Stern College for Women
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Art History

Art history at Stern College for Women teaches students about the historical development and cultural significance of painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and other forms of art. A strong appreciation for the history, aesthetics and technical processes of artistic production form the core of this program of study.

Within the liberal arts curriculum at Stern College for Women, this major is designed to deepen students' skills of visual and critical interpretation, and to prepare them for arts-related careers in teaching, professional writing, commercial enterprise, publishing and museums.

The 34-credit major gives students a strong foundation in the field—Western and non-Western, from ancient to modern. Students acquire an intensive knowledge of the key developments in each era, as well as familiarity with the conceptual framework of the discipline.

The program places a strong emphasis on firsthand exposure to and study of art, taking advantage of our prime Manhattan location. We integrate museum and site visits into all classes and design upper-level lectures and seminars around key local exhibitions and collections.

In addition, the program reflects 's unique character by offering classes that focus on significant Jewish themes and movements.

Mission Statement

The Art History program at Stern College for Women provides students with a broad understanding of the nature, meaning and social function of the visual arts, including their historic development, technical processes, and relationships to other humanistic disciplines. The Art History program engages students through rigorous and critical analysis and interpretation of art from across history and around the world. The program enriches students’ capacity to appreciate and understand world culture and provides them with skills for their personal and professional development.

Program Goals

  1. Students will be able to develop a familiarity with a wide range of artistic objects, monuments and movements within the Western and non-Western traditions.
  2. Students will be able to develop a fluency in the visual characterization of works of art and to analyze the formal properties of works of art with sensitivity and attention to process and artistic intent.
  3. Students will be able to connect works of art to their broader social, historical and cultural context and to recognize unifying principles and themes within the works of distinct eras and civilizations.
  4. Students will be able to engage with a diverse range of interpretations around works of art, to critically assess scholarly interpretations of works of art and to appreciate their methodological approaches.
  5. Students will be able to cultivate a richer and deeper appreciation for the human condition and its greatest manifestations through exposure to and study of art’s historical development.

For more information, please contact Professor Marnin Young at myoung2@yu.edu.

Program Information

Please see the Schedule of Classes for the current semester’s offerings.

Art History (ARTS)

