Current Undergraduate Courses

PLEASE NOTE:

• Times and locations of courses are published in the Public Class Schedule.
• Official Calendar Course Descriptions are available in the Undergraduate and Graduate Calendars.
• Official Course Outlines will be distributed at the first class of the term.

Fall 2026-Winter 2027

First Year

ARTH 1100A: Art and Society: Prehistory to the Renaissance – Fall Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: This course is a broad survey of different artistic traditions from prehistory to the Renaissance that explores how works of art were produced, and the roles that they played in their societies. Principle theories of art from the ancient and medieval worlds will also be introduced. Participants will gain the ability to recognize images from a wide range of times and places, and their relationships with the societies and cultures where they originated. Course activities develop basic visual analysis skills that are valuable in today’s image-saturated world.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Three-part analysis and virtual exhibit assignment 45% total; In-class Midterm test 15%; Final Exam 25%; Tutorial 15%
• READINGS: Students are not required to purchase textbooks or other materials; lectures are supported by a background video and online readings

ARTH 1101B: Art and Society: Renaissance to Present – Winter Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: This course is a broad survey of the theoretical and practical developments in Western art and its changing relationship to society from the Renaissance to the present. Major ideas, artists, and works will be introduced and analyzed. Participants will gain the ability to recognize images from a wide range of times and places, and their relationships with the societies and cultures where they originated. Course activities develop basic visual analysis skills that are valuable in today’s image-saturated world.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Three-part analysis and virtual exhibit assignment 45% total; In-class Midterm test 15%; Final Exam 25%; Tutorial 15%
• READINGS: Students are not required to purchase textbooks or other materials; lectures are supported by a background video and online readings

ARTH ####A  – Term

• INSTRUCTOR: …
• DESCRIPTION: …
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: …
• READINGS: …

Second Year

ARTH 2202B: Medieval Architecture and Art  – Winter Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: This course is a survey of major themes and monuments of medieval visual culture from its fourth-century roots to the fifteenth century. We will examine developments in religious and secular architecture, sculpture in various materials, and pictorial media, including stained glass, metalwork, enamel, mosaic, and manuscript illumination across the changing cultural landscapes of post-classical Europe. Themes include reception and methods of visual communication, relationships with the broader culture, exchange and interaction with neighbouring societies, and the complicated legacy of antiquity.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Terminology Quiz 5%; Midterm Test 25%; Term Project 35%; Final Exam: 30%; Attendance: 5%
• READINGS: There is no assigned textbook for the course. Weekly readings will be posted on the class Brightspace page

ARTH ####A  – Term

• INSTRUCTOR: …
• DESCRIPTION: …
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: …
• READINGS: …

Third Year

ARTH 3108A: History and Methods of Art History  – Winter Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Carol Payne
• DESCRIPTION: The study of current methodologies and research tools employed by art historians. This course examines the writing of art history and the methods and theories that underpin art historical texts.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: A combination of response papers, presentations, discussions, and written research TBA.
• READINGS: The emphasis in the class will be on reading current and classic theoretical texts. Readings will be available through Brightspace and ARES.

ARTH 3501A Digital Media Production for Emerging Arts Professionals – Fall Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Paul Jasen
• DESCRIPTION: This course is designed for emerging arts (and design) professionals in any field. Our focus is on developing fundamental skills in digital media production that will be of use to students planning careers in the arts sector or related industries. Through lessons, case studies, workshopping and collaborative production sessions, students will gain experience in the following areas: website design and development, image editing, audio recording and podcasting, digital photography, streaming video, designing for print, social media integration and writing for the web. Students will leave this course having developed a multi-faceted portfolio project related to their field, as well as confidence and demonstrated proficiency using current media production tools and platforms.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: In-class workshopping activities; small skill-building assignments; production of a multi-part media project on a topic related to your field or creative practice.
• READINGS: TBA
• CROSS-LISTED WITH: FILM 3901A/MUSI 3201A

ARTH 3809A: Roman Baroque Architecture – Fall Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: The dynamic architecture that emerged in Rome beginning in the 1580s retained the classical vocabulary of the earlier Renaissance but transformed it into something formally and experientially very different. As with the rest of the visual culture of the Baroque era, spatial engagement and rhetorical effects became paramount, with fluid curves and theatrical flourishes predominating. The movement spread across Italy and around the world in countless regional variations, but the archetypal innovations appeared in Rome. This course will trace the emergence of an identifiable Baroque idiom and its development over the following century and a half, with specific attention to historiographic and other theoretical implications and cultural contexts. Architects to be considered include Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Pietro da Cortona, Plautilla Bricci, and Carlo Fontana among others.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Term project 30%; Midterm test 25%; Final Exam 35%; Attendance 5%
• READINGS: There is no assigned textbook for the course. Weekly readings will be posted on the class Brightspace page
• CROSS-LISTED WITH: ARTH 4809A

