Emergence of Modernism

This course will focus on several European artistic movements, which formed a bridge between the naturalist tendencies of late nineteenth-century art and the development of abstraction in the early twentieth century. Beginning with the Impressionists (Monet, Renoir, Degas) and ending with Cubism (Picasso, Braque, Gris), this course will examine the stylistic, thematic and philosophical bases of each movement as a means of developing a vocabulary and analytical skills for the discussion of visual representation. Documents from the period along with recent criticism will introduce students to various art historical "positions." Students will be expected to give presentations on objects in local museums and to write several papers. MCP,PRJ,REA,WRI