Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Course Description

This course explores art globally from the 6th century CE through 1700 and analyzes visual culture and the built environment to reveal social, religious, political, economic, and technological changes in societies, recognizing the impact of art history on the world today. 

Prerequisites: (WR 115 and RD 115) or IRW 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the Course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Recognize and critique traditional approaches to art history, considering the way art history upholds racialized and gendered concepts of style, development, and civilization.
2. Explain how art is representative of the historical moment in which it was produced, acknowledging the interactions between social, religious, political, economic and technological factors.
3. Analyze the relationship between form, context and meaning in visual communication using a critical vocabulary.
4. Articulate the relationships between art made from the 6th century up to 1700, the history of visual culture, and world history to enhance civic and global engagement.
5. Apply insights gained from course content to visual culture encountered outside of the classroom.

For more information, please go to the Course Content and Outcome Guide for this course.

Course Topics

• Week 1: Introductions
• Week 2: Islamic Art
• Week 3: South and Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan
• Week 4: Art of the Americas
• Week 5: Medieval Europe
• Week 6: African Art
• Week 7: Catch Up
• Week 8: European Renaissance
• Week 9: Modern and Early Japan and Southeast Asia
• Week 10: Art of Oceania
• Week 11: Final reflections and course wrap-up

Instructional Materials Textbook

• Robertson & Hutton, et al., The History of Art: A Global View: Prehistory to the Present (Volumes 1 & 2), Norton/Thames and Hudson, 2021.

  • Digital version -- Volumes 1 & 2, 360-Day digital access, ISBN 978-0-500-84431-1
  • Hardback version -- ISBN 978-0-500-02237-5

Software

• No extra software required.