Faculty & Staff
Art History Program Faculty & Staff
Faculty
PALOMA CHECA-GISMERO, Assistant Professor of Art History
SUSAN EBERHARD, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
BRIAN D. GOLDSTEIN, Associate Professor of Art History, Chair of Art History
PATRICIA L. REILLY, Associate Professor of Art History
TOMOKO SAKOMURA, Provost and Professor of Art History
Staff
STACY BOMENTO, Visual Resources Curator
CAREN BRENMAN, Administrative Coordinator
Academic Program
Art History Academic Program
For more information about the Art History program visit: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art-history
Requirements for Admission to the Major
- Overall average of C or better in all courses taken during the two semesters preceding the time of application.
- Completion of at least two courses in art history at Swarthmore with grades of B or better. For a double major, the grade minimum is also B.
Requirements for Completion of the Major
Art History Majors, Course and Honors are required to take the following courses and fulfill the comphrensive requirement:
- One introductory survey course (of student’s choosing)
- One studio art course
- One 2-credit honors seminar (seminar must be taken before senior capstone, preferably in junior year)
- ARTH100: Senior Capstone (offered each spring; the research paper from this course meets the senior comprehensive requirement)
- Four additional credits of student’s choosing
Among the nine credits required for the major, students must take courses with at least three different art history faculty members during their time at Swarthmore. (Senior Capstone does not count toward that requirement.) Students may count no more than one study abroad or Tri-Co/Penn course toward the three-faculty rule. A maximum of two introductory survey courses will count toward the major. The art history chair maintains a list of current introductory courses.
The Senior Comprehensive Requirement
During senior year, course majors will complete a comprehensive project as part of the Senior Capstone (ARTH100). Honors majors may also satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement through a two-credit thesis (ARTH097). Two-credit thesis writers are not required to take the Senior Capstone.
CR/NC
Except in semesters when CR/NC is required (such as a student’s first semester or the spring 2020 semester), students may not take courses toward major requirements as CR/NC.
Transfer Credits from Other Institutions and Foreign Study
A maximum of two transfer credits will count toward the major, either from study abroad or other U.S. institutions. Students transferring into Swarthmore from another institution should consult with the Art History Chair regarding their specific situation.
Overlapping Credits
A maximum of two credits may double count for both the ARTH major and a student’s second major. For major and minor credit overlap, the standard overlap rule applies. Because departmental policies vary, please consult with your non-ARTH advisor for questions about counting overlapping credits in your second major.
AP Credit
One credit for receiving a 5 in AP Art History will be given upon completion of an art history course in the department. For art history majors, this credit can count only for one of the four elective credits (and not for the required introductory survey course).
Art History Minor
The course minor in art history will consist of five credits in art history: four of the five credits must be taken at Swarthmore. Courses must be taken with at least two different Swarthmore art history faculty members. Art majors can complete an art history minor with the completion of four art history credits in addition to those required by their studio art major. Courses toward the minor may not be taken CR/NC (excepting those taken in semesters when CR/NC is required, such as a student’s first semester).
Art History Program Majors and the 20-Course Rule
It is a College requirement that 20 of the 32 credits required for graduation must be outside the major. This means that students can take no more than 12 credits in the major unless they graduate with more than 32 credits, in which case the surplus can also be in the major.
For art history majors, the one required credit of studio art coursework counts as within the major, but additional credits of studio art count as outside. Thus, an art history major graduating with 32 credits could take no more than three additional art history credits beyond the eight art history credits that are required for the major. But an art history major could take as many more studio credits as desired.
Off-Campus Study
The Art History program strongly encourages those with an interest in art and its history to consider incorporating study abroad into their Swarthmore program either during a summer or a regular academic term. Important examples of art and architecture are found throughout the world, and the encounter with works still embedded in their original context is vital to an understanding of their historical and contemporary significance. Past experience has shown, however, that art courses in most study abroad programs fall considerably below the academic standards of comparable courses at Swarthmore. Students who are interested in bettering their chances of gaining a full Swarthmore credit for a course taken abroad are strongly advised to meet with the art history chair or the studio art chair before leaving the campus to review course syllabi and determine course credit value. Please note: To receive transfer credits in art history, you must have taken at least one art history course at Swarthmore (normally before going abroad).
