Department of Art History
James Nisbet, Department Chair
3000 Humanities Gateway
www.humanities.uci.edu/arthistory
The study of Art History explores visual art from all regions of the world and all periods of history. With its global outlook, Art History cultivates critical and self-reflective perspectives on diverse forms of cultural production and social organization across time. Course offerings investigate the ways in which visual art and media inform our understanding of issues comprising race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, environmentalism and climate, as well as the complexity of political expression and contestation in specific historical contexts.
The Department offers a major and minor in Art History, through which students learn valuable skills in how to describe and interpret objects including sculpture, painting, photography, architecture, and “new media,” such as video and performance art. These skills, along with the program’s concentrated focus on writing, verbal expression, and dedication to personal mentorship, prepare students to think analytically and to express themselves clearly at a time when visual communication is vitally important.
Majors in Art History are encouraged to take related courses in other fields in the humanities and to pursue the study of language beyond the minimum requirements. Because of its international scope, Art History is a particularly good major for students interested in studying abroad. There are many study centers throughout the world associated with the University’s Education Abroad Program that offer widely varied selections of Art History courses.
In addition, Art History offers a unique one-year Master's Program in which all current UCI undergraduate students can build upon their undergraduate work to complete an M.A. in Art History in one additional year beyond the completion of the Bachelor’s degree. The M.A. program in Art History is designed to provide students with advanced skills and broad knowledge in the discipline of art history. See the M.A. in Art History page for detailed information.
Career Opportunities
Following their graduation, students with a B.A. in Art History have found employment in art galleries, auction houses, and museums, and they have entered graduate programs with a view to careers in university teaching, curatorial work, and art conservation. Moreover, with its strong emphasis on developing critical skills in writing, speaking, and analysis, Art History also provides an excellent preparation for many other careers. UCI graduates have pursued professional paths ranging from medicine and law, to business and education, to information technologies and architecture. As in the case of arts administration or intellectual property law, many of these professional pursuits have depended on and continue to make use of training in the arts.
Faculty
Camille Acosta, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Assistant Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (Greek art and archaeology, migration and colonialism, Greek-Egyptian interactions, ceramics, craft production, history of archaeological theory and practice)
Roland Betancourt, Ph.D. Yale University, Professor of Art History; Religious Studies; Visual Studies (Byzantine and Medieval art, critical and queer theory; histories of race, gender, and sexuality)
Matthew P. Canepa, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djali Presidential Chair and Professor of Art History; History; Religious Studies; Visual Studies (Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian art and archaeology; Iranian visual cultures and Afro-Eurasian exchange; critical approaches to space, place, landscape, urbanism, and memory)
Bridget R. Cooks Cumbo, Ph.D. University of Rochester, Chancellor's Fellow and Professor of African American Studies; Art History; Culture and Theory; Visual Studies (African American art, museum studies, feminist and post-colonial theory)
Abigail Lapin Dardashti, Ph.D. The Graduate Center, CUNY, Assistant Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino/a/x art and architecture, history of African diasporic art in Latin American, transnationalism, migration, racial formation, activism, critical race theory, postcolonial theory, decolonial theory)
Seungyeon Gabrielle Jung, Ph.D. Brown University, Assistant Professor of Art History; East Asian Studies; Visual Studies (Korean art and design, global design history, critical and media theory)
Lyle Massey, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Associate Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (Italian Renaissance and early modern European art, gender theory, science studies)
Tyrus Miller, Ph.D. Stanford University, Dean of the School of Humanities and Professor of English; Art History; Comparative Literature; Visual Studies (modernist and avant-garde studies in literature and visual arts; critical theory and aesthetics; modern architecture and urbanism; East-Central European studies; culture of socialism and post-socialism; Frankfurt School theory)
James P. Nisbet, Ph.D. Stanford University, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (modern and contemporary art)
Luiza Osorio G. Silva, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Assistant Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (Ancient Egyptian material culture, materiality, kingship, the intersection of space and power, the contexts and audiences for art and architecture, the writing of historical narratives)
Alka Patel, Ph.D. Harvard University, Professor of Art History; History; Religious Studies; Visual Studies (South Asian and Islamic art and architecture, historiographies, Islamic diasporas in Cuba)
Bert Winther-Tamaki, Ph.D. New York University, Professor of Art History; Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; Visual Studies (modern Japanese art and visual culture, Asian American art, art and ecology)
Roberta Wue, Ph.D. New York University, Director of the Graduate Program in Visual Studies and Associate Professor of Art History; Visual Studies (modern Chinese art, photography, print culture)
Courses
ART HIS 30. Latin American Art and Architecture: 1492 to the Present. 4 Units.