  • 1050 Introduction to Art (3 credits)
    A study of selected masterpieces of Western civilization in painting, sculpture, and architecture, from antiquity to the 20th century. 
  • 1051; 1052 History of Art (3 credits)
    Introduction to the history of art and architecture of the West. First semester: ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome; the early medieval world; the Romanesque, Gothic, and early Renaissance periods. Second semester: Renaissance to present, with emphasis on context, meaning, and style in the work of selected artists. ARTS 1052 is not open to students who have taken ARTS 1050. 
  • 1170 Art of Ancient Greece and Rome (3 credits)
    Art of ancient Greece and Rome from the 10th century B.C.E. to the 4th century C.E. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1051. 
  • 1200 Medieval Art (3 credits)
    Survey of European painting, sculpture, architecture, and luxury arts from the 3rd to mid-14th centuries.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1051. 
  • 1301 Northern Renaissance Art (3 credits)
    Northern European painting, sculpture, and graphic arts of the 15th and 16th centuries. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1302 15th Century Italy (3 credits)
    Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture of the 15th century. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1303 16th Century Italy (3 credits)
    Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture of the 16th century. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1350 Baroque Art (3 credits)
    Survey of Baroque painting, sculpture, and architecture of 17th century Europe.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1352 18th Century Art (3 credits)
    Survey of Rococo and Neoclassical painting, sculpture, and architecture of 18th century Europe. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1431 Early 19th Century Art (3 credits)
    History of art and architecture from late 18th century to the mid-19th century. Emphasis on Neoclassicism and Romanticism.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1432 Late 19th Century Art (3 credits)
    History of art and architecture from the middle to the end of the 19th century. Emphasis on Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1451 Early 20th Century Art (3 credits)
    History of art and architecture from 1900 to the 1940s. Emphasis on Modernism and the historical avant-gardes.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
    1452 Late 20th Century Art (3 credits)
    History of art and architecture from the middle to the end of the 20th century. Emphasis on Modernism and Post-Modernism. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1471 Contemporary Art (3 credits)
    History of art from the late 20th century to the early 21st century. Emphasis on globalization, new media, and the institutions of the art world. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1540 Asian Art (3 credits)
    Survey of the painting, sculpture, and architecture of China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1051 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1613 American Art (3 credits)
    Survey of American painting, sculpture, and architecture from the colonial period until the present. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1630 American Architecture (3 credits)
    Introductory course that compares buildings from various eras and cultures and examines their systems. Covers early colonial settlements to postmodern practices, resulting in a basis for an architectural vocabulary and a greater consciousness of the built environment in the United States. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052. 
  • 1635 The New York Skyscraper (3 credits)
    Discover the evolution of the skyscraper from its roots in 19th Century cast iron lofts to the complex amalgams of today. This is an in-depth look at the links between architecture, engineering, planning, zoning, and economics using the towers of Midtown and the Financial District as our classroom. 
  • 1637 NYC Architecture and Urban Design (3 credits)
    The architecture of New York, its building types, and various styles. Site visits and study in light of the history of the city, significant social and economic events, and patrons responsible for commissions.Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or ARTS 1052 and permission of the instructor. 
  • 1645 History of Photography (3 credits)
    Survey of the history of photography from its origins to the present. Topics covered may include photography as technology, its use in mass media, and its legitimization as an art. Special focus on the theory and history of the medium of photography and its rise to prominence in contemporary artistic practice. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050 or 1052 
  • 1750 Philosophy and Criticism of Art (3 credits)
    This course examines key philosophical issues in the history of art, together with influential critical approaches to art, its meaning and reception in society. Important texts from classical antiquity to contemporary culture develop students’ critical skills in analysis of art and its surrounding issues. Prerequisite: ARTS 1050, 1051 or 1052; or Philosophy course 
  • 1850 Women in Art (3 credits)
    This course explores women’s diverse roles as creators, muses, and patrons in the history of art. It covers a wide range of historical periods and critical perspectives highlighting the significance of feminist art history in the development of the discipline. Prerequisite: Arts 1050 or 1051 or 1052. 
  • 1924 Jewish Art and Visual Culture (3 credits)
    Selected topics in the history of Jewish art from antiquity to the present. 
  • 1948 Image of Jerusalem (3 credits)
    This course explores how artists and architects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam expressed their reverence for Jerusalem and affected its landscape, and how they created symbols of Jerusalem outside the Land of Israel that evoked the Holy City. 
  • 1973 through 1977 Topics in Art History (3 credits)
    May be repeated, as subject matter varies from term to term. Some courses offered abroad. 
  • 1985 Seminar in Art History (3 credits)
    Students develop research skills employing various methodologies used in the study of art history. Oral and written reports are presented on works of art in New York collections. Prerequisite: required for seniors; open to others with permission. 
  • 1990 Senior Thesis (1 credit)
    Exit paper combining research and original scholarship. The paper normally stems from work done in Seminar in Art History.

Major

Students may elect a Shaped Major with emphasis on art history, studio art, applied arts, graphic design or art therapy. See section on Shaped Major. 

Minor

Fifteen credits. Art History minors must take all 15 credits in Art history as follows: Either ARTS 1050 plus 4 advanced Art History courses or ARTS 1051and 1052 plus 3 advanced Art History courses. Art Studio minors must take ARTS 1050 or 1051 or 1052 plus 12 additional credits in Studio Art.

View major/minor fact sheets at the Academic Advisement Center webpage.

The following list includes faculty who teach at the Beren (B) and/or Wilf (W)

  • Carla Aurich
    Adjunct Instructor of Art (W)
  • Daniel Beliavsky
    Visiting Associate Professor (W)
    Chair, Department of Fine Arts and Music 
  • Mary Creede
    Clinical Assistant Professor of Art (B)
  • Paul Glassman
    Adjunct Instructor of Architectural History and Design (W) 
    Advisor for Architecture Minor
  • John Kriskiewicz
    Adjunct Instructor of Art History (B)
  • Emily Singer
    Adjunct Instructor of Art (B)
  • Traci Tullius
    Associate Professor of Art (B)
    Chair, Studio Art
  • Jacob Wisse
    Associate Professor of Art History (B)
  • Marnin Young
    Associate Professor of Art History (B)
    Chair, Art History