Course coordinator
Associate Professor Andrea Bubenik
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
An introduction to the founding concepts of Art History from the Renaissance to 20th century.
‘Readings in Art History’ examines the methodsﾠand theories of art historical enquiry. It helps students consider and determine their own approaches to looking at and thinking about art. What kind of art historian/critic/curator are YOU? Course delivery will take the form of a lecture/tutorial series. Students will engage in an dialogue with a number of art theorists and critics and their varying methodological approaches. The course commences with an overview of the origins of art history as a discipline, and proceeds chronologically, concluding with a range of present day art historical methods. Focusing on primary texts by seminal writers, key concepts such as aesthetics, conoisseurship, colonialism, de-colonialism, iconography, marxism, style, semiotics, structuralism, post-structuralism, and globalism, will be discussed. It is essential that students complete each week’s readings prior to the lecture/tutorial, as they will be expected to contribute to the discussion that follows the lecture on the topic.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ARTT2140, ARTT2150, WRIT2150
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Andrea Bubenik
Dr Christian Rizzalli
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
1. To orient students in the major ways of 'reading'ﾠart history.
2. To develop students' ability to critically assess and apply major readingsﾠin art history to works of art.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
To offer a broad overview of the historical development in the art discourse of art history
LO2.
To develop students' ability to set up a dialogue with a cross section of the world's major art historians
LO3.
To provide an introduction to the critical vocabulary and concepts used by art critics and theorists
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Worksheets in class
|
30% |
6/08/2025 20/08/2025 27/08/2025 3/09/2025 10/09/2025 17/09/2025 24/09/2025 8/10/2025 15/10/2025 22/10/2025
Worksheets are due at the end of your tutorial |
| Essay/ Critique | Essay (close reading) | 20% 1000 words |
19/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submit via Turnitin through Blackboard |
| Essay/ Critique | Essay (research/book review) | 50% 2500 words |
31/10/2025 4:00 pm
Submit via Turnitin through Blackboard |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Worksheets in class
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
6/08/2025
20/08/2025
27/08/2025
3/09/2025
10/09/2025
17/09/2025
24/09/2025
8/10/2025
15/10/2025
22/10/2025
Worksheets are due at the end of your tutorial
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Worksheets with questions on aspects of the lecture and readings will be distributed and completed in tutorials. You must pass a total of 6 of the 10 worksheets in order to pass the course. Completion of each worksheet is worth 3% of final grade (30% in total).
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students must pass 6 out of 10 worksheets across the semester in order to pass the course. Students who fail to pass the 6 worksheets threshold will receive a final grade of 3 for the entire course, regardless of performance in other assessment items.Submission guidelines
Submit worksheet in tutorial
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Please note: this is an in-person class assessment item and students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal. Please contact your tutor or course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Essay (close reading)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 20% 1000 words
- Due date
19/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submit via Turnitin through Blackboard
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Students will be required to write a formal academic essay responding to one essay question. They will be given a number of questions to choose from. These questions are all based on the required course readings and lectures from week 1 to week 7. Please note that this essay is different from a research essay. Students will NOT need to consult texts beyond the ones listed in the course reading list.
While official policy states that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) may be used in completing this assessment task (see below), all students in this course are strongly discouraged from using AI technology. This assessment is designed to develop and test your own thinking and writing skills, essential skills in all arts professions. Outsourcing these essential skills to AI technology means that you will not be able to develop these skills over the course of your degree.
Word count is 1000 words. Footnotes are not included in the word count.
The essay must include references to the set readings, formatted correctly in Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography Style). Please check the following link for more info about referencing rules: Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Essay (research/book review)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 50% 2500 words
- Due date
31/10/2025 4:00 pm
Submit via Turnitin through Blackboard
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03
Task description
For this assessment, you must choose one book from the list that will be distributed in week 3 of the course, and write an extensive research essay/book review. This will be a text that we do not look at specifically in the course. A separate bibliography must be attached in Chicago style, and references must be done in Chicago style. Word count does not include footnotes and bibliography. This assessment requires independent research. In addition to the consultation of set readings and the recommended reading lists, students must source texts independently so as to demonstrate original research. Essay length 2500 words. This assessment will be discussed at length in the tutorials.
