Men Shoveling Chairs by Circle of Rogier van der Weyden

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Art History

Art History operates at the intersection of the visual and the verbal, and it deploys knowledge from an exceptional range of disciplines to engage and interpret the objects of art and visual culture. It is thus a particularly powerful tool for the understanding of human culture and creativity. The Division of Art History is dedicated to the study of visual art and culture as distinctive instruments of knowledge and methods of human expression that offer fundamental insights into diverse historical and contemporary human cultures, insights often unavailable to other modes of analysis. We provide students with the opportunity to work in a vibrant community of scholars and peers to explore the social, historical, ethical, and aesthetic significance of the visual realm that is our present environment and the heritage of numerous diverse cultures and civilizations.

We offer a BA major with an honors option as well as a minor in Art History for those pursing other undergraduate majors. At the graduate level, an MA degree and a PhD degree are available.

Recent Art History News

Spring 2024 Event RSVP Invitation
This spring, we are inviting alumni and supporters to connect with our students, faculty and staff, and get up to speed with what’s happening across the Divisions of Art, Art History, and Design. Read more
Jennifer Greenhill
The Division of Art History is pleased to host the 2024 Kollar Lecture in American Art: Jennifer Greenhill. This free public lecture is made possible by Assistant Professor and Kollar Chair in American Art History, Juliet Sperling. Read more
ARTH480 Highlights. Courtesy of Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse
UW Students visit Seattle area museums with Art History Professor Bunn-Marcuse. Written by Mariah Ribeiro, graduate student in Art History and student in ARTH 533. Read more

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