Division of Humanities and Fine Arts

Our curriculum, which offers majors in Studio Art or Art History and a minor, provides students the skills, experience, and creative problem-solving abilities to question, understand, and act in the world around us. We embrace interdisciplinary possibilities, both in the liberal arts setting that Washington College provides and in contemporary society. We prepare students for graduate studies and professional careers as artists, scholars, arts administrators, policy makers, activists, creative business owners and solution-finders.

Art + Art History students at Washington College experience small, hands-on classes and one-on-one faculty mentoring. Department offerings are further complemented by a robust program of visiting artists and scholars. Kohl Gallery and SANDBOX present professionally curated and experimental exhibitions and expose students to a wide range of artistic approaches and media.

Our students further benefit from the college’s close proximity to museums and art centers in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York, with a field trip to a major art museum offered each semester. Internship opportunities for Art + Art History students include both credit and non-credit bearing internships in Kohl Gallery as well as external opportunities at regional art museums available exclusively for Washington College students.

Benjamin Tilghman, Chair
Heather Harvey
Aileen Tsui
Julie Wills

Art Courses

Courses Offered in The Washington College Abroad Programs

Art courses are presently offered through the following institutions: Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (art); University of Costa Rico, San José (art), Costa Rica; University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (art); Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador (art); Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK (media arts); University of Hull, Hull, UK (art history); Artois University, Arras, France (art history); University of Provence, Aix-Marseille I, Marseille, France, (art); University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (art); University College, Cork, Cork, Ireland (art history); Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands (art history); Pontificia Universidad, Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru (fine arts); St. Andrews University, St. Andrews, Scotland (art history); Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa (art); Semester in Granada, Spain (art); and University of Nebrija, Madrid, Spain (art).

The following is a selection of commonly taken courses:

ART 150. Methods and Monuments
Painting, sculpture, and architecture studied as artistic and cultural expressions of their times. Emphasis is on selected major artists, monuments, and methods of analysis. Offered in the London program only, both fall and spring semesters. Three credits.

ART 308. Modern Architecture: 1750-1900
Aesthetic and technological developments of architecture, interior design, and the planned environment: Renaissance tradition to Art Nouveau and the rise of the skyscraper. Offered in the London program only, both fall and spring semesters. Three credits.

ART 312. Art in Northern Italy from the Late Gothic through the Renaissance
The course casts light on a very important period of Italian Art during which the Northern Italian cities, with their enlightened rulers, gave birth and played host to some of the most important European artists. Its goal is to examine the most relevant topics of artistic thought and practice in order to understand the peculiarities of each cultural center and of the leading artists operating there. Offered in the Milan program only. Three credits.

ART 314. Art in Northern Italy from the Baroque through the Present
The course analyses a very fruitful segment in the history of Italian Art, focusing, in particular, on artists and artistic movements that developed in the northern regions. The most important topics in artistic thought and practice will be examined in order to understand the peculiarities of each period. A detailed examination of the most significant works of painters, sculptors, and architects will seek to underline the differences in their artistic “languages” and will strengthen the student’s ability to “read” works of art independently. Offered in the Milan program only. Three credits.

ART 319. French Art of the 19th Century
This course surveys developments in art in France during the nineteenth century. The periods and movements studied are Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, and Symbolism. The course includes visits to Paris museums and galleries. Offered in the Paris program only, in the fall semester. (In English.) Three credits.

ART 330. Art and Architecture of Spain
This course is a history of art and architecture in Spain, beginning with Hispanic-Moorish art during the Middle Ages and ending with the contemporary period. Included are the Renaissance, Mannerism, the Baroque, Rococo, and the modern period. The course includes visits to major artistic and architectural sites in the city of Granada. Offered in the Granada, Spain, program only, in the fall semester. (In Spanish.) Prerequisite: Hispanic Studies 202 or equivalent. Three credits.

ART 335. Development of Space and Light in Florentine Painting, 1300-1550
This course will look at Florentine painting between 1300 and 1550 with special emphasis on the development of the illusion of space and light on a two-dimensional surface. The course will explore the sources of these forms (Greco-Roman, Early Christian, and Medieval), as well as look at the works of the major painters of the period (Giotto, Masaccio, Michelangelo). Field trips to view the art of the period are included. Offered in the Siena, Italy, program only, in the spring semester. (In English.) Three credits.