Charts the history of Latin American art and architecture from the invasion of the Americas in 1492 to the present. It examines the production of visual art in relation to colonization, imperialism, migration, international exchange, and racial formation.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 40A. Ancient Greek and Roman Art, and Architecture. 4 Units.
An overview of Greek and Roman art, and related ancient visual cultures. Considers how and why the peoples of antiquity created art and architecture, as well as the significance of these works within their social, religious, and historical contexts.
(IV and VIII.)
ART HIS 40B. Arts of Europe: Medieval and Renaissance. 4 Units.
Focuses on the art of the Mediterranean area and Europe between ca. A.D. 350 and 1600. By means of movements and artists, examines the cultural identities of the Christian, Islamic, and Early Modern worlds.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 40C. Early Modern and Modern Art in Europe and America. 4 Units.
The visual arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries. Explores the purposes and meaning of painting, sculpture, and architecture in relation to artists, viewers, and historical events.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 42B. History of Asian Art: Arts of China. 4 Units.
An introduction to the arts and visual culture of China from Neolithic to modern times. Themes includes the representation of power, death and the afterlife, popular culture and elite arts, landscape and women's painting, and concludes with contemporary China.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 42C. History of Asian Art: Arts of Japan. 4 Units.
Examines compelling images and objects of spirit and power created in Japan over many centuries. Themes include Buddhist icons, narrative illustration, popular prints, architecture, manga, and the avant-garde. Japanese interactions with Korean, Chinese, and European culture are emphasized.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 42D. History of Asian Art: Arts of Islam. 4 Units.
Examines past and present Islamic art, spanning 1,500 years and extending from the Americas through Indonesia. Themes include Islam as a globalizing force, the definition of "Islamic," and the competing roles of religion and politics in making art.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 42F. Arts of Korea. 4 Units.
Introduction to the arts and visual culture of Korea from the Neolithic period to the Joseon Dynasty. Themes include the conceptions of life, death, and afterlife, expressions of power and privilege, leisure, knowledge, and trade.
(IV and VIII)
ART HIS 44. Image Collision: A Multicultural Approach to Images and Their Users. 4 Units.
Comparisons between present-day visual culture and pre-modern art to re-evaluate the ways in which one understands the contemporary histories of underrepresented groups in the United States.
(IV and VII)
ART HIS 46. Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Archaeology and Art. 4 Units.
Introduction to the art and archaeology of ancient Egypt from prehistory through the Late Period. Themes covered include kingship and monumentality, the materialization of religious beliefs and practices, and non-royal and non-elite cultural expression.
(IV or VIII)
ART HIS 55. Disneyland. 5 Units.
From Dole Whips to roller coasters, the focus is on the innovations in industrial automation and manufacturing that made Disneyland’s attractions possible. Discusses fandom, guest experiences, operating procedures, technical and design patents, and how rides work.
(II and IV.)
ART HIS 100. Studies in Ancient Art . 4 Units.
Topics in Egyptian, Prehistoric, and Etruscan art of the Mediterranean area treated with specific reference to relevant cultural and historical settings. Specialized courses in Greek and Roman art are also taught.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 101. Topics in Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology. 4 Units.
Varying topics in ancient Egyptian art and archaeology, from the Predynastic Period through the Late Period. Developments in art and archaeology are analyzed through their sociopolitical and historical contexts.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 103. Studies in Greek Art. 4 Units.
Topics in Greek art, architecture, and topography from the Prehistoric period through the end of the fourth century B.C.E.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 107. Studies in Roman Art. 4 Units.
Topics in Hellenistic and Roman art and architecture; stresses historical and political background.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 110. Studies in Medieval Art. 4 Units.
