Art History at Carleton

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In Art History, we study the realm of visual communication, from the canon of Western art to architecture, photography, popular culture, and the arts of non-Western societies. Our material ranges from the prehistoric period to the present day. We aim to instil in our students not only a historical framework for understanding imagery, but also a methodological awareness of the multiple possibilities for interpreting art and other visual phenomena. Specifically we examine how representation works. We analyse the products of human imagination and the expressions of different societies. Such analyses produce historical awareness as well as an appreciation of modes of expression in different cultures. This knowledge provides students with intellectual tools that allow them to function as informed and thoughtful individuals in society.

Art History at Carleton is in a unique situation to foster such intellectual growth. Its location in the Nation's capital provides our students with access to institutions of national and international scope, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Library Archives Canada. We use these institutions to teach our students to engage critically with extraordinary works of non-Western and Western civilizations.

The menu items on the left of the page will provide links to:

Art History undergraduate and graduate Programs at Carleton University;

People in the Art History section of the School for Studies in Art and Culture;

The Friends of Art History;

Art History Resources available to you in the Ottawa region;

Information about Your Future in the field of Art History.

The Carleton University Art History Society

Page image: Antoine PLAMONDON, Allegorical Figure, 1873. Ottawa, C.U.A.G.