ART 110: History of Western Art
Fall 2015
Prof. Owen Doonan
Office hrs.: T 12:30-3:30 pm
e-mail owen.doonan@csun.edu
Time: T, Th 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Place: SG 103/ on-line
Office: SG 238
Tel. 677-6753
Class Syllabus
Goals for the course
A. To introduce students to the broad outlines of the history of western art. Students will
learn to recognize the styles typical of a broad range of ancient and modern cultures
related to the western tradition. The focus on major themes will help develop insights into
how art traditions build from and react to previous traditions.
B. To explore different strategies for understanding art. We will consider different
standpoints (artist, patron, intended viewers, modern connoisseurs) as we look at various
kinds of visual expression (architecture, sculpture, painting, public art, folk art, crafts).
Students will develop an appreciation of the complexity of different cultural and functional
perspectives. We will examine how monuments past and present are employed for
modern nation building and politics, social domination, imperialism and local resistance to
cultural change.
C. To investigate the symbolic and stylistic processes of expressing meaning through art in
a number of different (but related) cultures. We will follow the cultural dynamics and
tensions that encouraged imitation of prestigious traditions and rejection of others, the premodern antecedents of modern colonialism, imperialism and globalization.
D. To foster a culture of professionalism and collaboration within the community of our
classroom that will help incoming students adjust to the expectations and structure of
University life and develop good habits for all students that will serve you well in a
professional workplace.
Art Department SLOs met by this course (see: http://www.csun.edu/art/overview.html)
1. Acquire a basic knowledge, theories, and concepts about art; develop a foundation of
art skills and a high level of craftspersonship; communicate ideas and concepts through
writing, speaking and art making; acquire a competency with the tools and technologies
associated with the visual arts.
2. Broaden knowledge of ancient through contemporary art; develop an understanding of
the theoretical, cultural, and historical contexts of art.
5. Develop an appreciation and tolerance of diverse perspectives dealing with art, culture,
teaching and learning.
6. Become involved in both individual and collaborative art experiences with other
students, faculty, and community.
7. Develop a career path for an art profession or an art-related field; develop an
understanding of the demands and expectations of that area of art profession or art field.
Course-related activities: how will these goals be achieved?
Collaborative Student Group Activities
Class will be divided into 8 study groups of four or five students each. Study groups will
prepare Power Point presentations to the class to be made in the third week of each
study unit. Lectures will be presented (during the on-line sessions) on key themes to
help provide direction for the student presentations. These will be recorded and
available for students to study from on their own time. In-class sessions will be devoted
to work groups and group presentations. After each unit there will be a quiz based on
the lectures, presentations and students’ discussion and analysis of their own and their
teammates’ participation in group work.
Units for group presentations and discussions:
Ancient world
Ch. 1-3
Middle Ages
Ch. 4-7
Early Modern
era
Ch. 8-11
Modern era
Ch. 12-15
War
(wk. 2,3,4,5)
Divinity
(wk. 6,7,8)
Nature
(wk. 10,11,12)
Self-Society
(wk. 14,15,16)
Groups 1, 5
Groups 2, 7
Groups 3, 6
Groups 4, 8
Groups 2, 6
Groups 1, 8
Groups 4, 5
Groups 3, 7
Groups 3, 7
Groups 4, 5
Groups 2, 8
Groups 1, 6
Groups 4, 8
Groups 3, 6
Groups 1, 7
Groups 2, 5
Group presentations shall be graded on the overall quality of the presentation, accuracy
and relevance of the information presented, the relevance of the historical/ contextual
discussion and use of sources such as the textbook, ArtStor, Grove Art on-line.
Students will be asked to fill out (on-line) a feedback form on the performance of their
team members and this feedback will be taken into account in assessing student grades
on the group projects.
Group Presentations (4) will be graded based on the following criteria:
 Quality of presentation, clarity, accuracy, information, on-time
 Individual contribution based on feedback form (note – you will fail this part of the
group presentation grade unless you turn in the self-evaluation and group
evaluation forms)
Group presentations should be based on approximately 10 Power Point slides uploaded to
the course web site at latest two hours before the class meeting when we will present
them. Power Points are to be “printed as” pdf files and uploaded in that format. Slide
presentations should consist of both text slides (bullet points of important ideas to be
discussed) and images (demonstrating important points). Images, ideas and historical
information will come from the textbook, from other printed sources provided in class by
the instructor (or found by the students), or scholarly on-line sources like ArtStor, Oxford
Art On-line, or similar. Classmates will study some of your slides for quizzes so include
basic information about the images as captions on each slide (title, date, period, culture,
country of origin).
Technical requirements
We will frequently be using information from the Internet in support of class activities and
handouts will be made available via the class Moodle site and real-time discussions held
using the Elluminate program. All students should have access to e-mail and a
computer with Firefox or a similar browser program. You will be expected to
download the Elluminate program before Thursday class time in order to participate
in discussions of topics assigned for each week. Computers are available in the
Library and other places around campus for those without computer access at home.