Honors in Art History
Requirements for admission to honors do not differ from those for admission to the course major. Once admitted to the honors major, students will be expected to maintain an average of B+ or better in all courses in art history.
Honors Major
An honors major in art history requires three two-credit ARTH preparations. The normal prerequisite for any art history seminar is two credits of previous art history coursework. Each honors seminar or alternative honors preparation will be evaluated by an outside examiner. (For details on honors preparations and exam formats, see the Honors Handbook.)
An honors major in art history must also fulfill the requirements for a nine-credit course major. Honors majors may find that they must take more than nine credits to complete all requirements, so they are reminded to be attentive to the rule that students must take 20 credits outside their major to graduate.
Honors Minor
An honors minor in art history consists of one two-credit preparation and completion of at least two other courses in Art History. Three of the four credits must be taken at Swarthmore.
Art History Goals for Student Learning
1. Students will broaden their perspectives and ways of thinking through the study of a variety of works of art and architecture produced in different cultures and at different times.
2. Through carefully looking at works of art and architecture students will learn to dedicate the patient, sustained effort necessary to come to an understanding of an object on its own terms.
3. Through the study of works of art and architecture students will learn to move beyond subjective response to develop an informed understanding of something outside their knowledge and experience.
4. Through visual analysis students will be able to comprehend and articulate the logic of the formal, spatial, material, and technical elements of a work of art or architecture.
5. Through contextual analysis students will know how to develop an interpretative project by:
- Critically assessing the art historical literature
- Identifying the subject of the work of art and exploring its meanings
- Situating the work in its context of production and reception
6. Students will be able to place works of art and architecture within the history of art.
Art History Courses
This is a course sampling and not a comprehensive list of courses offered per semester. For the most up-to-date course schedule, please visit the Art History or the Registrar websites.
- ARTH 001D. First-Year Seminar: Architecture of Philadelphia
- ARTH 001G. First Year Seminar: Brought to Life: The Art of Animation in East Asia
- ARTH 001J. First Year Seminar: Arts of Everyday Life
- ARTH 001L. FYS: From Handscrolls to Comic Books: Pictorial Narratives in Japan
- ARTH 001M. First-Year Seminar: Leonardo
- ARTH 001N. First Year Seminar: Indigenous Art, Land, and Environment.
- ARTH 002. Cave Painting to the Sistine Ceiling
- ARTH 003. Asian Art: Past and Present
- ARTH 005. Modern Art in Europe and the United States
- ARTH 007. Modern and Contemporary Indigenous Art
- ARTH 010. Art and Climate Change
- ARTH 013. Ancient Greece and Rome
- ARTH 019. Contemporary Art
- ARTH 026. Painting, Chemistry and Conservation
- ARTH 028. Replication in Chinese Art
- ARTH 029. Architecture and Urbanism of Philadelphia
- ARTH 031. Arts of China
- ARTT 033C. Painting and the Landscape
- ARTH 034. Colloquium: Asian Calligraphy
- ARTH 038. Exhibiting Women
- ARTH 040. Michelangelo to Mussolini: The Classical Tradition in Rome
- ARTH 046. Socially Engaged Art in the Americas
- ARTH 048. 20th Century Latin American Art
- ARTH 049. Document: History Of Photo
- ARTH 051. Renaissance Florence and Environs
- ARTH 052. Global Renaissance
- ARTH 057. Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo
- ARTH 060. Building New Worlds: The Arts and Architectures of Liberation
- ARTH 061. Art and Culture of Indigenous Philadelphia: From Shackamaxon to the Present
- ARTH 062. Land Art, Place, and Environment
