a flexible, modular and easy-to-use vehicle for various information formats and structures from text and images to sound and video. Lectures will be illustrated by online networked demonstrations, and students will be trained in making class presentations using Internet resources. A special feature of the unit will be the configuration, population, publicity and management of our own web server.

Preliminary reading

• Krol, E, The Whole Internet: Users Guide & Catalog, 1994
• Dowd, K, Getting Connected: Establishing a Presence on the Internet, 1996
• Liu, C et al, Managing Internet Information Services, 1995

Moving Pictures: Cinema and the Visual Arts    FILM2005

(8cp)

First semester
Four hours per week: l lecture, 1 tutorial, 1 2-hour film screening

Lecturer: Dr Moliterno

Prerequisites: For students taking it for a Film Studies major, FILM 1001; for students taking it for the Art History major, ARTH1002 and ARTH1003; otherwise students should have qualified for entry into 2nd year study in the Faculty of Arts or have the written permission of the Head of Department.

Syllabus: Through a close analysis of selected feature films which utilise artistic and and art historical references as part of their expressive strategies, the unit will explore both the nature of visual representation, common to cinema and the visual arts, as well as the particular characteristics which distinguish and define each of these as separate art forms. Films to be studied may vary from year to year according to availability of copies, teaching staff, etc., but may include films by Vincente Minelli (An American in Paris), Andrej Tarkovsky (Andrej Rublev), Derek Jarman (Caravaggio), Peter Greenaway (The Draughtsman’s Contract), Orson Welles (F for Fake), Paul Cox (The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh) and Paul Ruiz (Hypothesis of a Stolen Painting).

Preliminary reading

• Dalla Vacche, A, Cinema and Painting: How Art is Used in Film, London, Athlone, 1966
• Walker, J A, Art and Artists on Screen, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1993

US Cinema: Hollywood and Beyond     FILM2006

(8cp)

Second semester
Offered at least alternate years, possibly annually
1 lecture, 1 tutorial and a screening (usually 2 hours)

Lecturer/Coordinator: Dr Hillman

Prerequisites: FILM1001 or ARTH1002 and ARTH1003 or by permission of the Head of Department

Syllabus: The unit comprises an aesthetic, historical and to a lesser degree industrial analysis of the impact of Hollywood on 20th century culture. It will trace the development, maturation and more recent transformations of classical narrative, while also addressing issues of genre, performance and historical, social and sexual ideology. Questions of censorship, the industrial aspects of the studio system and Hollywood’s attempts at global hegemony will also be addressed.

Titles are likely to include D W Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, Mankiewicz’ All About Eve, John Ford’s The Searchers, Malick’s Days of Heaven, Oliver Stone’s Platoon, Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and films by Charlie Chaplin, von Stroheim and others.

Preliminary reading

• Maltby, R and Craven, I, Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction, Oxford, Blackwell, 1995

The Honours School in Art History

Coordinator: Professor Greenhalgh (lst semester); Dr Esau (2nd semester)

Intending honours students should first read the general statement The degree with honours in the introductory section of the Faculty of Arts entry, and should consult the Honours Coordinator about their proposed courses at an early stage.

Entry requirements

(a) Completion of the requirements for the pass degree;

(b) 10 units (76 credit points) of Art History with an average grade of Credit and including at least 2 Distinctions; either Computer Applications in the Humanities (ARTH2032) or Publishing Humanities on the World Wide Web (ARTH2035) or World Wide Web Strategies (ARTH2036), although not forming part of an Art History and Visual Studies major, may be included; in some circumstances, with the approval of the Faculty, up to 2 cognate units may be included in the 76 credit points provided that there are at least 60 credit points of Art History.

(c) Competence in a second language, at least at an elementary level.

Art History IV (Honours)

Syllabus

(a) A research thesis of 15,000 words on an approved topic: 40%.

(b) Either two one-semester courses or a Gallery/ Museum Internship of two semesters duration and one one-semester course: each 30%. In 1999 the semester course topics will be:

(1) History of Art History

First semester

Lecturer: Dr Grishin

Assessment: Seminar papers and essays: 30%.

(2) Orientalism

Second semester

Lecturer: Dr Duro

Assessment: Semester papers and essays: 30%.

Students are expected to consult with the honours course coordinator in November of the previous year about their choice of thesis topic, and are required to seek approval for their topics and arrange supervision with a member of staff no later than mid-January, when work on the thesis should commence.

A student may commence Art History IV (Honours) in second semester.

Gallery/Museum Internships

Two semester duration, starting either first or second semester

Coordinator: Dr Grishin

In collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia and other Canberra institutions, a system of internships has been established whereby, as part of the course for their degree or diploma, selected students may undertake curatorial work at the approved art gallery and museum under host institution supervision. Honours IV, GradDip, MLitt, MA (coursework) and PhD students are eligible to apply. Available intern positions in specific curatorial areas and institutions will be advertised in the department towards the end of the preceding semester.

Preliminary reading

• Shelley, M, The Care and Handling of Art Objects, Abrams, New York, 1987
• Thompson, J M A (ed.), Manual of Curatorship: A Guide to Museum Practice, 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 1992

Combined Honours School in Film Studies and Art History & Visual Studies

Entry Requirements

Minimum of 60 credit points from the Film Studies program major with an average grade of Credit and including at least 2 Distinctions. Plus minimum of 60 credit points in Art History & Visual Studies with an average grade of Credit and including at least 2 Distinctions.

Honours-Year Syllabus

(a) A research thesis of 15,000 words on a topic approved by both academic areas worth approximately 40%

(b) A one semester FILM course worth approximately 30%

(c) Half Art History’s coursework requirements, worth approximately 30%

In 1999 (b) is US Cinema: Hollywood and Beyond (2nd semester)

The Honours Degree in Art History and Curatorship

See Faculty of Arts entry: Undergraduate Courses.