Revolutionary France and the Birth of Modern Art, 1789-1900
ARHA 240
Fall 2023 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
RL&L 240, COL 240 |
This course examines the birth of modern art in the wake of the French Revolution and traces the evolution of modern art throughout what would prove to be an extraordinary century of social transformation and formal experimentation, ending in the Dreyfus Affair and Post-Impressionism. During this period, France emerged as the uncontested center for art in the West, with its exhibitions drawing artists from all over Europe and the Americas. France's established art institutions were tested by the fires of Revolution and emancipation ideologies, resulting in a uniquely vibrant art scene centered on the nation's capital, Paris. The city underwent a series of physical, political, and social transformations during this period, which brought artists to overturn timeless ideals and triumphal narratives.
Themes this class explores include the advent of a public sphere for art-making and the relationship between artistic advance and appeals to an ever-widening public; painting and revolution in France and its colonies; the redefinition of history painting in light of the abolition of slavery and the Declaration of the Rights of Man; the expansion of France's colonial empire and the representation of racial difference; the rise of feminism and attempts on the part of women artists to find their own voice in a masculine practice; the destabilization of classicism in light of scientific discoveries and ideas of "primitivism"; and the conflict between the unabashed pursuit of artistic individualism and the need to define collective values and experience. Although these developments took place two centuries ago, they continue to define the field of modern art today. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ART |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ARHA-MN)(ARHA)(ARST)(FRST-MN)(FRST) |
Major Readings:
Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
1. Charles Harrison, Paul Wood, and Jason Gaiger, ART IN THEORY, 1815-1900 (Blackwell Publishing, 1998)
2. Francis Frascina et al, MODERNITY AND MODERNISM. FRENCH PAINTING IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY (Yale University Press, 1993)
3. Articles and book chapters made available via ereserve
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Examinations and Assignments:
4-page paper, 8-page paper, peer critique, midterm and final exams, in-class participation |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Prospective Wesleyan students can visit this class |
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