COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course gives the student an overview of the art of the Western world (Europe and America) through first-hand study of works in some of New York City's most important public art collections.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Richard G. Tansey and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. Tenth ed. Fort Worth et. al.: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1996.

Attendance:

Attendance is required at all classes and museum field trips. Students who miss more than one class risk a lowering of the grade for the course. Only a note from a physician certifying illness will be considered appropriate as an excuse for missing class or field trips.

Transportation to museums:

Please bring a Metrocard with several rides or at least two subway tokens to each class. This will save time and allow us to arrive at our destination quickly.

Admission Fees

A number of the museums we will visit this semester require that fees be paid or contributions be made for museum admissions. As the fees must be paid in a lump sum and often in advance, we will need you to bring to class on September 17th an envelope with your name on it and $15.00 cash inside the envelope. This will cover all your museum fees except for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which we will visit on October 8th at a cost of $1.00 per person; and Museum of Modern Art, which you will visit on your own on the evening of December 10th. The Museum of Modern Art has a "pay what you wish" policy on Friday evenings; we suggest that you pay $1.50 on your visit to MoMA. Should you be unable to afford the museum entry fees (as opposed to feeling you do not wish to pay them), please see Prof. Smith in private.

Exams:

A midterm and a final examination will be given. The exams will consist of short slide identifications, slide comparisons, and a longer essay. Any student found copying on an examination from another student's work or a written paper will fail the course. You must pass the midterm and final to get a passing grade for the course.

Make-up exams for the midterm will be given only in cases of proven medical or personal emergencies. You must contact us by Monday, October 25th at 12:00 PM to schedule a make-up. Failure to do so will result in a grade of "F" for the exam. You must provide written proof of your reason for absence (i.e. a note from a physician) before or at the make-up midterm.

Make-up exams for the final will not be given during the regular exam period. See the attached copy of the Fine Arts Department rules on incomplete and missed examinations included in this syllabus and posted on the Fine Arts Department door.

Course Reserve:

The required course text and the following Museum catalogues are on reserve in Bobst Library and in the Grey Fine Arts Library (opposite the Fine Arts Department offices at 303 Main Building):

Web Site:

There will be a web site for this class that will allow you to view images of some (but not all) of the works from the museums. The web site is intended as a study aid, and it provides the course with additional structure. Remember, however, that this is a field-study course, not an on-line course. You must attend the lectures and museum field trips to pass; you cannot pass the course by studying the images on the web site alone.

The address is http://www.nyu.edu/classes/finearts/smith/ptg_sculp_nyc/

Remember:

This is a difficult course, and it will require considerable time to organize and learn the materials presented in class. Do not miss classes or think you can prepare for the exams at the last moment. You must keep up with your studies each week.