ARTH 300 Art Historical Methods

• Mondays, 2:45 -5:30 pm
• Instructor: Dr. Farrukh Rafiq

Can any work of art be “read”? What does it mean to interpret art? How do we understand art? In this course, we will attempt to answer these questions by familiarizing ourselves with the “tools” of art history. We will critically examine a range of foundational methodologies including but not limited to formalism, iconography, social history, psychoanalysis, and feminist approaches. A crucial part of learning will centre around the applicability of these approaches to art universally, as well the effectiveness of these approaches. By the end of this course, through practice of these models, students will have acquired a deep understanding and appreciation of methodological approaches to art across geographies and timelines.