Fall 2024: September 9 – December 27
Subject: ARTH (Art History)
Course Level: 200
Number of Credits: 4 U.S. / 8 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: Tuesday Thursday 17:00 – 18:20 CET (Berlin) |11:00 – 12:20 EDT (New York)
Distributional Area: Analysis of Art
Language of Instruction: Russian
Course Prerequisites: Russian B2 / Equivalent or higher

The course focuses on the evolution of history painting in Europe over a span of five centuries. We will start by exploring the artistic theory of the 15th century when the term “history” being applied to painting mainly referred to the “narrative” centered around religious and mythological subjects. Then we will trace the rich tradition of this highest form of painting throughout the epochs and discuss the most interesting examples. Finally, we will pay particular attention to the 19th century when artists became increasingly fascinated by history as a real past with all its temporal and national specificity and diversity. We will see how they reinvented history painting drawing inspiration from and relying on the works of historians, historical novels, historical documents, and collections of historical artifacts. We will analyze the masterpieces of Caravaggio, Poussin, Rubens, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Menzel, Degas, Manet, and others.

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:
Craft a reflective statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Smolny Beyond Borders online course. The file should be saved with your name and course title as the filename and uploaded accordingly. Your statement’s clarity and substance will significantly influence our selection. Convey your motivations and aspirations for this course succinctly but thoroughly. Kindly write your statement in the course’s Language of Instruction.

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.