Survey of Decorative Arts 2

PGDE 5102 | 201130 | Faculty: Sarah Lichtman

This course traces significant developments in the history of decorative arts and design from 1800-2000 in Europe and America. Interiors, ceramics, metal work, graphics, fashion and furniture will be discussed and situated within their cultural, social, and political context. Lectures will consider how taste, gender, technology, new materials, patterns of production and consumption, and changing ways of life have impacted the design and reception of things. Readings will come from both primary and secondary sources, and new approaches and methods in the study of the history of design will be discussed. By the end of the semester, students should have developed a broad visual vocabulary and should be able to critically engage in the major debates affecting decorative arts and design over the last two centuries.