Professor Megan Cifarelli

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ARH 1011: History of Art I (4 cr.).  This course is designed to introduce students to the great traditions in art, as well as to the discipline of Art History.  The fall semester will focus primarily on the art of the Western tradition, from the ancient Near East to the dawn of the Renaissance in Europe.  The spring semester, which covers the Baroque period through the modern era, also includes significant study of the art of China and Japan

Syllabus 


IDS 1000A.06. Preceptorial: The Trojan War (3 cr).  This class will examine the legendary Trojan War through literature, historical texts, archaeology, the visual arts, drama, and film. We begin with an archaeological exploration of Bronze Age Greece and the Aegean coast of Turkey (the likely setting of the Trojan War). We will read the earliest written account of the Trojan War, Homer's Iliad, and then  investigate the influence of the Trojan War on the visual, literary and performing arts of classical Greece , the Roman Empire, and early modern Europe . The course will culminate with an examination of the contemporary representations of the Trojan War, including the 2004 film Troy.

Syllabus


MSTUD 1001: Introduction to Museum Studies (3 cr).  This class introduces students to the history of museums and their role in the 21st century.  We will cover the types and definitions of museums, from traditional art museums, to interactive science and children’s museums, history museums and historic sites.  In the second half of the course, we will explore the range of professions within the museum, including management, fundraising, public relations, security, collections management and conservation, education, membership support, research, development and design of exhibitions.  The class features mandatory field trips to, and guest speakers from, local and NYC museums.

  Syllabus


ARH 1019 Art of the Ancient World (3 cr.) This introductory class will familiarize students with the artistic and cultural production of ancient Mediterranean civilizations, including Mesopotamia , Persia , Egypt , Minoan Crete, Greece, Etruria and Rome . Through the art of these ancient cultures, this class will acquaint students with basic issues in the study of art history, such as the importance of historical and archaeological context. Objects in, and visits to, New York City Museums will be an integral part of this course. 

Syllabus


ARH 2011: Greek Art (3 cr) This course presents the art and culture of ancient Greece between 800 BCE and 30 BCE . During the semester, we will be examining the painting, sculpture, and architecture of ancient Greece , a civilization credited with significant contributions to the development of modern western culture. The rich collections of Greek Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will be utilized in this class. 

Syllabus


ARH 2022: Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt (3 cr.) The emphasis in this course is on Egyptian culture from the perspective of the visual arts and architecture, and it will provide a survey of the art of ancient Egypt from the Predynastic Period through the end of the New Kingdom . The objectives of this course include mastery of major monuments of ancient Egypt , including painting, sculpture and the decorative arts, as well as of the contexts for which they were created, including funerary complexes (mastabas, pyramids, rock cut tombs and funerary temples), temples dedicated to the gods and royal palaces.  

Syllabus


ARH 2039 The City of Rome: Antiquity to the Baroque (3cr) This class is offered in conjunction with the Art History Department's Study Trip to Rome during the March spring vacation.  

Students are introduced to the vast architectural and artistic riches of the city of Rome from antiquity through the Renaissance and Baroque by daily guided visits to monuments such as the Imperial Forum, Colosseum, the Basilica of Saint Peter’s, the Vatican Museums, and the Capitoline Museums.  A day trip to Tivoli is planned, where students will explore the ancient Villa of Hadrian, and the Renaissance gardens of the Villa d’Este.  There are trip charges in addition to tuition. Sign up with the Art History Department occurs in the fall term to allow travel arrangements to be made.  Students must have permission of the instructors to register. Students enrolled in Section 1 with Prof. Cifarelli will write a research paper on an aspect of ancient Roman culture or art; students enrolled in Section 2 with Prof. Rafanelli will write a research paper on an aspect of Renaissance or Baroque culture or art.  

Syllabus under development  


ARH 2060 Roman Art (3cr) This course offers a detailed study of Roman civilization through its artistic and architectural monuments, from the time of the Etruscans to the fall of the Roman Empire .  Topics to be studied  include the cultural legacy of the Etruscans, the impact of Greek art and architecture on that of Republican and Imperial Rome, the houses and paintings preserved by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, Augustan Rome, The monuments of Trajan and Hadrian, the era of Constantine and the shift to Christianity. 

  Syllabus


ARH 3030/5030 Ancient Painting Seminar (4 cr.) This course begins with a survey of painting in the Ancient Near East, Egypt , and Greece , and will focus on Roman painting in particular. The paintings and mosaics preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. provide a unique opportunity to examine ancient media within their cultural, architectural and archaeological context. We will explore the Roman practice of copying paintings by renowned Greek painters, and of “translating” these paintings in to mosaic, as well the use of styles and subjects that are uniquely Roman. Mandatory attendance at all required field trips and writing workshops. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor. 

Syllabus under development


ARH 3063: Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Art (4 cr.) A seminar focusing on the ways in which the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia , Egypt , Greece and Rome used art as a means of presenting and representing the relationship between biological sex (male, female) and the social invention of gender (husband, warrior, king, wife, mother, whore, etc.). Mandatory attendance at all required field trips and writing workshops. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor. 

  Syllabus


ARH 3070/5070 Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Art and Society (4 cr.) This course examines images of death and the afterlife, as well as art and objects created to accompany the dead into the next world, in the ancient world, particularly in Mesopotamia , Egypt , Greece and Rome . Within the context of each civilizations, the course will examine the beliefs and rituals that attend death and the afterlife, as evidenced through archaeology, art, mythology and literature. We will look closely at the interplay between images and beliefs. Mandatory attendance at all required field trips and writing workshops. Prerequisite: One art history class or permission of the instructor.

Syllabus


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Department of Art History | Manhattanville College | 2900 Purchase Street | Purchase, NY 10577 | 914 323 7265 | cifarellim@mville.edu