While official policy states that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) may be used in completing this assessment task (see below), all students in this course are strongly discouraged from using AI technology. This assessment is designed to develop and test your own thinking and writing skills, essential skills in all arts professions. Outsourcing these essential skills to AI technology means that you will not be able to develop these skills over the course of your degree.
The essay must include references to the set readings, formatted correctly in Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography Style). Please check the following link for more info about referencing rules: Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.ﾠ
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply. ﾠ
- Please review the Hurdle Requirements under the 'worksheets in class' assessment task.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 1 - Introduction to the Course Introduction to the course. Required course textbook: Preziosi, David, ed. The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Please read the introduction. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 1 - NO TUTORIALS |
|
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2 - Renaissance and Baroque Lives Renaissance and Baroque Lives: Biography as Method Readings: Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 2 - Renaissance and Baroque Lives Renaissance and Baroque Lives: Biography as Method Giorgio Vasari (1511-74), Karl van Mander (1548-60), Giovanni Bellori (1615-96) Readings: Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects [read the prefaces in course textbook pp. 22-26 and a selection of Lives, online] Karl van Mander, The Painter s Book, translated by Hessel Miedema (Doornspijk, 1994), pp.47-57. [online] Giovanni Bellori, Lives of the Modern Painters, Sculptors and Architects, 1672 (excerpts) , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995), pp.58-67. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3- No Activities |
Tutorial |
Week 3- No Activities |
|
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4 - Cultural and Critical Approaches Cultural and Critical Approaches during the Enlightenment Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-68), Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832), Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) Readings: Johann Joachim Winckelmann, Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture [in course textbook pp. 27-34] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Of German Architecture , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995): pp.77-84. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 4 - Cultural and Critical Approaches Cultural and Critical Approaches during the Enlightenment Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-68), Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832), Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) Readings: Johann Joachim Winckelmann, Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture [in course textbook pp. 27-34] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Of German Architecture , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995): pp.77-84. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5 - Cultural History versus connoisseurship Cultural History versus Connoisseurship Jacob Burckhardt (1818-97), Giovanni Morelli (1816-91) Readings: Jacob Burckhardt, Reflections on History , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995), pp. 85-91. [online] Giovanni Morelli, Italian Painters , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995), pp. 103-115. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 5 - Cultural History versus connoisseurship Cultural History versus Connoisseurship Jacob Burckhardt (1818-97), Giovanni Morelli (1816-91) Readings: Jacob Burckhardt, Reflections on History , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995), pp. 85-91. [online] Giovanni Morelli, Italian Painters , Art History and its Methods: A Critical Anthology, edited by Eric Fernie (London: Phaidon Press, 1995), pp. 103-115. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6 - Aesthetics - Kant and Hegel Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831) Readings: Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Judgment (excerpts) [in course textbook pp. 62-79] G.W.F Hegel, Philosophy of Fine Art (excerpts) [in course textbook pp.80-88] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 6 - Aesthetics - Kant and Hegel Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831) Readings: Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Judgment (excerpts) [in course textbook pp. 62-79] G.W.F Hegel, Philosophy of Fine Art (excerpts) [in course textbook pp.80-88] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7 - Iconography, Style, Formalism Heinrich Wölfflin(1864-1945), Alois Riegl (1858-1905), Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968) Readings: Erwin Panofsky, Iconography and Iconology: An Introduction to the Study of Renaissance Art [in course textbook, pp.220-235] Alois Riegl, Leading Characteristics of the Late Roman Kunstwollen [in course textbook pp. 155-161] Heinrich W lfflin, Principles of Art History [in course textbook 119-128] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 7 - Iconography, Style, Formalism Heinrich Wölfflin(1864-1945), Alois Riegl (1858-1905), Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968) Readings: Erwin Panofsky, Iconography and Iconology: An Introduction to the Study of Renaissance Art [in course textbook, pp.220-235] Alois Riegl, Leading Characteristics of the Late Roman Kunstwollen [in course textbook pp. 155-161] Heinrich W lfflin, Principles of Art History [in course textbook 119-128] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8: Marxism 101 and social history of art Karl Marx (1818-1883), Walter Benjamin(1892-1940), T.J. Clark (1943-) Readings: Walter Benjamin, 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,' excerpts [pp.435-442 in course textbook]. T. J. Clark. 