Mission Statement

The discipline of Art History has recently experienced a tremendous expansion and redefinition of both its interpretive practices and its main object of inquiry. The field has come to embrace a much wider body of material than was previously the case, not only aesthetically pleasing objects regarded as "high art" but also a variety of less privileged "artifacts" of popular culture whose interest may lie in realms very different from the strictly aesthetic. The question "what is art?" or, put differently, "what is the proper object of art historical inquiry?" is more vehemently disputed that ever. Art History's interpretive perspectives have also diversified and new methodologies have proliferated. As part of the call for greater critical and theoretical awareness in the practice of Art History, the foundations and historiography of the field are being reexamined with a heightened level of self-consciousness.

The Department of Art History at Dartmouth College is committed to exploring the material culture of diverse peoples, places and periods in intellectually searching ways. The broad and active research of our faculty supports an undergraduate curriculum that spans many centuries, cultures and media. Our general courses seek to introduce students to the various histories of architecture, painting, sculpture, and graphic arts, while our more advanced offerings tackle specific historical phenomena or particular thematic problems. We aim to promote the study of the history of visual culture at the highest levels. Although one of our fundamental aims is to prepare our students for graduate study in Art History, and therefore for careers in this field, we also seek to equip our students with skills--especially in logical reasoning, critical writing, and public speaking--that will serve them well in any number of professions.

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