(updated 1/7/2021)
Undergraduate
5B Introduction to Museum Studies - Sanderson
6B Art Survey II: Renaissance - Baroque - Paul
6H Survey: Arts of the Ancient Americas - Leaper
6J Survey: Contemporary Architecture - White
100 Methods for the History of Art and Architecture - Badamo
105O The Global Middle Ages: Visual and Cultural Encounters in the Medieval Mediterranean - Badamo
111C Dutch Art in the Age of Vermeer. The Golden Age: 1648 - 1672 - Adams
121B Reconstruction, Renaissance, and Realism in American Art: 1860 - 1900 - Garfinkle
121E Three-Dimensional Arts of the United States: Meaning, Context, Reception - Garfinkle
132D Islamic Architecture 650 - 1400 - Khoury
134C Chinese Painting I - Sturman
134K Chinese Calligraphy: History and Aesthetics - Sturman [cross-listed with CHIN 134K]
136A Nineteenth-Century Architecture - Chattopadhyay
136K Modern Architecture in Early Twentieth-Century Europe - Welter
141G The Architecture of Museums and Galleries from c. 1800 to the Present - Welter
142A Architecture and Planning in Seventeenth-Century Europe - Wittman
142B Architecture and Planning in Rome: Napoleon to Mussolini - Wittman
144C Contemporary Art in Russia and Eastern Europe - Spieker [cross‐listed with SLAV 130C]
186Q Seminar in Islamic Art and Architecture - Khoury
186T Seminar in Photographic History: Photography at the MoMA - McLemore
187W Coming Home: The House Museum as Cultural Encounter - White
Graduate
251A Topics in African & African-American Art: Modernisms in Global Africa - Ogbechie
265 Topics in Architectural History & Urbanism: Unlearning: Race, Space, Art - Chattopadhyay
5B Introduction to Museum Studies TR 1100-1215 ONLINE Sanderson
Designed to introduce students to various aspects of Museum Studies — historical, theoretical, and practical — by examining a range of issues and topics with which the field is engaged.
GE: AREA F
ENROLLMENT BY DISCUSSION SECTION
6B Art Survey II: Renaissance - Baroque TR 930-1045 ONLINE Paul
A survey of Renaissance and Baroque art in northern and southern Europe.
GE: AREA E, AREA F, EUROPEAN TRADITIONS, WRITING
ENROLLMENT BY DISCUSSION SECTION
HONORS SECTION: T 1200-1250 ONLINE
Course Website (via GauchoSpace 
)
6H Survey: Arts of the Ancient Americas TR 200-315 ONLINE Leaper
Visual Culture or "Art," that is to say architecture, sculpture and mural painting as well as textiles, metallurgy and ceramics, played a central and powerful role within the Precolumbian civilizations that produced them. Visual messages were encoded in the ways cities were built, stone and wood were carved, and leaders had themselves ornamented and buried. Using interdisciplinary methods, our goal will be to reconstruct (to the degree that is possible), the meaning and function of the visual arts in multiple, interlocking economic, political and sacred spheres. As an introduction to the ancient Americas, this course will focus on seven major cultures in Mesoamerica (Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Aztec) and Andean South America (Chavín, Moche, and Inka).
GE: AREA F, WORLD CULTURES, WRITING
ENROLLMENT BY DISCUSSION SECTION
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
6J Survey: Contemporary Architecture TR 1100-1215 ASYNCHRONOUS White
Global survey of architectural production in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on form and technology, as well as economic, sociopolitical context. Explores built form at a variety of scales (buildings, cities, virtual spaces) as well as the concept of a "contemporary."
GE: AREA F
ENROLLMENT BY DISCUSSION SECTION - NOTE: SECTIONS TAUGHT SYNCHRONOUSLY
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
100 Methods for the History of Art and Architecture MW 1230-145 ONLINE Badamo
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen; designed for majors.
Introduces History of Art & Architecture majors to the methods and skills of research and scholarship in the field.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
105O The Global Middle Ages: Visual and Cultural Encounters in the Medieval Mediterranean MW 930-1045 ONLINE Badamo
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Focusing on the Mediterranean, this course considers visual manifestations of exchange. Its goal is to examine the complexity of religious, political, and visual interactions in the Middle Ages, a period that brought together diverse religious communities, generating both social frictions and new cultural forms. Students will study the dynamic interplay among Christian, Jewish, and Islamic visual cultures as they developed and coalesced through commerce, gift exchange, the reinterpretation of pre-existing forms, and the reuse of objects and spaces.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
111C Dutch Art in the Age of Vermeer. The Golden Age: 1648 - 1672 TR 330-445 ASYNCHRONOUS; ONE WEEKLY SYNCHRONOUS MEETING (R 330-445) Adams
Prerequisite: one History of Art & Architecture course or equivalent. Not open to freshmen.
