ART H 314
(GA;IL)
Art in the Age of Rembrandt (3) Dutch and Flemish painting in the seventeenth century.
ART H 314 Art in the Age of Rembrandt (3)
(GA;IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
Art History 314 explores the relationship of the visual arts to power structures, political events, and social and religious issues in the Netherlands and Flanders, c. 1585-1672. Topics include the function of art in constructing national and urban identities, social distinctions and gender roles, the contrasting needs burgher and court patrons, the effect of the open market on both the production of and the look of artwork, the impact of foreign investment and exploration on visual imagery, and the processes of artistic collaboration and competition. Particular attention is paid to the works and careers of Hendrick Goltzius, Frans Hals, Clara Peeters, Hendrik Terbrugghen, Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Rubens and Jan Vermeer. The course is designed to meet two principal goals. The first is to increase students' powers of visual analysis and help them build a critical vocabulary for discussing an art object's medium, composition, style, and iconography. The second is to foster an understanding of the deep implication of the visual arts in their social and cultural contexts. The course therefore involves significant material relating to political, economic and religious issues. It investigates problems in patronage, function, reception and censorship. It considers such intra- and cross-cultural issues as representations of gender. Requirements include essay exams and at least one paper. As a general education course in the arts, this course provides an introduction to the Age of Rembrandt to a student of any major. This course has no prerequisite, and presumes no prior exposure to fine art. Students majoring in Art History will learn in it both the common vocabulary of the field and the outlines of the field that form the foundation for future study.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.