Art History 1AA3

World Art and Cultural Heritage II

McMaster University, School of the Arts
Wednesdays & Thursdays, 10:30-11:20 am, BSB 147
Winter 2020

Instructor & Contact Information

Dr. Kristin Patterson
Office: Jenkins Room, LRW-3038
Office Hours: Thursdays, 2:30-4:00 or by appt.
Email: pattekr@mcmaster.ca

Teaching Assistants & Contact Information

Emiliya Krichevskaya: kricheve@mcmaster.ca
Jonah Halili: halilija@mcmaster.ca
Edward Middleton: middle3@mcmaster.ca

Course Description
Welcome to the History of Art! This course is suitable for students enrolled in any program
in any faculty. Whether you are thinking about majoring in Art History, or you love to make
art, or you want to understand better what you are looking at when you go to a museum or
travel the world! Alongside the study of specific art objects, our aim will also be to
understand the broader social, political, religious, and cultural contexts within which art is
produced and disseminated. We will also consider the different roles and values assigned
to artworks and the importance of art history as an academic discipline.

The course is designed to demonstrate and teach students some of the basic tools with
which they can analyze secular and religious works of art and architecture from c.1300 to
the present day and to examine works as both aesthetic objects and historical documents.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of Art History 1AA3, you will be able to:
• Identify a range of artistic traditions and practices from around the world
• Place art works in their social and historical context
• Apply key terms for studying art
• Examine art produced in a range of media
• Discuss current issues including: UNESCO’s roles with respect to World
Heritage Sites, the roles of patrons, collectors, visual art institutions and
art world professionals

Required Course Material

Textbook: Marilyn Stokstad and Michael Cothren. Art History. Volume II. 6th edition. New
York: Pearson, 2018.

You have the option of purchasing the physical book with access to e-resources, or you
can purchase only the e-text. Besides the textbook, course materials will be available from
the learning management system, Avenue to Learn, described below.

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Seminars
Each student is part of a seminar group led by your Teaching Assistant (TA). Your TA will
be your main point of contact for this course and for your seminars. Correspondence of a
personal nature (for example health or family emergencies) can be sent to your TA via
email. Your TA will confer with your professor when appropriate.

Should you need to send an email to your TA, include “ART HIST 1AA3” in the subject
header of your email. In the body of your email, include your full name and enough
information for your TA to respond to your query. You will receive a response within 48
hours.

Assessments:
Seminar discussions, as assigned, 20%
Midterm Exam, in class, Thursday, February 6th, 20%
3 Minute Video (Formal Analysis), due March 1st, via Avenue, 15%
Written Assignment (Comparison), due March 15th, via Avenue, 15%
Final Exam, (Date TBC), 30%

Students in this course will have received 20% of their grade in this course by
March 13, 2020.

Details of Assignments:
Guidelines for assignments will be posted on Avenue and discussed in class.

Midterm Exam, 20%

The midterm test will take place in class on Wednesday, February 6th. The midterm test
will cover material from Week 1 through Week 5. The format of the questions will be
discussed in class and a review will be posted on Avenue to Learn.

Please be aware that no MSAF forms will be accepted for missing the midterm exam. If
you are unable to write the midterm due to illness additional medical documentation will be
necessary.

Final Exam, 30%

The date and time of the final exam will be scheduled by the registrar’s office. A detailed
exam review will be discussed in class and posted on Avenue.

Policies:
Grading
At the end of the course your overall percentage grade will be converted to your letter
grade in accordance with the grading system located at
http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/exams/grades/

Communication & Feedback

Students who wish to correspond by email with their professors or teaching assistants
must send messages that originate from their official McMaster University email account.
This protects the confidentiality and sensitivity of information and confirms the identity of
the student.
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Academic Dishonesty
Academic Dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in
unearned academic credit or advantage. This behavior can result in serious
consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on
the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or
suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For

information on the various types of academic dishonesty, please refer to the Academic
Integrity Policy, located at www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity.

The following illustrates three of the forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other
credit has been obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examination

Policy on Late Submission of Required Coursework

Late assignments will be deducted 5% per day for up to a maximum of 5 days. No
assignments will be accepted 5 days after the due dates.

Policy on Missed or Incomplete Coursework

Students who do not complete the Midterm Test or Final Examination for this course will
receive a grade of zero for that assignment. Students will only be permitted to reschedule
when they take the Midterm Test or Final Exam should they encounter serious health or
personal challenges, which would have to be documented by a professional.

Student Accessibility Services

Students who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility
Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a Program Coordinator. Academic
accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Accessibility Services can be
contact by telephone 905-525-9140 ext.28652 or email sas@mcmaster.ca. Alternatively,
consult the SAS website at http://sas.mcmaster.ca.

Copyright
The copyrights of all materials in the course belong exclusively to the copyright owner,
unless otherwise indicated. You may create a copy of materials (e.g. printed copy, take a
screenshot or download) for the purposes of personal study only, according to the “Fair
Dealing” exception of the Copyright Act. You must not distribute any personal copy by any
means, including email or a shared folder (e.g. Dropbox or Google Drive).

Use of Learning Management System (Avenue to Learn)

This course will be using Avenue to Learn. Students should be aware that access to ATL
involves disclosure of private information such as first and last names, user names for the
McMaster email accounts, and program affiliation to all students in the same course.
Participation in this course will be deemed consent to this disclosure. Questions or
concerns about this should be directed to your teaching assistant.
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Potential Modifications to the Course
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the
term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme
circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and
communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to
comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email
and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

Schedule of Lectures:
Week 1: January 8, 9: Introduction
Week 2: January 15, 16: 14th-Century European Art
Week 3: January 22, 23: 15th-Century Northern and Southern Europe
Week 4: January 30, 31: 13th- to 17th-Century Southeast Asia
Week 5: February 5, 6: 16th-Century European Art
Week 6: February 12, 13: Innovations in Printmaking c.1500-1830 &
South and Southeast Asia from 12th to 16th centuries
Week 7: February 26, 27: 17th-Century European Art
Week 8: March 4, 5: Art in 16th to 20th Centuries &
Visual Arts in the Americas from the 1300 to the Present.
Week 9: March 11, 12: Sacred Spaces from the 13th to the 18th Centuries &
20th-Century African Art
Week 10: March 18, 19: Artistic Training: Renaissance Guilds to Art Academies
Week 11: March 25, 26: Visual Arts of the 19th and early 20th Centuries
Week 12: April 1, 2: Art in the 20th and 21st Centuries

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