19th-century art syllabus
***Schedule with assignments & slide lists***

Review page at http://www.sla.purdue.edu/courses/ad/arthistory/ (click on 19th-century Art)

	Elizabeth K. Menon
	Office: VPAB 3119
	Office Phone: 496-2958
	Office Hours: Mondays 5-6 p.m.; Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:30-2:30 p.m.

texts (your books are available locally only at Von's):

PRIMARY TEXT: Eisenman, Nineteenth-Century Art: A Critical History, second edition. Reading assignments will be given out of this book, and the material covered in those readings are "testable."

• DeLeeuw, Letters of Vincent Van Gogh (Penguin)

reserve reading list:

Additional texts will be placed on reserve for your use during your course project —use the THOR catalogue to find a list of these resources.

objectives & disclaimers:

This course aims to provide an in-depth study of the art of nineteenth-century Europe and America and an introduction to a variety of methods by which art is customarily understood. It is also designed to explore the relationship between art history and history, between art objects and key episodes in political, social, and intellectual history. I want to help you achieve what I call a "critical awareness" of art and build a vocabulary with which you can describe artistic media and elements of style. This is an equal opportunity classroom in the presentation of ideas and issues raised by artists. It is important for you to understand that artists create works that become either personal or societal documents of a certain moment in their lives. Some of these issues may make you feel uncomfortable because of their unfamiliarity. Some works may make you challenge your belief systems. (This, by the way, is a characteristic that good art and a good college education have in common.) I recommend that you maintain an open mind and avoid rash judgments based on the artists' race, gender or sexual orientation.

Your success in this course will be directly proportional to your "ownership" of the material. I am here to guide you in your study of this material and in your development of abilities including written and oral communication. Please take responsibility for your education. When you come to my office to discuss a grade on a test or assignment, bring the notes that you've been taking in class and on the reading assignments. This will help me diagnose potential problems more quickly and ultimately help me to help you to achieve in this course.

course requirements:

• Midterm: 100 pts. (in-class or take-home) (Midterm points may be reduced to 50 if 50 are earned through reading questions).
• Course Project: 100 pts. (May include a journal for 50 points of the 100)
• Final Exam: 100 pts. (Final exam points may be reduced to 50 if 50 are earned through reading questions).
• Readings/Assignments: 60 pts. (will include points for a draft of your course project).

**Extra-credit assignment worth 10 points--ART HISTORY FAST FOOD (19th-century)**

grading scale:

• A 324 pts.
• B 288 pts.
• C 252 pts.
• D 216 pts.
• F < 216 pts.