This class covers art produced during the second half of the seventeenth century in Holland. This was the period from the recognition of the Northern Netherlands as an independent nation in 1648 to the end of the so-called “Golden Age” with the invasion of the Lowlands by France in 1672. The era witnessed the flowering of a Protestant mercantile culture which rivaled the political and economic power of that of monarchs and aristocrats across Europe. These men and women supported such artists as Rembrandt van Rijn and Jan Vermeer as well as a host of lesser known masters who created images rooted everyday life. This course examines the cultural functions of this rich, apparently descriptive imagery as it helped to form the private identities and public ambitions of Europe's first middle-class capitalist society. We examine the aesthetics and content of this imagery through contemporary economic, historic, religious, and literary developments, and the emerging scientific revolution.
The emphasis in this class is upon the social and intellectual issues engaged by Dutch painting: how they participated in the struggle between the values of a new middle-class and capitalist culture in conflict with an older way of life. At the same time, it examines the varieties of art historical methods employed by contemporary scholars, as well as those of the past, to understand these images.
The goal of the course is to give students a solid grounding in knowledge about seventeenth century Dutch art and culture, with a focus upon critical analysis of images as well as the structure of arguments that have been made about them. These skills are intended to be ones that you may be able to apply both in other courses, as well as information you encounter and arguments you construct in your daily life.
GE: AREA F
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
121B Reconstruction, Renaissance, and Realism in American Art: 1860 - 1900 MW 330-445 SYNCHRONOUS & ASYNCHRONOUS Garfinkle
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
Painting within the context of the human-made environment, from the onset of the Civil War to just before World War I, tracing the role of art in the rise of modern, corporate and industrial America.
GE: AREA F, AMERICAN HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
121E Three-Dimensional Arts of the United States: Meaning, Context, Reception TR 1100-1215 SYNCHRONOUS & ASYNCHRONOUS Garfinkle
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
From Puritan gravestones to park fountains to war memorials, American sculpture has been a barometer of the political, cultural, religious and artistic trends of our society. This course covers the carvings of the first settlements, figural sculpture of colonial America, various art movements and sculptural forms from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries as well as the current controversies surrounding public art.
GE: AREA F, WRITING
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
132D Islamic Architecture 650 - 1400 MW 1230-145 ONLINE Khoury
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
The course introduces main themes and developments in the visual and cultural transformations within the Islamic world, from the emergence of Islam to the early modern period. Topics will involve architecture, portable objects, and painting. This year, we will attempt a special emphasis on the ways that different ethnic and racial groups creatively interacted with artistic formulations within Islamic frameworks.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
134C Chinese Painting I TR 200-315 ONLINE Sturman
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
Recommended Preparation: ARTHI 6DS.
A selective survey of major masters, monuments, techniques, and aesthetics of Chinese painting, from the Han to Qing dynasties, with additional emphasis on socio-economic factors and historical contexts. Among the major topics for study and discussion are notions of the “human,” the values of nature and landscape, imperial patronage, the emergence of scholar painting, and word-image relationships. The course will be taught as a combination of online asynchronous short lectures and synchronous group meetings that will involve student presentations, discussion of readings, and close visual analysis. Final grades will be based on a final paper, student participation, and reading comprehension tests. Please contact Professor Sturman if you have questions: sturman@ucsb.edu.
GE: AREA F, WORLD CULTURES
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
134K Chinese Calligraphy: History and Aesthetics TR 500-615 ONLINE Sturman
[cross-listed with CHIN 134K]
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen. Students need to have been introduced to the Chinese writing system, whether through heritage or language instruction (Chinese or Japanese).
The course examines the different scripts in historical context, surveys some of the significant movements and artists, and considers the ideas and theories that have enriched and elevated the art of writing to elite status in China. It will be taught as a combination of online asynchronous short lectures and synchronous group meetings that will involve student presentations and discussion. The discussions will be based on readings together with close visual analysis utilizing digital imagery. The final grade will be based on a final project (oral report and research paper on a chosen work of calligraphy) together with student participation and reading comprehension tests. This is a multidimensional course with the intention of introducing students to the principles and history of one of the greatest arts in Asia. It is not a studio course—we will not be practicing the writing of calligraphy—but we will learn how to appreciate the many different aspects of calligraphy and its important role in the formation of Chinese culture.
Important Note: Reading knowledge of Chinese is not necessary (assigned readings will all be in English), but the course is only open to students who have previously been introduced to Chinese characters. This can be very rudimentary, such as through an introductory language course (Chinese or Japanese) or perhaps through heritage learning. Please contact Professor Sturman if you are uncertain if the course suits your capabilities: sturman@ucsb.edu.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
136A Nineteenth-Century Architecture MW 1100-1215 ONLINE Chattopadhyay
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
The history of architecture and planning beginning with eighteenth-century architectural trends in Europe and concluding with late nineteenth-century efforts to reform the city. Exploration of the culture of nineteenth-century modernity through architecture and urban design centered around the themes of industrialization, colonialism, and the idea of landscape. The scope is global.
GE: AREA F
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
136K Modern Architecture in Early Twentieth-Century Europe MW 930-1045 SYNCHRONOUS & ASYNCHRONOUS Welter
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
Recommended Preparation: ARTHI 5A, ARTHI 6F, and/or upper division History of Art & Architecture courses in modern architecture.
