Art History Academics

Overview

Why Study Art History?
Art History as a Discipline and as a Liberal Arts Education

Art History is the study of the visual arts in civilization. It examines changing values in all fields of visual culture, including painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, architecture, film, the mass media, and forms of popular expression. Its interdisciplinary reach encompasses literature, history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, gender studies, critical theory, and cultural studies. Art History emphasizes visual as well as verbal and written literacy, providing more than the standard advantages to a liberal arts education.

The language of visual culture speaks across boundaries of history and geography, resonating powerfully in every society. The study of art history is the study of the expression of personal and social truths through painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and other fine and popular arts. As an art history major, you will draw on aspects of literature, history, critical theory, philosophy, anthropology and cultural studies in your efforts to understand the complex reasons that people create, support and value the visual arts.

View all UCD Arts departments and programs

Melody Chiang

Art
History

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Art
Studio

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Cinema and Digital Media

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Design

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Music

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Theatre
and Dance

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Performance Studies

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Mondavi
Center

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ARTS ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP

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