ARTH C101: Survey of Art from the Renaissance to Contemporary

Course Outline of Record
Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	11/14/2025
Top Code	100100 - Fine Arts, General
Units	3 Total Units (Lecture Units 3)
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	108
Total Student Learning Hours	162
Total Student Learning Hours	54
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S), Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)	Area 3A Arts (CC1)
Global Society Requirement (CGLB)	Yes
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 3A Arts (3A)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 3A Arts (3A)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)	CSU C1 Arts (C1)

Course Description

Formerly: ART C101. This course provides an overview of art and architecture from the Renaissance to the contemporary period with a focus on art from Europe. The course will further consider global interactions involving this region. Common Course Number: ARTH C1200. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: ARTH 120.C-ID: ARTH 120.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

Distinguish between the major forms and styles of art from the Renaissance to the present.
Differentiate and categorize selected works and their creators from the Renaissance to contemporary expressions.
Evaluate the general philosophy of the society from which the work emerged and explain how the work is related to Western and non-Western cultures.
Describe the historical development of techniques and art materials.

Course Objectives

1. Identify, examine, and assess representative works of art and architecture from the Renaissance to the contemporary period employing appropriate art historical terminology.
2. Analyze, discuss, and distinguish the roles of art, architecture, and the artist from the Renaissance to the contemporary period.
3. Develop critical thinking, information literacy, and problem solving through an engagement with art, architecture, artists, and patrons from the Renaissance to the contemporary period.\\n

Lecture Content

This course critically examines the art and architecture of the following periods with an integration of history, theory, aesthetics, and cross-cultural connections:

Italian Renaissance and Mannerism
Northern Renaissance
Baroque and Rococo
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism
Major movements of the late 19th Century including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Introduction to major Modernist movements of the 20th-century
A look towards the future: contemporary global considerations

Method(s) of Instruction

Lecture (02)
DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Image Presentations Material Demonstrations Group Projects/Assignments Peer Review Reading Assignments Video Presentations Discussion

Reading Assignments

Students will be given readings from the most appropriate texts, blogs and websites as determined by the instructor. Students will be expected to do approximately two to three hours of reading per week in a 16 week format, and four to six in an 8 week format.

Writing Assignments

Students will be expected to spend an average of one hour per week on writing assignments. Writing assignments will be determined by individual instructors and may include papers focused on response, image analysis, compare and contrast, and research.

Out-of-class Assignments

Out-of-class assignments will amount to an average of three hours per week and will be determined by individual instructors. Assignments may include video reviews, online discussions, individual/group projects, field trips, and study for quizzes and exams.

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

108

Methods of Student Evaluation

Short Quizzes
Written Assignments
Essay Examinations
Report
Projects (Individual/Group)

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Written essays and/or research projects Essay exams. Methods of evaluation may also include Classroom discussions Objective exams Projects and presentations Quizzes Classroom writing Assignments Group Assignments.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Resources Subscreen

Textbook: Penelope J.E. Davies,. Janson's History of Art: The Western Tradition, Volume 2 . Pearson ((May 1, 2019) © 2016).
Textbook: Fred S. Kleiner, Ph.D.. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume II . Cengage (Copyright 2021 %7C by ).
Textbook: Fred S. Kleiner, Ph.D.. Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History, Volume II . Cengage (Copyright 2020).
Open Education Resource: Smarthistory’s . Khan Academy. (2025).
Open Education Resource: Smart History. OER Common. (2025).
Open Education Resource: Smart History. Reframing Art History. (2025).
Textbook: Gustlin_and_Gustlin. Introduction_to_Art_History_(1400-Present). Libretexts (2025).

Eligible Discipline(s)

Art: Master’s degree in fine arts, art, or art history OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above AND master’s degree in humanities OR the equivalent. NOTE: “Master’s in fine arts” as used here refers to any master’s degree in the subject matter of fine arts, which is defined to include visual studio arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, and metal and jewelry art; and also, art education and art therapy. It does not refer to the “Master of Fine Arts” (MFA) degree when that degree is based on specialization in performing arts or dance, film, creative writing or other non plastic arts.

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