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Ancient Slavery

16 objects, modified July 8, 2021

This Collection contains works used by the Classical Studies course "Ancient Slavery" taught by Prof. Harry Morgan. This course shines a spotlight on the enslaved populations of Greece and Rome—their thoughts and experiences, hopes and fears. The course draws on a wide range of ancient sources, both textual and visual, in order to reconstruct the lives of slaves in antiquity. We will consider how the ancient Greeks and Romans justified and normalized the institution of slavery in their literature, philosophy, art, and rhetoric. We will also explore the dark legacy of ancient slavery in modern times, and ask what can be learned from the comparison of slave systems across different periods and geographical regions. All readings, ancient and modern, are in English.

Introduction to Still Photography

7 objects, modified July 8, 2021

This Collection contains works used in the Art, Film, and Visual Studies course "Introduction to Still Photography" taught by Prof. Elle Pérez. This course provides an introduction to the visual language of photography. Students will be introduced to the technical, conceptual, and historical aspects of the medium. We will focus on gaining familiarity with digital techniques and aesthetics through demonstrations and hands-on sessions that cover technical topics such as camera operation, proper image exposure, digital workflow (including RAW files and Camera Raw) Adobe Bridge and Photoshop, and digital printing techniques. Lectures and class discussions will provide historical context and an overview of historical and contemporary artists. Weekly photographic and written assignments will be given and regular critiques will be used to assess student work and progress. The class will conclude with a final project that reflects your individual and original interests, and a high level of engagement and investment with photography.

Critical Printing

5 objects, modified July 8, 2021

This Collection contains works used by the Art, Film, and Visual Studies course "Critical Printing" taught by Prof. Jennifer Roberts and Prof. Matt Saunders. Incorporating both studio and seminar instruction, this intensive course will explore printmaking’s history, trace its particular forms of intelligence, and test its future potential. The class will meet for three hours of studio and two hours of seminar/discussion per week. Assignments will include weekly readings, a short scholarly paper, and two studio projects. For the first half of the semester, students will pursue a rigorous grounding in a particular historical technique (etching/intaglio); in the second half students will translate what they have learned to another medium, thus exploring printmaking as an expanded field of practice.

Texts in Transition

26 objects, modified July 8, 2021

This Collection contains works used by the Gen Ed course "Texts in Transition" taught by Prof. Ann Blair (History) and Prof. Leah Whittington (English). We live in a moment of rapid changes in the ways we communicate. As our writing becomes ever more digital—and paradoxically both more ephemeral and more durable—the attitudes and tools we have for preserving our culture seem more complex and fluid. This course studies how written language—text— travels through time and across media. We will ask: how good are texts for capturing, transmitting, and preserving human experience? How have texts come down to us from the distant past? How do we ensure that what we write today will survive into the future? As we investigate contemporary approaches to cultural preservation, we will consider how pre-modern European cultures transmitted and transformed texts, and created institutions that we still rely on today, including museums, libraries, and archives. Each week you will observe or apply methods of preservation, restoration, destruction, translation, and transmission in an attempt to preserve a personal artifact. We will also read works of literature that reflect on questions of durability, ephemerality, and written memory. Students will work through weekly assignments toward a final project focused on studying, curating, and preserving a textual source of their choice.

Neuroasthetics

17 objects, modified July 8, 2021

This Collection contains works used by the Mind, Brain, and Behavior course "Neuroaesthetics" taught by Prof. Nancy Etcoff. Focuses on neuroaesthetics, an emerging field offering a scientific perspective on the nature of art and the ways that art reveals human nature. Integrates findings from neuroscience, psychology, evolutionary biology, philosophy, and scholarship in the arts and humanities. Begins with a brief history of ideas on aesthetics, art, beauty, and pleasure. Considers the neural underpinnings of response to art in the brain's reward system and default network. Among the questions considered: Why are people drawn to art that is neither conventionally beautiful nor entirely pleasurable? Is art a vehicle for simulating experiences and understanding other minds? What does it mean to "enjoy" sad music or chills and thrills in response to fiction or film? Can art promote well-being? The course will focus on visual art, fiction, film, and to a lesser extent, music, and on our response to art rather than its creation. The course will include a semester long gallery classroom at the Harvard Art Museum with original works of art from the museum’s collections that will serve as primary source materials for study and as subjects of assignments.