Course Contents

1. Art of China and Japan: The course of China will cover the following topics- Bronze age (18th to 11th cent B.C.); Influence of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism on the art and life of the Chinese people; expansion of Buddhist art and sculpture from the 5th century to the 10th cent.-13th cent.; The art of Dun huang Landscape paintings – Selected works of famous artists; Ch’an Buddhism and art; The course on Art of Japan-includes Archaic period (pre-Buddhist art) and Shinto; introduction of Buddhism and Buddhist sculpture and painting from Asuka period till the Kamakura period (CE 645-1185); Shinto and Buddhist amalgamation and art during the Heian period and Kamakura period (CE 794-1185); Zen Buddhism and Zen art during the Muromachi period (CE 1392-1573); scroll painting or emakimono during Heian and Kamakura period; Momoyama period ( CE 1573-1615) screen painting and Ukiyo-e prints from Edo period (CE 1615-1868). 2. Comparative Aesthetics and Art History • The principles and elements of Indian and Western approaches to art: • The principles and elements of art in South Asia as expounded in, i. Indian art: the Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara Purana, Natyashastra, Dhvanyaloka will be studied. Theories of rasa, dhvani and alankara will be introduced ii. Persian Art: inheritance of Muslims who occupied south Asia for several centuries iii. The principal aesthetic ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Kant & Hegel, Croce. iv. The last section of the course will study the art historical methodology through the writings of Giorgio Vasari, Heinrich Wolfflin, Roger Fry, Erwin Panofsky, Ernst Hans Gombrich and will investigate the issues of art connoisseurship, representation, formalism, Iconology. The concepts of Avant-Garde, Semiotics, Structuralism, and Post- Structuralism, Post-modernism, feminism and Afro-American art will also be briefly introduced. v. Students will write research assignments to foster their research skills and knowledge. 3. Seminar /presentation Students will be encouraged to prepare PowerPoint presentations to present their research and understanding of the information. They will also manage Seminars on different topics of arts. 4. Thesis Students will write a thesis of 20,000 words using their knowledge from the courses of Art History that they will study, according to the proper research methodology suggested by the department. Each research thesis by the students will be supervised by separate supervisor from the faculty to enhance the quality of the research.

Course Synopsis

This theoretical course is based on in-depth study of the art history. This course will also focus on the basic premises, key concepts, definite principles and techniques that help comprehend art history as a discipline. Final thesis of 20,000 words will be submitted by the student.

Course Learning Outcomes

This course provides a solid base for a student who wishes to pursue Art History as her MS/Mphil major. With such a vast and in-depth knowledge of various historical avenues BFA art historian will be ready to serve in any professional field of art, history and anthropology.