Specialized topics in Medieval art and architecture in Europe, the Mediterranean area, and the Near East between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. Examples: the Art of the Migration Period, Medieval City.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 114. Studies in Western Medieval Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics on the development of art and architecture in Western Europe between ca. 700 and 1400. Examples: Romanesque painting, Gothic architecture.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 120. Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics on the art and architecture of Europe between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Examples: Renaissance and Baroque prints, Bruegel to Rubens.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 121. Studies in Southern Renaissance Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics determined by individual faculty members exploring historical developments and individual artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Italy and Spain. Examples: Renaissance Venice, Age of Michelangelo.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 125. Studies in Southern Baroque Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics determined by individual faculty members exploring historical developments and individual artists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy and Spain. Example: Rome in the seventeenth century.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 128. Studies in Northern Baroque Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics determined by individual faculty members exploring historical developments and individual artists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Northern Europe. Example: the Age of Rembrandt.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 134C. Modern European Art: From Impressionism to the Fauves. 4 Units.
History of European painting and urban transformation from 1851 to 1907, when Paris stood strong as the unquestioned cultural capital of the nineteenth century.
ART HIS 134D. Modern European Art: From Cubism to Surrealism. 4 Units.
History of European painting, sculpture, and design from 1907 to 1940, when Paris and painting lost their dominance as other cultural centers and other media claimed renewed importance.
ART HIS 134E. Topics in Modern European Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics within the period 1643 to 1940.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 140A. History of Contemporary Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics exploring historical developments of contemporary art from 1945 to the present. Examples: American Art 1945-1989, European Art 1945-1989, Art After 1989. Works of art are studied as cultural, social, and political practices.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 140B. Topics in Contemporary Art. 4 Units.
Selected topics exploring artistic movements, artists, and/or issues in contemporary art from 1945 to the present. Examples include Junk Art, Countercultures, Art and Politics Now. Works of art are studied as cultural, social, and political practices.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 145A. Studies in Modern Architecture. 4 Units.
Architecture and related design practices from the late eighteenth century through 1945 are studied in relation to social, aesthetic, technological, and political questions.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 145B. Studies in Architecture after 1945. 4 Units.
Architecture and related design practices from 1945 through present are studied in relation to social, aesthetic, technological, and political questions.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 145C. Topics in the History of Modern and Contemporary Architecture. 4 Units.
Varying topics from the late eighteenth century to the present. Architecture and related design practices are studied in relation to social, aesthetic, technological, and political questions.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 150. Studies in Asian Art. 4 Units.
Topics include visual studies in China, Japan, Korea and India.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 151B. Later Imperial China. 4 Units.
Investigates the uses, subjects, styles, and social contexts of art made in the later Imperial dynasties, whether court art, religious art, women's painting, scholar painting, or art for the market.
ART HIS 151C. Modern China. 4 Units.
Examines the evolution and media of Chinese art and visual culture in the context of modern China's sweeping historical, social, and political changes.
ART HIS 155A. Ancient India. 4 Units.
Examines the visual and religious history of the region defined as "India" today, but necessarily encompassing modern Bangladesh and Pakistan. Culminates with the supposed Golden Age of the Gupta empire and its far-reaching legacies.
Same as HISTORY 170A, REL STD 122
Concurrent: ART HIS 255A
ART HIS 155B. Medieval India. 4 Units.
Begins with the Gupta period's aesthetic legacies in South Asia's architecture, sculpture, and painting. Explores the dispersal of Islam throughout South Asia, including the Muslim communities of southern India.
Same as HISTORY 170B, REL STD 123
Concurrent: ART HIS 255B
ART HIS 155D. Topics in the Art and Architecture of India. 4 Units.
Studies in selected areas of Art and Architecture of India. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 162C. Contemporary Japan. 4 Units.
Study of various media of Japanese art from the time of war defeat in 1945 until the present. Topics include artists' responses to the nuclear bomb, the aesthetics of the "economic miracle," avant-garde groups, manga, and innovations in architecture.
ART HIS 163. Asian American Art, Contemporary. 4 Units.
Study of the Asian American experience in contemporary art and visual culture. Art by Asian Americans of diverse backgrounds as well as the history of visualization of Asian identities in American art/visual culture.
ART HIS 164A. Modern African American Art. 4 Units.
Investigates the history of modern African American art; emphasis on the politics of representation. Examines art in a variety of media from material culture and textiles to painting and photography. Issues of migration, nationalism, gender, sexuality, and hybridity are discussed.
Same as AFAM 111A
ART HIS 164B. Contemporary African American Art. 4 Units.
Investigates the history of contemporary African American art; emphasis on the politics of representation. Explores art in a variety of media: painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and new media. Cultural politics, appropriation, identity, gender, sexuality, hybridity and civil rights issues discussed.
Same as AFAM 111B
ART HIS 164D. African American Women in Art. 4 Units.