- ARTH 063. Architecture and American Landscape
- ARTH 064. Woodland Native Arts and Ecologies
- ARTH 065. Land Back!: Visual Expressions of Global Indigenous Sovereignty
- ARTH 066. Colloquium: Race, Space, and Architecture
- ARTH 067. Building Architecture from Dirt to Dust
- ARTH 072. Global History of Architecture: Prehistory to 1750 CE
- ARTH 073. Global History of Architecture: 1800-Present
- ARTH 076. Art Museums: History, Theory, Controversy
- ARTH 079. Indigenous Arts of the Americas
- ARTH 092. Arts of Propaganda in Early Modern Europe
- ARTH 094. Transnational Modernisms
- ARTH 096. Directed Reading
- ARTH 098. Interpreting the Classical Tradition: Neoclassicism and Romanticism
- ARTH 100. Senior Capstone
- ARTH 138. Renaissance Art & Global Expansion: Honors Seminar
- ARTH 151. Renaissance Rome
- ARTH 160. Global Contemporary Art: Honors Seminar
- ARTH 153. Modern Architecture and Urbanism: Honors Seminar
- ARTH 154. Art of Modern China: Honors Seminar
- ARTH 180. Thesis
Art History Seminars
This is a course sampling and not a comprehensive list of courses offered per semester. For the most up-to-date course schedule, please visit the Art History or the Registrar websites.
Unless otherwise noted, the prerequisite for all seminars is two courses in art history.
Art History Introductory Survey Courses
This is list of all Art History introductory survey courses. To find out what introductory survey courses are offered per semester, please visit the Art History or the Registrar websites.
A maximum of two introductory survey courses will count toward the major.
Architectural Studies Major-Art History
Academic Program
Requirements for Admission to the Architectural Studies-Art History Major
Overall average of C or better in all courses taken during the two semesters preceding the time of application. Completion of at least 2 of the following courses at Swarthmore with grades of B or better. For a double major, the grade minimum is also B. Students pursuing the architectural studies major in the history track must take at least one ARTH course from this list.
NOTE: Courses listed below will vary based on offerings. ARTH 001D. First-Year Seminar: Architecture of Philadelphia
ARTH 001N. First-Year Seminar: Indigenous Art, Land, and Environment.
ARTH 002. Cave Painting to the Sistine Ceiling
ARTH 072. Global History of Architecture: Prehistory to 1750 CE
ARTH 073. Global History of Architecture: 1800-Present
ARTT 005A. Sculpture I: Form, Material, Process
ARTT 006A. Studio Arch. I: Turning Corners
ARTT 006B. Studio Arch. I: Monuments and Public Space
ARTT 006C. Studio Arch. I: Architectures of Air
ARTT 006F. ARCH Design: Dwelling and Inhabitation (A Room Of One’s Own)
ARTT 006G. ARCH Design: Collective Living
ARTT 006H. ARCH: Mapping and GIS (Mapping Infrastructural Movements)
ARTT 006I. ARCH Design: Civic Realm/Public Home
ARTT 006J. ARCH Design: Cities, Territories Infrastructure: (Crum River Futures)
ARTT 006K. ARCH: 2D: Experiments In Drawing
ARTT 023C. 3D Design II: Exploration of Wooden Structures
ARTT 054C. Sculpture and the Environment ARTT 054D. Sculpture II: Installation
Requirements for Completion of the Architectural Studies-Art History Major
Architectural studies, course and honors, is a 12-credit major. 6 credits must comprise courses selected from pool A (includes those taken for admission to the major) and 3 credits comprise courses selected from pool B (or on related topics, with advisor’s approval). A capstone and preparatory coursework, described further below under pool C, comprises the remaining 3 credits.
Students in the history track must complete at least 4 pool A credits focused in history and 2 pool A credits focused in studio. They must additionally complete a two-credit seminar in their area of interest and ARTH 100 as their capstone.
Students are required to take pool A courses with at least three different faculty members, two of whom must be in art history for students in the history track.
