Spring 2007 Course Syllabus

Dr. Alyson A. Gill
e-mail: agill@astate.edu
website: http://www.clt.astate.edu/agill
telephone: 972-3752; 972-3050 (Art Dept.)
Office: Fine Arts 116
Office hours: M/W 8:30-9:30, W 11:00-12:00, and by appt.

Required Text:
Stokstad, M., Art: A Brief History, 3rd edition,  Prentice Hall, Inc., 2004.

Course Description:
To acquaint the student with western art history, the critical process, and the production of art in order to achieve a well-balanced appreciation for art and how it relates to the development of western culture.

Course Requirements:
*There will be five exams, including the final exam. Each of the first four exams will consist of slide identifications and definitions, in a multiple choice format. Each exam will be worth 100 points. The final exam will be in essay format. Your lowest exam grade will be dropped. There will be periodic quizzes throughout the semester. Your grade will be determined by the percentage of total points available during the course that you accumulate by the end of the semester (400-475 points depending on how many quizzes we have). The grading system will be based on the following scale: A (100-90), B (89-80), C (79-70), D (69-60), F (59 and below). Class participation will determine your final grade. For example, if you are on or near the border between grades (e.g. 87%-89%, 77%-79%) when I am calculating your final grade, participation will determine which grade you will receive. Finally, any act of dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, in academic work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary actions. For further information read the departmental Academic Integrity Policy.

Extra Credit: Extra credit is available and options can be found under "Extra Credit" on my homepage. Note: All extra credit must be submitted for consideration no later than Monday, April 23rd.

Attendance:
Regular attendance and punctuality at all classes are required, and attendance will be taken at each class. For classes that meet twice a week, 3 points will be deducted from your overall grade for each absence. If the cause of the absence is excusable, I may arrange for the student to make up for the missed work. (Note: Make up exams are entirely dependent upon my discretion. You must notify me prior to your absence. You may not make up missed quizzes, but if you have a documented university-approved excuse for your absence, I will double-count your next quiz. The University Handbook states that for freshman/sophomore courses you may have no more than the following unexcused absences throughout the semester. If this amount is exceeded, you will fail the course.
* For classes meeting MW, you are allowed no more than 6 unexcused absences. 
* For classes meeting TR, you are allowed no more than 4 unexcused absences.
* For classes meeting Tuesday night only, you are allowed no more than 2 unexcused absences.
 
Week 1 (1/8-1/12)
Introduction to the course
Chapter 1 (Art Before the Written Word)
Assignment: Read chapters 1-2 

Week 2 (1/15-1/19)
Chapter 2 (The Art of Mesopotamia and Egypt)
Assignment: Read chapter 4 and prepare for Exam #1

Week 3 (1/22-1/26) 
Exam #1 (Chapters 1-2) will be on Tuesday, January 23rd.
Chapter 4 (Art of the Aegean World)
Assignment: Read Chapter 5

Week 4 (1/29-2/3)
Class cancelled on 1/30/07 due to instructor illness.
All university classes cancelled on 2/1/07 due to snow.
Assignment: Read chapter 6

Week 5 (2/5-2/9)
Chapter 5 (The Spread of Greek Art and Culture)
Chapter 6 (Art of the Roman Republic and Empire)
Assignment: Prepare for Exam #2

Week 6 (2/12-2/16)
Chapter 6 (Art of the Roman Republic and Empire) continued
Exam #2 (Chapters 4-6) will be on Thursday, February 15^th
Assignment: Read Chapters 7, 8,10

NOTE SYLLABUS CHANGES BELOW

Week 8 (2/26-3/2)
Chapter 7 (Jewish, Early Christian, and Byzantine Art)
Chapter 8 (Islamic Art)
Chapter 10 (Early Medieval and Romanesque Art)
Assignment: Read Chapters 11, 12

Week 9 (3/5-3/9)
Chapter 11 (Gothic Art)
Chapter 12 (Early Renaissance Art) 
Assignment: Read Chapters 12 and 13

Week 10 (3/12-3/16)
Chapter 13 (Art of the High Renaissance and Reformation)
Exam #3 (Chapters 7-8, 10-13) will be on Thursday, March 15^th
Assignment: Read Chapter 14 and 17

SPRING BREAK MARCH 19-24

Week 11 (3/26-3/30)
Chapter 14 (Baroque and Rococo Art) 
Assignment: Read Chapter 17

Week 12 (4/2-4/6)
NOTE: ALL CLASSES WILL BE ONLINE THIS WEEK AS I WILL BE IN BERLIN ATTENDING THE CAA 2007 Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology conference.
Assignment: Read Chapter 17

Week 13 (4/9-4/13)
Chapter 17 (Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism)
Exam #4 (Chapters 14 and 17) will be on Thursday, April 12th.
Assignment: Read Chapters 18,19

Week 14 (4/16-4/20)
Chapter 18 (Later Nineteenth-Century Art in Europe and the United States)
Chapter 19 (Modern Art: Europe and North America in the Early Twentieth Century)

NOTE: TUESDAY APRIL 24TH  IS A STUDY DAY AND NO CLASSES WILL BE HELD.

THE DATE OF THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE ANNOUNCED. THE EXAM WILL BE CUMULATIVE.