This class will study various modern movements in architecture that emerged in Europe from the late nineteenth century onward. Art Nouveau, Vienna Moderne, Deutsche Werkbund, Futurism, Expressionism, Constructivism, De Stijl, and Bauhaus, for example, all put forward alternative and conflicting visions of modern architecture and the modern societies the visions wanted to bring about.
GE: AREA F, EUROPEAN TRADITIONS
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
141G The Architecture of Museums and Galleries from c. 1800 to the Present MW 200-315 SYNCHRONOUS & ASYNCHRONOUS Welter
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
The course discusses museums as distinct building types by analyzing their architectural development from approximately 1800 to the present. Beside architectural design issues, the course considers museums as sites of memory, their intersections with the modern city, and their roles in cultural and societal debates. The course focuses on both the museum’s origin in Europe and its contemporary universal presence.
GE: AREA F, EUROPEAN TRADITIONS, WRITING
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
142A Architecture and Planning in Seventeenth-Century Europe TR 1230-145 ASYNCHRONOUS Wittman
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
How did major changes in politics, science, and religion (absolutism, Scientific Revolution, Counter Reformation) manifest themselves in contemporary architecture and town planning? Architects include Bernini, Borromini, Wren, Mansart. Focus on Rome, Turin, Paris, and London.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
142B Architecture and Planning in Rome: Napoleon to Mussolini TR 500-615 ASYNCHRONOUS Wittman
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
Substantial overlap between ARTHI 142B and ARTHI 142C.
This course traces the transformation of Rome from a pre-modern to a modern city: from the Napoleonic occupations of 1798-1814, to the papal initiatives of 1815-70, to the transformation of Rome into the new national capital between 1870 and 1922, to Mussolini's massive public works in the 1920s and 30s.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
144C Contemporary Art in Russia and Eastern Europe TR 930-1050 SYNCHRONOUS Spieker
[cross‐listed with SLAV 130C]
Prerequisite: not open to freshmen.
Not open for credit to students who have completed RUSS 144C or SLAV 144C.
Study of central intellectual and aesthetic trends in the late Soviet period and in contemporary post-Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe. Analysis of literary texts and the visual arts. Taught in English.
GE: AREA F
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
186Q Seminar in Islamic Art and Architecture T 200-450 ONLINE Khoury
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 8 units with different topic. Open only to History of Art & Architecture majors during Pass 1.
Advanced studies in Islamic art and architecture. Topics will vary. This course requires weekly readings and discussion, and the writing of a research seminar paper.
GE: WRITING
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
186T Seminar in Photographic History W 200-450 ASYNCHRONOUS McLemore
Topic: Photography at the MoMA
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 8 units with different topic. Open only to History of Art & Architecture majors during Pass 1.
This course will examine the building and display of the photography collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In it, we will explore how the agendas and aesthetic sensibilities of some of the museum’s most important curators, including Edward Steichen and John Szarkowski, played a role in establishing photography as an art form and influencing public perceptions of how to look at a photograph.
The course will offer students a thorough introduction to some of the most influential photography shows of the 20th Century and today, including The Family of Man, New Documents, The William Eggleston Guide, and The Terror and Pleasure of Staying at Home. We will approach this topic through a variety of sources such as show catalogs, critical reviews, and art historical scholarship.
GE: WRITING
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
187W Coming Home: The House Museum as Cultural Encounter T 200-450 ONLINE White
Prerequisite: upper-division standing; designed for majors.
Open only to History of Art & Architecture majors during Pass 1.
This seminar studies the political and cultural history of the house museum in the United States, from its antebellum beginnings in the nineteenth century to the present. Explores a variety of issues related to the house museum, including curatorial and design choices, visitor experiences, and the House Museum Movement.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
251A Topics in African & African-American Art T 1200-250 ONLINE Ogbechie
Topic: Modernisms in Global Africa
Prerequisite: graduate standing.
When (and where and why) was modernism(s)? This seminar engages emergent art historical, methodological, and theoretical literature shaping art history after the global turn with a special focus on global African responses to and developments in modern art. What are the principal frameworks through which African and African Diaspora artists, actors, and institutions engaged questions of modernity in art? We will review important art movements as well as key modern artists in African, African American, Latin American, Black British and Caribbean arts alongside discussion of key museum exhibitions, curators, and institutions.
Course Website (via GauchoSpace )
265 Topics in Architectural History & Urbanism M 200-450 ONLINE Chattopadhyay
Topic: Unlearning: Race, Space, Art
Prerequisite: graduate standing.
This seminar is an opportunity to investigate the entanglements of race, imperialism, spatial and artistic practices, and how these constitute the “political”. We will read five books in-depth to develop a habit of critical reading and to generate our own questions about how we might unlearn sources, methods and disciplinary bounds. The books are Diana Taylor, ¡Presente!: The Politics of Presence (Duke, 2020); Prathama Banerjee, Elements of the Political: Histories from the Global South (Duke, 2020); Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism (Verso, 2019); Saidiya Hartman, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals (W.W. Norton, 2019); Swati Chattopadhyay, Unlearning the City: Infrastructure in a New Optical Field (Minnesota, 2012).