Art of the Black World
Alexis Peskine, French, “Aljana Moons 3,” 2015. Color archival ink photograph on Hahnemüle paper. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Richard and Ronay Menschel Fund for the Acquisition of Photographs, 2017.164.
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What would be lost without an understanding of art of the Black world? The Harvard course Art of the Black World (History of Art and Architecture 178V and African and African American Studies 178X) addresses this question through an introduction to the history and study of arts of the larger African diaspora. The course is taught by two members of Harvard faculty, Sarah Lewis and Suzanne Preston Blier, who hold positions in the Department of History of Art and Architecture as well as in the Department of African and African American Studies.
Each week, the students explore key works throughout history in Africa, as well as Black arts in the Americas over many centuries, produced in a variety of media, with a particular focus on sculpture, prints, photography, and painting. Following lectures and discussions, the students spend time examining and researching the artworks shown in this gallery as well as those in other collections on campus and elsewhere.
The course aims to help students develop skills of both close observation and historical understanding of the times and settings in which these works were created. The class also teaches students to think about how each artwork contributes to larger conversations around issues such as justice, religion, and gender. Overall, students learn the importance of visual culture in shaping these discussions.
The University Teaching Gallery serves faculty and students affiliated with Harvard’s Department of History of Art and Architecture. Small-scale, semester-long installations are mounted here in conjunction with undergraduate and graduate courses, supporting instruction in the critical analysis of art and making unique selections from the museums’ collections available to all visitors.
This installation is made possible in part by funding from the Gurel Student Exhibition Fund. Modern and contemporary art programs at the Harvard Art Museums are made possible in part by generous support from the Emily Rauh Pulitzer and Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., Fund for Modern and Contemporary Art.