ARTS 1303 World Art Survey I

A History of Art from the Paleolithic through the Age of Cathedrals

Spring 2019
Classroom: B 3332
T/Th 11:30 am – 12:50 pm

Professor Sarah Costello Office: Bayou 2121-10

Office Hours: T / TH 10-11:30; Tuesday 1-4; or by appointment (please email)
costello@uhcl.edu1

Course Description:
An introduction to the history of the art through a survey of painting, sculpture, architecture and
crafts from the prehistoric era through the medieval period. Emphasis will be on understanding
visual culture as an expression of the people who produced it, and as a means of understanding
historical context.

We will follow a historical progression, studying a number of cultures and periods in turn. The
best way to succeed is to read the textbook before each class, attend every lecture, take good
notes, and study each week. Be advised that you cannot learn this material at the last minute.

Learning Outcomes:
 Demonstrate knowledge about the art and cultures of various western civilizations (from
prehistory through the Medieval period)
 Develop observation, analytical & writing skills
 Consider our world through the understanding of different cultures and complex histories

Grading:
The final grade will be determined as follows:
Exam 1 20%
Exam 2 25%
Exam 3 25%
Quizzes 15%
Paper 15%
Quizzes:
Quizzes are available on blackboard and should be taken as assigned on the syllabus. These
will help you stay on top of the reading, and will help prepare you for the exams. However, they
will remain open and available until 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 2, in case you fall behind. You
have two chances to take each quiz. These two chances are, in part, to allow for any
technological problems that might arise. Quizzes are timed for 20 minutes max. You may use
your textbook and notes while taking a blackboard quiz but you may not work with other
students.
Exams:
The exams will consist of multiple choice questions based on slides, assigned reading, and
lecture notes. You will be provided with a list of images & terms that you need to know for the
exam. No other images will appear on the exam. A written medical excuse is required to take a
make-up exam, otherwise, you will receive a failing grade for that assignment.

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I welcome your questions via e-mail, and will try to respond to them as quickly as possible. However, if
you suspect that your question has already been answered in class or on this syllabus, please review the
syllabus before asking me.
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Paper:
One short paper (requiring a visit to a local museum) will be assigned. Due to the large size of
the class, you will visit the museum independently. I will provide more information and
instructions in a separate handout. A written medical excuse is required if the paper is late;
otherwise, there will be a five-point-per-day deduction. You will submit your paper to Blackboard;
I will use an anti-plagiarism website that will find similarities to published works as well as to
other student work; penalties for plagiarism are harsh.

I use a standard grading scale, based on the following:

A 93 - 100
A- 90 – 92
B+ 87 – 89
B 83 – 86
B- 80 – 82
etc.
I will round up to a higher grade ONLY if you are within a half point of that grade. There is no curve.
There is typically no extra credit, though if I find relevant public lectures or museum exhibitions that can
be offered for extra credit I will post an announcement.

Classroom etiquette:
Please show courtesy to your colleagues, and to me, by observing the following rules:
 Please come to class on time, and refrain from leaving early, so you don’t disrupt the class.
 No computers, cellphones, or other electronic devices may be used during class. Please
silence these devices and put them away. See me for special permission if you must use your
laptop to take notes.
 Please feel free to ask questions during lecture. I welcome discussion of course topics.

Textbook & Required Reading:

Required: Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 15th Edition.
Options:
1. An access code is available through the campus bookstore. You will access the textbook
via a link on our blackboard site. You may print out individual chapters if you wish. There
is a free trial if you want to try that out before purchasing; follow the prompt on our
blackboard link.
2. If you are using Cengage materials in a different class, you may purchase Cengage
Unlimited, a subscription that gives you access to all your Cengage access codes and
online textbooks for $119.99 per term, $179.99 per year, or $239.99 for 2 years. No
matter how many Cengage products you use, they are included in Cengage Unlimited
and the price stays the same. You can purchase access to Cengage Unlimited in the
bookstore, or at www.cengage.com.
3. You may purchase a paper copy of the book via your preferred bookseller, used or new.
YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PURCHASE THE ELECTRONIC VERSION.
4. There is a copy on non-circulating reserve in the library that you may use. The call
number at the library is PERC 210; request it at the circulation desk.

