Art History

From cave paintings to cathedrals and from Leonardo da Vinci to Andy Warhol, the history of art embodies the human imagination, human history, and the rich tapestry of human cultures in a memorable and accessible form. Within blocks of the University, our own history and culture comes to life in the golden dome of the classically inspired State House and in the “brutalist” modernism of Boston City Hall; in the Holocaust Memorial on Congress Street and in the Civil War monument to Robert Gould Shaw’s black infantry unit on the corner of Beacon and Park. Art history is an examination of how such images and monuments communicate and how they function in society: to teach us, move us, and to exalt us—and also, occasionally, to mislead us and to sway our opinions against our better judgment. The study of art provides an access to other cultures, other eras, and other ways of thinking, and will prepare you for your junior year abroad and for an entire lifetime of thinking and living with a global and historical perspective.

Art History (ARH) courses fulfill the Humanities and History component of the Core requirements.

ARH 321 can be used to fulfill the Cultural Diversity component of the Core requirements.

 

Art History Program Coordinators:

Charles A. Cramer, Associate Professor (ccramer@suffolk.edu)
Thomas H. McGrath, Associate Professor (tmcgrath@suffolk.edu)

 

Art History Major

10 courses, 38-40 hours total

Foundation Requirement (2 courses, 8 credits)

• ARH 101-102  Art History 1 & 2

Upper Level Course Requirement (6-8 courses, 24-32 credits)

Chosen from among the following courses.  At least one of the 6-8 courses must be ARH 401: Seminar in Art History.  ARH 401 may be taken more than once when topic varies.

• ARH 305    Art of Greece and Rome
• ARH 306    Art of the Middle Ages
• ARH 307    Art of the Italian Renaissance
• ARH 308    Art of the Baroque and Rococo
• ARH 309    Art of the Nineteenth Century
• ARH 310    Modernism in Art
• ARH 311    American Art
• ARH 312    Art of the Northern Renaissance
• ARH 316    Contemporary Art
• ARH 318    Art and Museums Today
• ARH 320    Visual Culture of New England
• ARH 321    Women, Art, and Society
• ARH 347     History of Photography
• ARH 401    Special Topic:  Seminar in art history
• ARH 502    Honors Thesis in art history
• ARH 510    Independent Study in art history

Related Options Outside the HUML Department (A maximum of 2 courses, 6-8 credits)

• Two of the eight upper-level courses may be taken outside of the Department of Humanities and Modern Languages, through the art history offerings at NESAD, or in related areas of visual culture such as the philosophy of art, photojournalism, advertising, cinema, and select 3-credit studio art and design courses, such as: ADF S101, ADF S123, ADF S143, ADF S151, ADF S152, ADFA 304, ADFA 306, ADFA 344, ADFA 345, ADFA 346, CJN 218, CJN 257, CJN 288, CJN 290, CJN 291, FR 320, GER 306, PHIL 219, SPAN 408, and SPAN 409. Other courses may be permitted at the discretion of the major advisor.

Notes:

• A relevant Seminar for Freshmen with a strong concentration in art history or visual culture may also count toward the major requirements.
• Upper-level art history courses taken at other institutions or through study abroad must be approved by the student’s art history adviser (preferably prior to being taken), and must not overlap significantly with any other upper-level art history course(s) counted toward the major.  
• Except under special circumstances approved by the student’s art history adviser, at least 6 of the 10 courses (24 of the 38-40 credit hours) must be fulfilled through coursework offered by the Department of Humanities and Modern Languages.

Art History Minor

(6 courses, 24 hours total)

Foundation Requirement (2 courses, 8 credits)

• ARH 101-102    Art History 1 & 2

          or

• ADF 181-182    Ideas of Western Art 1 & 2 (offered through the New England School of Art & Design)

Upper Level Course Requirement (4 courses, 16 credits)

Chosen from among the following courses:

• ARH 305    Art of Greece and Rome
• ARH 306    Art of the Middle Ages
• ARH 307    Art of the Italian Renaissance
• ARH 308    Art of the Baroque and Rococo
• ARH 309    Art of the Nineteenth Century
• ARH 310    Modernism in Art
• ARH 311    American Art
• ARH 312    Art of the Northern Renaissance
• ARH 316    Contemporary Art
• ARH 318    Art and Museums Today
• ARH 320    Visual Culture of New England
• ARH 321    Women, Art, and Society
• ARH 347    History of Photography
• ARH 401    Special Topic:  Seminar in art history

Notes:

• A relevant Seminar for Freshmen with a strong concentration in art history or visual culture may also count toward the minor requirements.
• Upper-level art history courses taken at other institutions or through study abroad must be approved by the student’s art history adviser (preferably prior to being taken), and must not overlap significantly with any other upper-level art history course(s) counted toward the minor.  
• Except under special circumstances approved by the student’s art history adviser, at least 4 of the 6 courses (16 of the 24 credit hours) must be fulfilled through coursework offered by the Department of Humanities and Modern Languages.