NOTE: Courses listed in pools A and B will vary based on course offerings.
Senior Compheensive Requirement
During senior year, course majors will complete a comprehensive project as part of the required Senior Capstone (ARTH100). Honors majors may alternately satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement through a two-credit thesis (ARTH097). Two-credit thesis writers are not required to take the Senior Capstone.
CR/NC
Except in semesters when CR/NC is required (such as a student’s first semester or the spring 2020 semester), students may not take courses toward major requirements as CR/NC.
Transfer Credits From Other Institutions and Foreign Study
A maximum of two transfer credits will count toward the major, either from study abroad or other U.S. institutions. Students transferring into Swarthmore from another institution should consult with the art history chair regarding their specific situation.
Overlapping Credits
A maximum of two credits may double count for both the major in architectural studies (history track) and a student’s second major. For major and minor credit overlap, the standard overlap rule applies.
Because departmental policies vary, please consult with your non-ARTH advisor for questions about counting overlapping credits in your second major.
AP Credit
One credit for receiving a 5 in AP Art History will be given upon completion of an art history course in the department. This credit can count only for one of the Pool A requirements.
Architectural Studies Minor in the Art History Track
The course minor in architectural studies in the history track will consist of five credits, three of which should be in relevant ARTH courses and one in a relevant ARTT course (all under Pool A above), and one in a course that would fall under Pool B. Four of the five credits must be taken at Swarthmore. The three credits in ARTH must be with at least two different Swarthmore art history faculty members. Courses toward the minor may not be taken CR/NC (excepting those taken in semesters when CR/NC is required, such as a student’s first semester).
Architectural Studies-Art History Majors and the 20-Course Rule
It is a College requirement that 20 of the 32 credits required for graduation must be outside the major. This means that students can take no more than 12 credits in the major unless they graduate with more than 32 credits, in which case the surplus can also be in the major.
Because of the inherent interdisciplinarity of the architectural studies major, the six required credits in ARTH and ARTT (Pool A) will count as within the major for the purposes of the 20-course rule, as will the three credits taken under Pool C, but the credits taken under Pool B in other departments will count as credits outside the major (e.g. they will count toward the 20 credits outside the major required for graduation).
Off-Campus Study
We strongly encourage those with an interest in architectural studies to consider incorporating study abroad into their Swarthmore program either during a summer or a regular academic term. Important examples of architecture and art are found throughout the world, and the encounter with works still embedded in their original context is vital to an understanding of their historical and contemporary significance. Past experience has shown, however, that art history and art courses in most study abroad programs fall below the academic standards of comparable courses at Swarthmore. Students who are interested in bettering their chances of gaining a full Swarthmore credit for a course taken abroad are strongly advised to meet with their architectural studies advisor and the art history or art program chair before leaving campus to review course syllabi and determine course credit value. Please note: To receive transfer credits in architectural studies in the history track, you must have taken at least one course at Swarthmore that counts under Pool A above (normally before going abroad).
Honors in Architectural Studies ( Art History Track)
Requirements for admission to honors do not differ from those for admission to the course major. Once admitted to the honors major, students will be expected to maintain an average of B+ or better in all courses in art history.
Honors Major
An honors major in architectural studies in the history track requires three two-credit preparations relevant to the major, two of which must relate to topics under Pool A, one of which must relate to a linked field outside of ARTH and ARTT (related to the topics a student has pursued in Pool B). The normal prerequisite for any seminar in art history is two credits of previous art history or relevant architectural studies coursework. Each honors seminar or alternative honors preparation will be evaluated by an outside examiner. (For details on honors preparations and exam formats, see the Honors Handbook.)
An honors major in architectural studies in the history track must also fulfill the requirements for the 12-credit course major. Because an honors major in this field will require careful advance planning, potential honors majors should work closely with their advisor well in advance to map out a curriculum that will meet all necessary requirements. Because of the number of credits that honors majors may find necessary to complete all requirements, they are reminded to be attentive to the 20-course rule.
