Upper School Curriculum

Grades: 11, 12
Spring

PREREQ: Starting with the Class of 2028, completion of both History 200 courses and one 300-level History course

This course focuses on global art history — primarily from 1800 to the present — through the lens of philosophy and aesthetic theory. Aesthetic theory poses the fundamental question: Does the value of an artwork come from the form of the object itself, from the appreciation of the viewer, from the object’s function or from other sources? The course emphasizes art and visual analysis, with a focus on theoretical frameworks, concepts and readings. Students will begin with broad concepts of beauty and artistic value (i.e., aesthetics). We will consider good and bad taste and how these are culturally defined. All units will address the lenses of gender, race and sexuality, particularly around women and people of color as subjects of art and as artists. This course will moreover allow us to imagine the future of art as works are increasingly created and viewed digitally. Student projects and papers will be applications of theory to artworks of their choosing OR the beginnings of theories of their own based on a body of works. For example, students may complete an in-depth book/article review with citations of artworks; an imagined exhibit that demonstrates a concept; or a proposal for an artwork that demonstrates or undermines a theoretical concept. We will visit the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) in Raleigh in addition to one other field trip.