Art History


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Art History

The goal of Hamilton's Art History Department is to introduce students to the rich cultural and historical contexts in which art is created and experienced through courses that cover a range of periods, cultures and critical approaches.

Overview

Throughout history, societies have defined and transformed themselves through their art. When we experience a work of art today, we can see not only the work itself, but also the world that produced it. We see something of ourselves, too. More ...

Academic Program

Research Opportunities

Art history students at Hamilton have an exciting range of opportunities to do independent research and study on and off campus. Their creative, engaged efforts go far beyond passive "art appreciation." Students work with professors both during the academic year and over the summer. These collaborations can lead to publication and student-curated exhibitions at the Emerson Gallery. A recent Emerson exhibition, for example, contrasted male and female artists’ differing depictions of war. Many art history majors also serve internships at galleries and museums in New York City, in Boston and across the country. And the department encourages its students to study abroad during their junior year in order to explore the diversity and richness of artistic traditions and styles.


The Senior Program

Senior art history majors prepare an extensive research project in connection with a seminar that is taken in the fall or spring. The program culminates in an oral presentation before an audience of art history majors, faculty members and interested members of the College community. More ...


Resources

The department draws on a range of artistic and cultural resources on campus and off. Hamilton’s Emerson Gallery hosts a vibrant program of exhibitions, lectures, performances and films. Many courses make use of the gallery’s offerings as well as the College’s permanent collection. The permanent collection is available for student research and includes the Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection, recognized as the finest gathering of rare books, maps, manuscripts and art on the Eastern Caribbean in the world. The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, minutes away in Utica, houses one of the most important collections of American art in the country.