ART HISTORY I
f you want to learn about visual art and the history of the world, from the Paleolithic to the contemporary, there’s no better method than through the lens of visual culture. Studies in art history strengthen your understanding of art and culture by examining, analyzing, and interpreting works of art. Art history at Rollins embraces an interdisciplinary approach by integrating techniques from archaeology, anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology. As an art history major, you’ll gain a broad range of flexible skills that will prepare you for the rapidly changing 21st-century job market, including critical and creative thinking, visual literacy, writing, research, global history, and diversity.
Why Study Art History at Rollins Discerning Approach to Visual Media You’ll learn to be critical and skeptical consumers of images, both historical and contemporary, which will prepare you for both grad school and a variety of careers, from museum professions to medicine and law.
International Perspective With an eye toward global citizenship, art historians explore world cultures through their aesthetic traditions.
Practical Experience Through volunteer and internship experiences with local museums, like Rollins’ very own Cornell Fine Arts Museum and its Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, students gain hands-on professional experience.
“Majoring in art history at Rollins was incredibly valuable because the major trains students to construct strong written arguments supported by both documentary and material/visual evidence and gives them the skills they need to defend their ideas verbally. These two things have become fundamental to my day-to-day life. While at Rollins, I received incredible mentorship from professors without which I certainly would not be on the path I am today.”
Rebecca Charbonneau ’16 PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge
Rollins Art History Careers Rollins art history grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions and innovative organizations.
Christian Bromley ’12
Associate Attorney, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Katherine Gundeck ’11
Wealth Advisor Associate, Morgan Stanley; Gallery Assistant, Christie’s
Hannah Lewis ’13
Medical Student, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Morgan Metzger ’15
Associate Attorney, O’Connell + Crispin Ackal
Andrea Stahlman ’13
Assistant Director of Admissions, Cornell University
Daniel Zietlow ’10
Producer, Director, Videographer, and Editor, Earth Initiatives; Education Generalist, UNAVCO, Inc.
Real World Experience From internships to research, art history students hone their skills in the real world.
Popular Courses Rollins art history courses help you develop a sophisticated understanding of the relationships between art, history, and culture through examination, analysis, and interpretation of art. Studies begin with broad surveys and conclude with you co-curating an exhibition at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. • ARH 140 Introduction to Global Art • ARH 217 Art and Archaeology of the Roman Empire • ARH 243 Fashion in Africa • ARH 327 Rome: Caravaggio & Bernini • ARH 368 Picturing War • ARH 404 Museum Studies Practicum
Beyond the Classroom Study Abroad Many of our students spend time at places of great artistic and historical import, such as Trinity College in Rome, IAU in Aix-en-Provence, American University in Paris, and on full-year studies in Athens.
Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program Our expert faculty and industrious students work together on scholarly research for professional publication or exhibition, such as repatriation of artworks; studies on historic Venetian social institutions; African textiles, clothing, and adornment; as well as other topics of global-historical significance.
Archaeological Excavations Rollins’ art history students have been active participants on excavation teams at Murlo, near Siena, Italy, and Poggio Colla, near Florence, as well as at other sites around the world. Students working on archaeological sites have served as unit supervisors and even engaged in independent research projects.
ADM 1808-0154
Expert Faculty At Rollins, you’ll study under faculty with wide-ranging expertise. Our professors are scholars who help you connect with the broader academic and museum community, assist you in choosing graduate programs, and act as role models for your own research and writing.
Kim Dennis, PhD | Professor of Art History Research interests: Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture, with a particular interest in women’s involvement in the arts as artists, patrons, and subjects
Susan Libby, PhD | Professor of Art History Research interests: European art, with an emphasis on colonialism and construction of race and gender; contemporary cultural property disputes
MacKenzie Moon Ryan, PhD | Assistant Professor of Art History Research interests: African and global art, especially textiles, fashion, trade, colonialism, cross-cultural exchange, and museum studies
Robert Vander Poppen, PhD | Associate Professor of Classical Art & Archaeology Research interests: Ancient art and archaeology, with an emphasis on the negotiation of social and cultural tensions between imperial powers and native communities
rollins.college/art-history