Art traces the contours of history. By studying it, we begin to recognize social and political shifts woven in fabric, molded in clay, and brushed on canvas.

Why study Art History at Sewanee?

Viewing artwork in its cultural context opens our eyes to art's indelible mark on human existence. What movement inspired this style? What does this piece say about the audience, nevermind the artist? Does art prompt, or react? Asking questions is an integral part of education here on the Mountain. Curiosity in itself is an art form. So what will you study here at Sewanee?

You will be strongly encouraged to complete a range of courses in complementary disciplines, including studio art, literature, history, philosophy, and religion. You’ll study prominent styles and periods of art from both social and aesthetic perspectives. And later, you’ll be invited to choose an area of special interest: ancient/medieval, renaissance/baroque, or modern/American.

FIRST DESTINATIONS: art history MAJORS

Sewanee graduates secure positions in a variety of fields. Some you would expect, others, are a bit of a surprise. Sewanee prepares you for your profession and your passion. Below is a sampling of recent graduates' first job.

  • Appraisals Coordinator, Doyle, New York City, NY.
  • Marketing Coordinator, Washington Fine Properties, Washington, D.C.
  • Museum Services, Pook & Pook Auctions and Appraisals, Dowington, PA.
  • Dance Teacher, Candler School of Dance, Atlanta, GA.
GRADUATE SCHOOL & PREPROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS: ART HISTORY MAJORS

Sewanee graduates enjoy extraordinary acceptance rates to top graduate and preprofessional programs–about 95 percent to law school and over 85 percent to medical school. Below is a sampling of where Sewanee grads continue their education.

  • Master's in Medieval Art, Courtauld Institute, England.
  • Master's in Cinema Studies, Savannah College of Art and Design.
  • Master's in Fine & Decorative Art, Sotheby's Institute of Art.
  • Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology, University of Texas Austin.

A Sampling of Courses

Sacred Arts of Japan
Art History

This course introduces religious artworks of Japan from the sixth century to the present day. Following a chronological sequence, examines artwork from Buddhist, Shinto, and Christian belief systems. Investigates two-dimensional works, sculpture, and architecture. Explores topics such as the relationship between ritual practice and the visual arts, images of heaven and hell, hidden icons, relics, and interactions of sacred and secular in the visual realm.

ARTH 305
Pop Art
Art History

This seminar charts the development of Pop Art in North America and Europe between 1960 and 1973, investigating why art made by a diverse group of artists, using a variety of aesthetic techniques, is labeled "pop." Lectures and discussions explore stylistic, social, and political issues raised by Pop as well as features that diverse Pop practices show in common—including the use of readymade imagery, photography, text, and performance. The seminar concludes by tracing Pop art's influence on work from the late 1970s to the present.

ARTH 360
Europe: A Community in the Arts
Art History

This course emphasizes the relationships and interactions between Spain and the other Western European countries as well as Spain as a cultural and artistic bridge between Europe and North Africa and between Europe and the New World. It includes visits to museums, monuments and cultural institutions in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Morocco with special attention to art collections, collecting and their origins. This course is only available through the Sewanee Semester in Spain program.

ARTH 497
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Art History

Programs of Study & Related Programs

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Art History

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Art | Website

Requirements for the Minor in Film Studies | Website

 

Meet Some Professors

Nancy Mishoe Brennecke
mbrennec@sewanee.edu

Mishoe Brennecke received a B.A. in Art History and English from the University of the South. She earned an M.A. in Art History at Columbia University in the City of New York and Ph.D. in Art History from the City University of New York. She teaches courses in American Art, nineteenth century European art, and British art, as well as the survey of Western Art I and II. She is also the Sewanee representative for European Studies, an interdisciplinary study abroad program sponsored jointly by Sewanee and Rhodes College.

Professor of Art History
Greg Clark
gclark@sewanee.edu

Gregory T. Clark, Professor of Art History, teaches upper-division courses in Western art before 1600 (Greek and Roman Art, Medieval Art, Art and Devotion in Late Medieval Northern Europe, Italian Renaissance Art, and Northern Renaissance Art). He received his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1975; his M.A. from Queens College, City University of New York, in 1978; and his M.F.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1981 and 1988, respectively. Professor Clark's scholarly specialty is manuscript illumination in northern France and the southern Netherlands in the fifteenth century.

Professor of Art History
Jeffrey Thompson
jpthomps@sewanee.edu

Jeffrey Thompson is an Art History professor and chair of Film Studies at Sewanee. He teaches courses in Modern and Contemporary art and film history. Jeff received his M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University and his Ph.D. in art history from Emory University (2006). He is a specialist in the history of Conceptual art in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. His research interests include the history of photography, Pop art, and graffiti focusing on issues like media, mass culture, and the politics of display and reception.

Associate Professor of Art History and Department Chair
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Contact

Jeffrey Thompson
Associate Professor of Art History

jpthomps@sewanee.edu

Carnegie Hall 307, Ext. 1493

Tennessee Williams Center
Legacy of the south's favorite playwright

The Tennessee Williams Center provides unique, state-of-the-art facilities for the students and faculty. Created with funds from the estate of Tennessee Williams himself, the center houses a fully equipped 175-seat theatre, a 60-seat studio theatre, a drafting and design studio, a dance studio, costume and scenery studios, and dressing rooms.

On with the show!
Exhibition Venues on Campus
Fostering artistic conversation

Along with performance venues, Sewanee also has several art and exhibition galleries on campus. The University Art Gallery, the Museum Gallery of Archives, and the Carlos Gallery house everything from contemporary art shows to archived work, featuring current students, accomplished alumni, and internationally acclaimed artists.

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Classical Studies
The archetype of liberal arts education

The roots of Greek and Latin and the power of their mythology helped propel Western civilization. Classics majors at Sewanee benefit from the study of Western civilization’s foundational languages and find that their influence extends to today’s world. From medical terminology and legal language to hard sciences and the English language itself, we are surrounded by the legacy of our intellectual ancestors.

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