Examines depictions of and by African American women in art and popular culture through a variety of media including textiles, painting, sculpture, photography, and installation. Focuses on African American women's experiences, perspectives, and strategies for contemporary representation.
Same as AFAM 125
ART HIS 164E. African Americans and Photography. 4 Units.
Explores depictions of and by African Americans through photography. Examines the history of photography in relationship to African American culture through a variety of media from early daguerreotype processes to digital imagery.
Same as AFAM 145
ART HIS 165A. Early American Art. 4 Units.
An examination of American visual culture from 1620 to 1860 from the era of European exploration and colonization of the New World to the beginning of the Civil War.
ART HIS 165B. Nineteenth Century American Art. 4 Units.
An exploration of American visual culture from 1860 to 1900, including paintings, sculpture, and photographs produced during the Civil War and during the decades of prosperity that followed.
ART HIS 165C. Modern American Art. 4 Units.
Focusing on the period from 1900 until 1965, this course considers the emergence and institutionalization of modern art in the United States.
ART HIS 165D. Topics in American Art. 4 Units.
Varying topics within the period 1620 to 1970. Works of art are studied in their cultural, social, and political contexts.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 167. Topics in the History of Modern Latin American and Latinx Art. 4 Units.
Varying topics exploring the history of modernism in Latin American and Latinx visual art. Art movements and artworks are analyzed through their socio-political and historical contexts with a special attention to race, ethnicity, gender, and migration.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 181. Topics in Museum Studies. 4 Units.
Addresses the historical and contemporary function of the museum as an instructional device. The function of exhibitions in the public sphere, and the roles of curators, educators, and the public are analyzed.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 185. Topics in Visual Studies. 4 Units.
Interdisciplinary topics on the cultural analysis of visual artifacts and practices.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
ART HIS 190W. Art History Methods. 4 Units.
Theory and practice of art history, with an emphasis on formal and social models of analyzing and writing about art.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.
Restrictions: Art History majors only.
(Ib)
ART HIS 196. Ethics, Law, and Art. 4 Units.
Addresses a broad range of ethical and legal issues pertaining to art, ownership, looting and theft, museum policies, and cultural heritage.
Concurrent: ART HIS 296
ART HIS 197. Art History Social Hour. 1 Unit.
Students meet members of the faculty and Art History Undergraduate Association, and explore the exceptional opportunities available for internships, independent research, and field trips through the Art History Department’s Steckler Family endowment.
Grading Option: Pass/Not Pass only
ART HIS 198. Advanced Seminar: Topics in Art History. 4 Units.
Discussion and report-oriented seminar with emphasis on reading, writing, and thinking about problems in art history. Examples: Gothic Cathedral, Portraiture East and West.
Prerequisite: Recommended: ART HIS 190W.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
Restrictions: Art History majors have the first consideration for enrollment.
Concurrent: ART HIS 298
ART HIS 199. Independent Study in Art History. 1-4 Units.
Supervised, but independent reading or research on art historical topics.
Repeatability: May be taken for credit 4 times
Restrictions: Art History majors only.
ART HIS 255A. Ancient India. 4 Units.
Examines the visual and religious history of the region defined as "India" today, but necessarily encompassing modern Bangladesh and Pakistan. Culminates with the supposed Golden Age of the Gupta empire and its far-reaching legacies.
Same as IRAN 255A
Concurrent: ART HIS 155A
ART HIS 255B. Medieval India. 4 Units.
Begins with the Gupta period's aesthetic legacies in South Asia's architecture, sculpture, and painting. Explores the dispersal of Islam throughout South Asia, including the Muslim communities of southern India.
Same as IRAN 255B
Concurrent: ART HIS 155B
ART HIS 296. Ethics, Law, and Art. 4 Units.
Addresses a broad range of ethical and legal issues pertaining to art, ownership, looting and theft, museum policies, and cultural heritage.
Prerequisite: Background in art history or legal studies.
Same as IRAN 296
Concurrent: ART HIS 196
ART HIS 298. Master's Seminar: Topics in Art History. 4 Units.
Studies in selected areas of Art History. Examples include Gothic Cathedral, Portraiture East and West.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary
Concurrent: ART HIS 198
ART HIS 299. Master's Thesis Research. 4 Units.
Research and writing of the Master's thesis.
Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times
ART HIS 399. University Teaching. 4 Units.
Limited to teaching assistants.
Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times