Those accessing the class from the library or similar public spaces must bring a headset in
order to hear the discussions. Hearing-impaired students should meet with me as soon as
possible in order to make appropriate accommodations, in particular for the on-line
meetings. Discussions in class and on-line will be based on the themes your group and
the class are working on that day.
How to study: Come to class prepared to work with your classmates actively on assigned
projects. Bring a textbook and if possible bring a wifi-equipped computer to use for
research and preparation of group presentations. You should plan on spending an
average of three hours at home for each hour spent in class-- that is nine hours per week.
Participate actively in group work. Your group participation is an important component of
your grade. Study for quizzes by taking notes on classmates’ presentations and reviewing
your notes together with the Power Points (available on line). Success in this class
depends on active participation every week, proactive collab oration with team
mates, keeping up with readings and assignments. We cover a lot of information
and move fast, so do not get behind. Do not take this class if you are looking for an
easy “gut” course.
This class is half on-line and half in the classroom, giving us greater opportunities to
interact with one another. Each week we will meet in class on Tuesday. Generally we will
hold lectures, discussions and quizzes on-line. I expect that you will come to class having
done relevant readings and background research so that class time may be devoted to
active, informed collaboration between team members.
N.B. All e-mail communications should have “ART 110 11:00 section” listed in the subject
line! You should email me via your @my.csun.edu account.
Behavior: One important goal of this class is to establish a culture of professionalism that
will serve you well not only here but in all future educational and other endeavors.
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In the classroom and on-line students are expected to behave courteously and
participate in a constructive, informed manner. Students who engage in disruptive
behavior such as talking, making noise, on-line “flaming” or other actions that
distract other students will be given a warning and if the behavior persists, the
student will be asked to leave the class for that meeting.
Students are expected to be on-time and remain engaged through the class period.
Cell phone, instant messaging and non-class-related use of laptop and other
computers/ smart phones is not permitted. Class-related activities and attendance
will be graded no-credit and may not be made up if a student is late, leaves early or
has been dismissed from class (or on-line).
If disruptive behavior persists the student will be referred to the Dean’s office for
further disciplinary action and may be removed from class. Cheating will not be
tolerated – use of unauthorized sources of information during an exam or class
activity will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment with no make-up option.
Grades: how will student performance be evaluated?1
Mastery of Content: you are expected to learn about the works we study in a number
of different ways in pursuit of the following course goals and department SLOs:
1) Identify images and terms by culture, importance, relevant physical or other
properties. (Course goal A, SLO 1, 2).
2) Compose essays on set topics (Course goals B, C, SLO 3)
3) Discussion and analysis of images (Course goals B, C, D , SLO 3)
Group Projects (four group projects, 10% each): groups will present projects that will be
graded in part as a group endeavor, but also taking into account the instructor’s
assessment of individual contributions. Peer evaluations and instructor observations will
raise or lower individual grades from the base grade earned by the group for a
presentation. See MOODLE for grading rubrics and peer evaluation forms.
Quizzes (four quizzes, 10% each): students will complete four quizzes as part of the
fulfillment of class requirements. At the end of each unit there will be a quiz. You must
attend the quiz within the timeframe specified. Each quiz will consist of two sections
 Identification (7 points): Identify (multiple choice) 10 images or concepts from the
presentations
 Essay (3 points): write a 300-400 word essay that summarizes the main ideas
behind your group project and cites at least three works in the context of your
discussion.
1
N.B. Students who miss the first two class meetings will be disenrolled from the class.
Museum paper (10%): Students will visit an art museum and write a review of an exhibition
based on the criteria described in the “Museum paper” document and pdf of the chapter
“Writing an Exhibition Review” from Sylvan Barnet’s Writing About Art, both available in the
Useful Resources section of the MOODLE site.
Attendance (10%) is an important component of this course. You are expected to attend
class regularly and to contribute in an informed and productive manner to discussions and
team activities. Attendance will be taken during class and on-line meetings (at the
teacher's discretion) through the course of the term. You must be in class and
participating actively to be counted as present at a class meeting. Students missing,
arriving late, leaving early or not participating sufficiently in more than three class
meetings may have their overall grades reduced by 1 full grade.
Weighting of class assignments will be as follows:
 Quizzes 1-4
4@10 %
 Group projects
4@10 %
 Attendance and participation
 Museum paper
Total
40 pts.
40 pts
10 pts.
10 pts.
/100 pts.
