Studies in 19th-Century Art (450-0-1)

Topic

France & the Ottomans: Art & Revolution Across Emp

Instructors

Thadeus Dowad

Meeting Info

Kresge 4354 Art Hist. Sem. Rm.: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This graduate seminar explores the relationship between art and imperialism in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a focus on the art and architecture of the French and Ottoman empires. Rather than prioritize processes of cultural exchange, this seminar takes the various revolutions (political, social, economic) that defined this period of global history as a transcultural framework for examining the co-evolution of French and Ottoman art. This seminar combines deep analysis of individual artworks with historical and theoretical readings from disciplines outside of art history, including postcolonial studies, feminist theory, queer theory, comparative literature, and MENA studies. In addition to studying established frameworks for analyzing Franco-Ottoman art history (such as Orientalism), this seminar also explores new approaches for writing transcultural art histories at the intersection of revolution and empire.

This seminar will be of interest to students of art and imperialism, modern French and Ottoman cultural history, Orientalism, and revolutionary politics and aesthetics. Students are welcome to write their final research paper on any topic that touches on these themes.

Class Materials (Required)

There is no textbook required for this course.