Honors Minor
An honors minor in architectural studies in the history track consists of one two-credit preparation and completion of at least two other courses, all of which should fall under or relate to topics in Pool A. Three of the four credits should be in ARTH coursework and one in a relevant ARTT course. Three of the four credits must be taken at Swarthmore.
Pool A, B, C Courses
Pool A:
ARTT 003. Painting I: Drawing Into Painting
ARTT 005A. Sculpture I: Form, Material, Process
ARTT 006A. Studio Arch. I: Turning Corners
ARTT 006C. Studio Arch. I: Architectures of Air
ARTT 006F. ARCH Design: Dwelling and Inhabitation (A Room Of One’s Own)
ARTT 006G. ARCH Design: Collective Living
ARTT 006H. ARCH: Mapping and GIS (Mapping Infrastructural Movements)
ARTT 006I. ARCH Design: Civic Realm/Public Home
ARTT 006J. ARCH Design: Cities, Territories Infrastructure: (Crum River Futures)
ARTT 006K. ARCH: 2D: Experiments In Drawing
ARTT 033. Painting II: Color and Structure
ARTT 054C. Sculpture and the Environment
ARTT 054D. Sculpture II: Installation
ARTT 060B. ARCH 3D: Full Scale Fabrication
ARTT 060C. ARCH 3D: The Analytical Model
ARTH 001D. First-Year Seminar: Architecture of Philadelphia
ARTH 001N. First-Year Seminar: Indigenous Art, Land, and Environment
ARTH 002. Cave Painting to the Sistine Ceiling
ARTH 003. Asian Art: Past and Present
ARTH 010. Art and Climate Change
ARTH 040: Michelangelo to Mussolini
ARTH 046: Social Engaged Art in the Americas
ARTH 051. Art of Florence and Environs
ARTH 060. Building New Worlds: The Arts and Architectures of Liberation
ARTH 061. Art and Culture of Indigenous Philadelphia: From Shackamaxon to the Present
ARTH 062. Land Art, Place, and Environment
ARTH 066. Race, Space, and Architecture
ARTH 067. Building Architecture from Dirt to Dust
ARTH 072. Global History of Architecture: Prehistory to 1750 CE
ARTH 073. Global History of Architecture: 1800-Present
ARTH 076: Art Museums: History, Theory, Controversy
ARTH 098: Interpreting the Classical Tradition: Neoclassicism & Romanticism
ARTH 152: Modern Histories of Craft
ARTH 153. Modern Architecture and Urbanism: Honors Seminar
Pool B:
The following are examples of the types of courses one might choose and will vary by semester. Please consult with your advisor about options that best fit your interests in architectural studies.
ANTH 122. Urban Ethnographies
ENGR 006. Mechanics
ENGR 007. Art and Engineering of Structures
ENGR 062. Structural Design
ENVS 001. Intro to Environmental Studies ENVS 013. Our Trash
GSST 035. Critical Disability Theory HIST 056. Police, Prisons, and Protests
HIST 114. Cities and Social Movements
JPNS 036/ENVS 047. Environment, Cultural Memory, and Social Change in Japan
PHIL 011. Moral Philosophy PHIL 012. Logic
PHIL 021. Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 047. Utopias
PHIL 117. Aristotle: Ethics and Politics
POLS 047. Ethics and Economics
PSYC 001. Intro to Psychology PSYC 035. Social Psychology
SOCI 007B. Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in the United States
SOCI 058C. Manufacturing Scarcity: The Housing Crisis in American Cities
THEA 004. Set Design
Pool C:
Students must complete preparatory coursework and, during senior year, a capstone that corresponds to the plan of study inside their chosen track.
Requirements include:
- A two-credit seminar on an architecture- or urbanism-oriented topic in or outside (with advisor’s guidance) the art history program, such as ARTH 138, ARTH 152, ARTH 153, ANTH 122, or HIST 114, subject to offerings, AND
- ARTH 100. Senior Capstone