Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2010

Disciplines and areas of study

Art history

Coordinator: Professor Diane Kirkby

In contemporary society, visual forms of communication play a major role in our daily experience. Art history investigates this experience through the visual analysis of art and architecture in historical and contemporary cultures and through the study of the language of images. Staff members teach and conduct research in the history of Western art.

Specialisations

Areas of specialisation are Baroque art, architecture, Early Christian, medieval art, and architecture, Italian Renaissance art, Australian and American 20th century art.

Students may take a sub-major in the following subjects in art history as part of their degree. However, a major in art history is not available. Students qualifying for a degree with an art history sub-major must accrue at least 110 credit points from the subjects listed below, including 30 credit points at first year, 40 credit points at second year and 40 credit points at third year.

Important notice: not all of the subjects listed below will be available every year.

Subjects for art history sub-major available in 2010
Teaching period Subject title Subject code
First year subjects (15 credit points)
TE-SEM-1 Art from Renaissance to Impressionism ARH1ARW
TE-SEM-2 Paris and New York: art of the avant-garde ARH1APK
Second and third year subjects (20 credit points)
TE-SEM-1 Art and Symbolism of the Ancients ARC2ASA/ARC3ASA
TE-SEM-1 Australia: Environment and Visual Culture ARH2AAE/ARH3AAE
TE-SEM-1 European Cultural Histroy HIS2EUT/HIS3EUT
TE-SEM-1 World of the Pharaohs: the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt ARC2EGY/ARC3EGY
TE-WK-28-30 Italian Art and Society (winter semester subject) ARH2IAS/ARH3IAS
TE-SEM-2 Art and Passion in the Baroque ARH2BAA/ARH3BAA
TE-SEM-2 Medieval Europe 600–1200 (on-line subject) ARH2MEU/ARH3MEU
Third year subjects (20 credit points)
TE-SEM-1 Reading Course A1 ARH3RCA
TE-SEM-2 Reading Course B1 ARH3RCB

Key: 1 Special prerequisites apply.

Subjects not available in 2010
Subject title Subject code
Andy Warhol’s America: pop art, politics and popular culture ARH2AWA/ARH3AWA
Art of Byzantium (online unit) ARH2AOB/ARH3AOB
Contemporary Art and its Origins ARH2CAO/ARH3CAO
European Travel and Art ARH2ETA/ARH3ETA
Making America: from Pocahontas to prohibition ARH2MAM/ARH3MAM