ART 275 Modernism - From Realism to Modern Art

This course traces the beginning of Modernism to Realism of the second half of the 19th century and presents the history of Modern art to the post World War II point when New York replaced Paris as the world?s art center - the point when the modernist agenda of re-thinking all traditional values and radically redefining and extending their meanings was fulfilled literally and thus had reached its own limit. We will study and discuss painting, sculpture, and architecture and gain understanding of major twentieth-century stylistic movements, situating them within the historical, philosophical, social, and political contexts in which they arose. The classroom lectures will be combined with excursions to museums, art galleries, and historical sites relevant to the topics covered in the class.