For Cengage support (support using the digital textbook), please visit:
 Getting started materials: www.cengage.com/start-strong
 Training site for Cengage platforms: www.cengage.com/training
 FAQs: https://www.cengage.com/faq
 Cengage Customer Support: cengage.com/support or 1-800-354-9706
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Schedule of Lectures and Assignments:

Please do the reading before class the day it is listed. It is recommended that you take
the Blackboard quizzes when assigned, however, they will remain open and available
until 1 pm on Thursday, May 2.

Tuesday, January 22
Introduction to course; Paleolithic art
Read: Kleiner, “Introduction: What is Art History?”. Pay particular attention to the terms period
style, regional style, provenance, subject matter; formal analysis, form, composition, medium,
perspective, foreshortening, canon, and hierarchy of scale. Make sure you understand all these
terms.
Quiz: 1) Academic Honesty
2) Syllabus scavenger hunt

Thursday, January 24
Paleolithic art, cont’d.
The Neolithic period: Catal Hoyuk
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 1
Quiz: Ch. 1

Tuesday, January 29
Near East: First Cities
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 2 (begin reading)

Thursday, January 31
Near East: First Cities
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 2 (continue reading)

Tuesday, February 5
Near East: Kings
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 2 (continue reading)

Thursday, February 7
Near East: Empires
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 2 (complete the chapter)
Quiz: Chapter 2

Tuesday, February 12
Egypt: Monuments of Immortality
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 3 (begin reading)

Thursday, February 14
Egypt: New Kingdom
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 3 (complete the chapter)
Quiz: Chapter 3

Tuesday, February 19
Bronze Age Aegean: Cyclades, Knossos
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Read: Kleiner, Chapter 4 (begin)

Thursday, February 21
Bronze Age Aegean: Akrotiri, Mycenae
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 4 (complete)
Quiz: Chapter 4

Tuesday, February 26
Exam 1: Paleolithic - Bronze Age
Arrive to class on time. Bring Scantron answer sheet #4521 (available at the bookstore).

Thursday, February 28
Greece: Homer & Greek Art: The Heroic Ideal
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 5 (begin)

Tuesday, March 5
Greece: Worshipping the Gods: Temple Architecture
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 5 (continue reading)

Thursday, March 7
Greece: Vase-painting; The Hellenistic Age: Pergamon
Read: Kleiner, Chapter 5 (complete the chapter)
Quizzes: Chapter 5 pt. 1
Chapter 5 pt. 2

March 11-17: Spring Break

Tuesday, March 19
Etruscans; early Roman art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 6 (complete)
Quiz: Chapter 6

Thursday, March 21
Roman art: Portraits of the Republic; Augustus
Read: Kleiner Chapter 7 (begin the chapter)

Tuesday, March 26
Roman Art: Pompeii
Read: Kleiner Chapter 7 (continue reading)

Thursday, March 28
Roman architectural achievement: The Colosseum & the Pantheon
Read: Kleiner Chapter 7 (continue reading)

Tuesday, April 2
From the Empire to the Middle Ages: Shifts in Visual Expression
Read: Kleiner Chapter 7 (complete)
Quiz: Ch. 7
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Thursday, April 4
EXAM 2: Greek - Roman Art
Arrive to class on time. Bring Scantron answer sheet #4521 (available at the bookstore).

Tuesday, April 9
Late Antiquity: Jewish & Early Christian Art during the Roman period
Read: Kleiner Chapter 8
Quiz: Chapter 8

Thursday, April 11
Byzantine Art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 9
Quiz: Chapter 9

Tuesday, April 16
Islamic Art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 10
Quiz: Chapter 10

Thursday, April 18
No Class: Please use the time to visit the museum again if needed, and finish your
paper! Contact Brianne, your TA, with questions about the paper.

Tuesday, April 23
Early Medieval Art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 11
Quiz: Chapter 11
PAPER DUE (by 11 pm, to the assignment link on our Blackboard page)

Thursday, April 25
Romanesque Art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 12
Quiz: Chapter 12

Tuesday, April 30
Gothic Art
Read: Kleiner Chapter 13
Quiz: Chapter 13

Thursday, May 2
EXAM 3: Late Antique - Gothic Art
Arrive to class on time. Bring Scantron answer sheet #4521 (available at the bookstore).

