Department of Art and Archaeology

Perhaps the newest of the humanities, the history of art is little more than a century old. The discipline took shape in a period that saw also the development of historical method and the formation of the modern university; with the invention of photography, it received one of its vital tools. It is a humanistic endeavor embracing cultures throughout the world and ranging in time from prehistory to the present.

It is also a pluralistic discipline. Art historians may study a culture in order to understand objects better, they may study objects as sources of information about a culture, or they may do both. Whatever their interests, they share a preoccupation with the work of art; unlike most other historians, they deal with tangible objects surviving from the past. The historical and critical study of such objects can serve many ends. Perhaps the most obvious reward that art history offers is access to works and cultures remote from us in space and time, and with it, new perspectives on our own culture and time.

The department offers three programs for the prospective major, each with different requirements. Majors concentrating in art history elect Program 1 and take courses in five distribution areas (Far Eastern, ancient Mediterranean, medieval/Islamic, Renaissance/baroque, and modern— including American art and photography). Majors who wish to combine art history courses with studio art courses given by the Program in Visual Arts may elect Program 2 (or may elect Program 1 with a certificate in visual arts, an option that shifts the balance of required courses toward art history). Program 3 is the Program in Classical Archaeology, which has requirements split between this department and the classics department.

Because they cover broad stretches of the history of art, from antiquity to modern times, ART 101 and ART 102 offer easy ways to explore the department. Most 200-level courses are equally accessible, however, as are many higher-level courses. Courses at the 300, 400, and 500 level tend to be narrower in chronological range, or they focus on specific themes (for example, funerary architecture) or issues (for example, the functions of art). Depending on the interests of a particular student, courses in architecture, history, literature, and ancient or modern languages can form part of a major in art and archaeology, and many of the University’s certificate programs, ranging from women and gender studies to East Asian studies, can also be natural complements to the major.

The department aims to introduce its students both to fundamental problems in the field of art history and to a wide range of research strategies. Thanks to the rich holdings of Princeton’s art museum and other nearby museums, original works of art play an important role in the department’s teaching. Majors who wish to go on to graduate work in art history, archaeology, conservation, or museum work should find themselves well prepared; some majors turn to the commercial sector and, with or without an advanced degree, work in galleries or auction houses. The department does not think of its program as narrowly preprofessional, however. Like other liberal arts departments, it tries to teach responsible use of evidence and critical habits of thought useful in any career. Recent graduates have gone into medicine, law, and many other fields.