Impressionist & Post-Impressionist Art

Course Objectives

In this course we will develop an appreciation for the painting and sculpture of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist era. Specifically, we will approach the art of these two important styles in a comparative manner, and we will situate them in relation to social movements, earlier influences, and later artistic movements as well. We will learn to identify major works by individual artists like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec, and to develop an understanding of their social and political context in Paris during the late nineteenth century. Prior knowledge of art history is encouraged but not required for this course.

Course Format

Lecture and discussion will dominate our class meetings, supplemented by occasional assignments and student presentations. Students will demonstrate course proficiency through frequent slide identification and short answer quizzes, and through multiple essay exams. Graduate students also submit a written paper. A thorough commitment to our course material is expected in all of your work.

You MUST check your CSU email account regularly for important notices and updates; this is especially important if you are enrolled in an online version of the course, since we do not regularly meet in person. Statements such as "I never check that account" or "I didn't check my email for a few days so I only just got your message too late" are not valid excuses for missing important course updates, and your grade could suffer as a result. So, in short, check your email!

Required Text (Available at the campus bookstore and via online retailers)

Herbert, Robert. Impressionism: Art, Leisure, & Parisian Society. Yale UP, 1988. ISBN: 978-0300050837

Also Required for Graduate Students:
Clark, T.J. The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers. Revised edition. Princeton UP, 1999. ISBN: 978-0691009032

Optional text:
Thomson, Belinda. Post-Impressionsim. Cambridge UP, 1998. ISBN: 978-0521646093

Computer Requirement

Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer. Especially for online students, I also recommend ear buds or headphones and a webcam with microphone if your computer does not include them. On-line assessments will take place in GeorgiaVIEW, the virtual classroom for the course.

Disability Services

Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, (678) 466-5445, disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu.

Note: If you have added this course during the schedule change period and/or were not present for the syllabus review the first day of class, you are required to meet with me the following week to review course requirements and policies.