Notes:
No written work will be accepted via e-mail. No exceptions.
Attendance is required, but is not part of your grade. You will find it difficult to succeed in this class if
you fail to attend.
Blackboard
This course is supported by a Blackboard website. Your syllabus & other materials will be available on
that site. I will post lecture slides as PDFs on the site; these are not meant to replace your attendance at
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lecture, but rather to supplement it. I will also post images to study before each exam. Grades will be
available on this website. There are discussion boards available; check these from time to time. You may
use the website’s discussion board to contact me and other students. Please note that in Blackboard, all
my announcements will go to the email you have registered with the university. Check that setting and be
sure it’s an email address you check. YOU are responsible for accessing the site and getting technical help
if needed.
Plagiarism and Academic Honesty Policy
Plagiarism, that is, using research without citations, or using a created product without crediting the
source, will result in a grade penalty or failure of the course. Your work must be entirely yours. Using
research without citations, using a created product without crediting the source, lifting excerpts from the
internet, relying too heavily on long quotations, and using the same paper submitted for another course
will result in penalty. Any idea or information that does not originate in your own brain must be properly
cited. More than three words taken from another author should be within quotes and properly cited. All
UHCL students are responsible for knowing the standards of academic honesty. Please refer to the UHCL
catalog and the Student Life Handbook for the University Academic Honesty Policy.
Policy on Children in Class
The policy described here reflects my commitment to the success of each student.
1. I ask that all students work with me to create a welcoming environment that is respectful of
all forms of diversity, including diversity in parenting status.
2. All exclusively breast-feeding babies are welcome in class as needed.
3. For older children and babies, I understand that unforeseen disruption in childcare can put
parents in a difficult position. While this is not meant to be a long-term childcare solution,
occasionally bringing a child to class in order to cover gaps in care is fine.
4. If you bring a child to class:
a. please be considerate of other students’ need to concentrate on class, and bring
things to keep your child occupied and quiet.
b. Please sit near the door so you can step outside if your child needs particular
attention or becomes disruptive.
From the Writing Center:
The Writing Center offers tutoring services to all university students, staff, and faculty on any type of
writing project. You may come for a tutoring session during any stage of the writing process, whether you
need help brainstorming, narrowing a topic, clarifying a thesis, organizing your thoughts, documenting
your sources, or improving the flow of your language. All of our tutors are trained to give you thoughtful
feedback and advice on a variety of writing concerns. In addition to traditional face-to-face tutoring, we
also offer online tutoring for students who cannot come to campus. Through our Center for Online
Tutoring (COLT), we can respond to students’ submissions using email, instant message chat, or phone
chat. We guarantee a 72-hour turn-around for online submissions (excluding weekends). Students may
make an appointment by coming in person to SSCB 2105, by calling 281-283-2910, or by visiting our
website www.uhcl.edu/writingcenter and clicking “Make an Appointment.”
Disabilities
If you believe that you have a disability requiring an academic adjustment/auxiliary aid, please contact
Disability Services by phone at 281-283-2648, or email disability@uhcl.edu, or go to the office in the
Student Services Building (SSCB), Room 1.302. The University of Houston System complies with
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining
to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for students with a disability. In
accordance with Section 504 and ADA guidelines, each University within the System strives to provide
reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. To ensure the
appropriate accommodations are in place for this class, please see me to discuss your accommodation
letter after filing it.
Incompletes
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A grade of “I” is given only in cases of documented emergency or special circumstances late in the
semester, provided that you have been making satisfactory progress. A grade contract must be completed.
Course Withdrawal
Dropping a course between the census date and the last day to drop a class for the semester/session will
count as one of your 6 permitted drops. You should take this into consideration before dropping this or
any other course. Visit www.uhcl.edu/records for more information on the 6 drop rule and the census date
information for the semester/session.
Emergency hot line number
281-283-2221 / 2222
Free Pantry in Dean of Students Office: If you are in need of immediate access to food, hygienic items,
or schools supplies (no clothing), the Dean of Students Office maintains a small pantry that you can
access with no questions asked. The pantry is located within the Dean of Students Office in a private area.
Simply stop by the DOS office and ask to use the pantry. You can also ask to speak to a staff person and
do not have to disclose that you want to visit the pantry to any student at the front desk.

SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE