ARTH 410

ARTH 410: Ancient/Classical Art (WI)

Prerequisites: ART 215 or ART 216 or permission of instructor

Credit Hours: (3)

A study of the art and architecture of the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, Greece and Rome.

Description of the Content of the Course

The course is designed for upper level art students and as a humanities elective for students in other concentrations. It fulfills a General Education requirement. The focus is on painting, sculpture, and architecture of ancient Western civilizations. The content and style of the art in each period will be examined in key works of art. The course covers the following periods in chronological order:

Ancient Egyptian Art

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Aegean Art

Greek Art

Etruscan Art

Roman Art

Description of the Conduct of the Course

This is a lecture course, but class participation in the analysis of works of art is encouraged. Slides of the art under discussion will be projected onto a large screen to provide all students with a clear visual image of each work of art. An occasional film will be shown to allow a more in-depth study of a specific topic.

Students are expected to attend class. By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of academic integrity will not be tolerated. This class will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code. Students are referred to the Student Handbook for details.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

At the conclusion of the course, the students will be able to:

Become familiar with the chronology of ancient art.
Develop an awareness of the historical and art-historical contexts for the arts produced in the period coinciding with the rise and fall of the great ancient empires.
Become familiar with the ramifications of key terms like empire, ownership, and theft on the study of ancient art.
Develop skills in visual analysis, including learning appropriate art-historical vocabulary.
Develop skills in oral and written communication about works of art.

Assessment Measures

The final grade is based upon a series of tests/quizzes, and possibly an oral presentation and/or a short research paper. Additional short responsive writings and attendance at outside lectures may also be required.

Other Course Information

There are no extra credit options for this course.

If the student has a learning disability recognized by the Disabled Student Services Office at Radford University, he or she should advise the professor of the nature of the disability during the first week of class.

Tape recording of class lectures is not normally permitted unless the student has a learning disability recognized by Radford University and the professor receives a formal request from the Disabled Student Services Office. At his or her discretion, the professor may allow tape recording under other special circumstances.

Review and Approval

May, 2011

May, 2012

June, 2023