Contemporary Theory and Methods in Art History

This course offers students an insight into the broad theoretical and methodological changes that have occurred in art history over the last thirty years. Students become familiar with individual approaches and the history of their formation and development. They also learn about specific debates and controversies that have appeared in the humanities – and art history – due to different views of interpretation. Particular attention is paid to theoretical orientations that can be linked to Critical Theory and employed in art historical interpretation: Marxism, feminism, psychoanalysis, semiotics and post-structuralism. In the case of individual theoretical approaches, students learn about:
- its formation and development, its main proponents and their works;
- the use of basic concepts and models in art history;
- the main representatives of approaches to interpretation of works of visual art and their work;
- the use of specific concepts in the interpretation of selected works of art.