Art Humanities

HUMA UN1121 MASTERPIECES OF WESTERN ART, or “Art Humanities’’, has been a degree requirement for all College students and an integral part of the Core Curriculum since 1947. It teaches students how to look at, think about, and engage in critical discussion of the visual arts. It is not a historical survey, but an analytical study of a limited number of monuments and artists. The course focuses on the formal structure of works of architecture, sculpture, painting, and other media, as well as the historical contexts in which these works were made and understood. Among the topics on the syllabus are the Parthenon, Amiens Cathedral, and works by Raphael, Sophonisba, Michelangelo, Bernini, Luisa Roldán, Rembrandt, Clara Peeters, David, Angelika Kauffman, Goya, Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Morisot, Picasso, Bearden, Wright, Le Corbusier, Warhol, Basquiat, and Cindy Sherman. In addition to discussion-based class meetings, all sections of Art Humanities make extensive use of the vast resources of New York City through field trips to museums, buildings, and monuments. 

Registration Procedure

All information concerning registration in HUMA UN1121 MASTERPIECES OF WESTERN ART is included in the registration materials sent to students. It is the expectation of the College that all students complete Art Humanities by the end of their third year.

All Core Curriculum courses, including Art Humanities, must be taken for a letter grade. Students may not drop or withdraw from Art Humanities after the Core drop deadline (which is also the end of the Change-of-Program period). For more information, see Registration—Dropping Core Courses.

Courses of Instruction