'On the Social History of Art', in Image of People: Gustave Courbert and the 1848 Revolution, Thames & Hudson, 1973, pp. 9-20. [online] Karl Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848), in The Cambridge Companion to the Communist Manifesto, trans. Terrell Carver, eds. Terrell Carver and James Farr (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 237-46. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 8: Marxism 101 and social history of art Karl Marx (1818-1883), Walter Benjamin(1892-1940), T.J. Clark (1943-) Readings: Walter Benjamin, 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,' excerpts [pp.435-442 in course textbook]. T. J. Clark. 'On the Social History of Art', in Image of People: Gustave Courbert and the 1848 Revolution, Thames & Hudson, 1973, pp. 9-20. [online] Karl Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848), in The Cambridge Companion to the Communist Manifesto, trans. Terrell Carver, eds. Terrell Carver and James Farr (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 237-46. [online] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9: Interdisciplinary and Contextual Encounters Aby Warburg (1866-1929), Michael Baxandall (1933-2008) Readings: Aby Warburg, Images From the Region of the Pueblo Indians Of North America [in course textbook pp. 162-188] Michael Baxandall, Patterns of Intention [in course textbook pp. 45-54] Edgar Wind, Warburgs Concept of Kulturwissenschaft and Its Meaning for Aesthetics [in course textbook pp.195-214] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 9: Interdisciplinary and Contextual Encounters Aby Warburg (1866-1929), Michael Baxandall (1933-2008) Readings: Aby Warburg, Images From the Region of the Pueblo Indians Of North America [in course textbook pp. 162-188] Michael Baxandall, Patterns of Intention [in course textbook pp. 45-54] Edgar Wind, Warburgs Concept of Kulturwissenschaft and Its Meaning for Aesthetics [in course textbook pp.195-214] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10: Post-colonialism Readings: Edward Said, "Introduction" pp. 1-28 in Orientalism; Timothy Mitchell "Orientalism and the Exhibitionary Order" in course textbook pp. 409-423 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 10: Post-colonialism Readings: Edward Said, "Introduction" pp. 1-28 in Orientalism; Timothy Mitchell "Orientalism and the Exhibitionary Order" in course textbook pp. 409-423 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11: Limits of Interpretation Martin Heidegger (1889-1976),(Jacques Derrida (1930-2004), Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) Readings: Derrida, Jacques. Restitutions of the Truth in Pointing [in course textbook, pp.301-315] Heidegger, Martin. The Origin of the Work of Art [in course textbook, pp. 284-295] Schapiro, Meyer. The Still Life as Personal Object: A Note on Heidegger and van Gogh[in course textbook, pp.296-300] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 11: Limits of Interpretation Martin Heidegger (1889-1976),(Jacques Derrida (1930-2004), Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) Readings: Derrida, Jacques. Restitutions of the Truth in Pointing [in course textbook, pp.301-315] Heidegger, Martin. The Origin of the Work of Art [in course textbook, pp. 284-295] Schapiro, Meyer. The Still Life as Personal Object: A Note on Heidegger and van Gogh[in course textbook, pp.296-300] Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12: Queer Art History Readings: Jack Halberstam "Queer Temporality and Postmodern Geographies" Elizabeth Freeman "Introduction: Queer and Not Now" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 12: Queer Art History Readings: Jack Halberstam "Queer Temporality and Postmodern Geographies" Elizabeth Freeman "Introduction: Queer and Not Now" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Lecture |
Week 13: Where to from here... Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 13: NO TUTORIALS |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
Course guidelines
Communication Expectations
While you are a student at UQ, all communication must be conducted according to the UQ Student Code of Conduct. The UQ Library has a helpful Communicate and collaborate online module.
- Email is the primary way for you to send messages to, and receive information from, the School and our staff.
- You must use your UQ email address (not a private address) to communicate with staff.
- You should add a clear subject line, including course code, and a 2-3 word statement.
- You can send email at any time, however, please do not expect responses outside normal working hours (Monday to Friday from ~8am to ~5pm).
- Emails that constitute bullying, harassment or discrimination against staff contravene the Student Code of Conduct. Emails like this will be reported to the University, and the matter will be pursued as misconduct.