Course Listings

Art History

ARTH 114 Introduction to Japanese Art History (4)

This course is intended to introduce major protagonists, monuments and themes of Japanese art, architecture and visual culture. The chronological scope is vast, from prehistory to the present, and it is therefore a selective survey focusing on particular artistic traditions in depth, chosen from the major periods of Japanese history. Examples include prehistoric art, Shinto architecture, early Buddhist art and architecture, art of Heian court, narrative handscroll painting, Kamakura Period sculpture, Zen and the arts, castles, gardens, Ukiyo-e prints, Meiji period decorative arts and Nihonga, and experimental art. The creation, reception and diffusion of selected art forms over time will be examined and interpreted using various analytical perspectives (such as formal, functional, iconographic, and expressive) in order to better appreciate their significance in a Japanese cultural context, and in relation to the history of Western interaction with Japanese art.

  • General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities; World Engagement: CV
  • Offering: Annually
  • Professor: Wetherell

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