ART 342-01, Modern Survey II (1860-1940), Spring 2005

Abstract

This course is second in the three-part “Modern” art survey sequence at Rhodes College. Spanning the years 1860 to 1940, this class will address European and American modernism including the movements of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Synthetism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Suprematism/Constructivism, de Stijl (Neo-Plasticism), Dada, and Surrealism. Art will be discussed both in terms of individual artists and their masterworks, as well as the social context and external forces surrounding the production and consumption of art. Special emphasis will be given to topics including the effect of urbanism in Paris and New York on art and artists; the rise of photography; primitivism; fin-de-siécle culture; the cult of the machine; and semiotics and Cubism. Primarily designed as a lecture, the course will also include some class discussion, especially in relation to the assigned primary readings. Three slide quizzes, two exams, and two essays are required.