Grade ranges: A= 90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, F=<59%
Schedule of course activities (tentative: see MOODLE site for changes)
Week 1 (Aug. 25, 27): Introduction
Tuesday: Introduction to the course; Establish work groups
Thursday: Introductory lecture: Art and War
Week 2 (Sept. 1, 3): Art and War
Tuesday: Work groups: Art and War
Thursday: Lecture 2, Art and War
Week 3 (Sept. 8, 10): Art and War
Tuesday: Work groups: Art and War
Thursday: Lecture 3, Art and War
Week 4 (Sept. 15, 17): Art and War
Tuesday: Work groups: Art and War
Thursday: On-line discussion: Art and War
Week 5 (Sept. 22, 24): Art and the Divine
Tuesday: Presentations: Art and War
Thursday: Introductory lecture: Art and the Divine
Week 6 (Sept. 29, Oct. 1): Art and the Divine
Tuesday: Work groups: listen to “Art and the Divine” Quiz 1 Due before class
Thursday: Lecture 2, Art and the Divine
Week 7 (Oct. 6, 8): Art and the Divine
Tuesday: Work groups: Art and the Divine
Thursday: Lecture 3: Art and the Divine
Week 8 (Oct. 13, 15): Art and the Divine
Tuesday: Work groups: Art and the Divine
Thursday: On-line discussion: Art and the Divine
Week 9 (Oct. 20, 22): Art, Nature and Architecture
Tuesday: Presentations: Art and the Divine
Thursday: Introductory lecture: Art, Nature and Architecture
Week 10 (Oct. 27, 29): Art, Nature and Architecture
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Nature and Architecture Quiz 2 Due on-line before class
Thursday: Lecture 2, Art, Nature and Architecture
Week 11 (Nov. 3, 5): Art, Nature and Architecture
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Nature and Architecture
Thursday: Lecture 3, Art, Nature and Architecture
Week 12 (Nov. 10, 12): Art, Self and Society
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Nature and Architecture
Thursday: On-line discussion: Art, Nature and Architecture
Week 13 (Nov. 17, 19): Art, Self and Society
Tuesday: Presentations: Art, Nature and Architecture
Thursday: Lecture 2, Art, Self and Society
Week 14 (Nov. 24, 26): Art, Self and Society
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Self and Society
Thursday: Thanksgiving Break!!!
By Sunday night, Nov. 29 at midnight: MUSEUM PAPER DUE on-line; Quiz 3 Due online before class Dec. 1
Week 15: (Dec. 1, 3): Art, Self and Society
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Self and Society
Thursday: Lecture 3: Art, Self and Society
Week 16: (Dec. 8, 10): Art, Self and Society
Tuesday: Work groups: Art, Self and Society
Thursday: Review for quiz 4
Dec. 15 Final Exam, 10:15 am -12:15 pm: Presentations: Art, Self and Society
Quiz 4: (due on line by Dec. 17 at midnight)
Bibliography:
Kleiner, F. and C. Mamiya (Eds.), Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Concise
History of Western Art, 3nd ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/ Thompson Learning, 2013).
ISBN-10: 1133954790 ISBN-13: 978-1133954798
NOTE: the first edition (ISBN-10: 0534605117) or second edition (ISBN-10:
142406998X) of this book may be substituted but you must order it so that it arrives by
week 2. I will be checking “attendance” for the book as well as you starting week 2.
This has been the standard text for art history surveys for more than 70 years. Updated
by major scholars the text is richly illustrated and very well organized for
comprehension. I expect you will read through this book as well as search it for
Regularly used on-line resources:
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Art 110 Moodle site: our on-line “home base”
http://moodle.csun.edu/
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ArtStor: 500,000+ art images, professionally-vetted meta data
Log in through CSUN library alphabetical database:
http://library.csun.edu/xerxes/databases/alphabetical
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Oxford Art on-line: access to scholarly-quality authored articles on Art Historical
topics
Log in through CSUN library alphabetical database:
http://library.csun.edu/xerxes/databases/alphabetical
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JStor: Academic articles on a range of topics
Log in through CSUN library alphabetical database:
http://library.csun.edu/xerxes/databases/alphabetical
Important art museums in the LA area (useful for planning museum assignment):
Metro Trip Planner (http://www.metro.net/) is useful for planning your trip by public
transportation.
Getty Museum: Brentwood, just off 405. Parking $15, admission free! Closed
Mon. Outstanding collections in European painting, European Decorative arts,
magnificent complex overlooking Brentwood. Getty Villa (Malibu) one of the
world’s greatest ancient art museums in a reconstructed Roman villa overlooking
the sea (obtain free tickets in advance from web site).
http://www.getty.edu/
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Los Angeles County Museum: Wilshire at Fairfax. On-street and lot parking
($9) nearby, admission $10 for students, after 3 pm weekdays free. Closed Wed.
Outstanding collections of Asian, Latin American, Islamic art. Good selections of
European painting, decorative arts and American art. Fri. night free Jazz,
Sunday night free Classical concerts!
http://www.lacma.org/
Norton Simon Museum: Pasadena. Parking free! Admission free for students!
Closed Tuesday. Outstanding collections of European painting/ sculpture and
South Asian art.
http://www.nortonsimon.org/
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Three locations, 250 Grand Ave. offers
the most comprehensive and interesting collection of Modern and Contemporary
art. Students $7, parking $9 (at Disney Hall with validation). Closed Tues.,
Wed., free admission Thursdays after 5 pm.
Check with me about whether or nor other galleries and collections are suitable for the
museum paper. Note that because of the content of Art 110 the topic of your museum
paper should relate to the cultures covered in the course.