ARTH 3809B: Special Topics in Art and Visual Culture – Sculpture of the Roman Baroque – Winter Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: The Italian Baroque, defined roughly from the 1590s to the early 18th century, witnessed the emergence of a radically new form of sculpture. Superficially similar to the work of the earlier Renaissance and Classical Antiquity, it innovated new methods of spatial integration and viewer engagement. While figures such as Gianlorenzo Bernini are reasonably well-known, the theoretical implications are less so. This course examines Baroque sculpture as essentially a new art form that does not fit neatly in the theoretical categories inherited from Renaissance art writing. Themes will include early modern sculpture theory, an extensive survey of specific works and their reception contexts, problems with critical and historiographic responses, and the development of new analytic vocabulary to account for this phenomenon.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Term Assignment 35%; Midterm Test 25%; Final Exam 35%; Attendance 5%
• READINGS: There is no assigned textbook for the course. Weekly readings will be posted on the class Brightspace page
• CROSS-LISTED WITH: ARTH 4809B

Fourth Year

ARTH 4809A: Roman Baroque Architecture  – Fall Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: The dynamic architecture that emerged in Rome beginning in the 1580s retained the classical vocabulary of the earlier Renaissance but transformed it into something formally and experientially very different. As with the rest of the visual culture of the Baroque era, spatial engagement and rhetorical effects became paramount, with fluid curves and theatrical flourishes predominating. The movement spread across Italy and around the world in countless regional variations, but the archetypal innovations appeared in Rome. This course will trace the emergence of an identifiable Baroque idiom and its development over the following century and a half, with specific attention to historiographic and other theoretical implications and cultural contexts. Architects to be considered include Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Pietro da Cortona, Plautilla Bricci, and Carlo Fontana among others.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Three-stage term project 70% total, Reading Review Presentation 15%; Attendance and Participation 15%
• READINGS: There is no assigned textbook for the course. Weekly readings will be posted on the class Brightspace page.
• CROSS-LISTED WITH: ARTH 3809A

ARTH 4809B: Sculpture of the Roman Baroque  – Winter Term

• INSTRUCTOR: Morgan Currie
• DESCRIPTION: The Italian Baroque in Rome, defined roughly from the 1590s to the early 18th century, witnessed the emergence of a radically new form of sculpture. Superficially similar to the work of the earlier Renaissance and Classical Antiquity, it innovated new methods of spatial integration and viewer engagement. While figures such as Gianlorenzo Bernini are reasonably well-known, the theoretical implications are less so. This course examines Baroque sculpture as essentially a new art form that does not fit neatly in the theoretical categories inherited from Renaissance art writing. Themes will include early modern sculpture theory, an extensive survey of specific works and their reception contexts, problems with critical and historiographic responses, and the development of new analytic vocabulary to account for this phenomenon.
• METHOD OF EVALUATION: Three-stage term project 70% total, Reading Review Presentation 15%; Attendance and Participation 15%
• READINGS: There is no assigned textbook for the course. Weekly readings will be posted on the class Brightspace page.
• CROSS-LISTED WITH: ARTH 3809B

Previous terms

• 2025-2026 Course Listings (F/W/S)
• 2024-2025 Course Listings (F/W/S)
• 2023-2024 Course Listings (F/W/S)
• 2022-2023 Course Listings (F/W/S)

Courses in the BA programs

The goals of the majors and honours program in Art History are to give students a thorough knowledge of the history of art, and to engage them critically in the current debates within the discipline and in the humanities in general. Such an education provides students with an awareness and understanding of various cultures as well as an appreciation of cultural difference. It also enables them to think and look critically. Students gain important communication skills, verbal and oral, through exchanging ideas in the classroom and writing research papers.

This training gives students a curiosity for intellectual endeavours, as well as a critical advantage that is necessary for professional life. It also provides them with the communication and research skills that are demanded in a variety of workplaces. Finally, our thorough training in art historical matters enables students to go on to studies at the graduate level, as many of our students do.