ARTH5422: The Power of Print: History of the Graphic Arts in the Modern Age

Metropolitan Museum of Art curator of prints William M. Ivins estimated that “the number of printed pictures between 1801 and 1900 was probably considerably larger than the total number of printed pictures before 1801.” Looking at the history and theory of visual print media from the early nineteenth century to today, this course investigates the causes and long-term, enduring consequences of this historic transformation in the production and consumption of printed pictures. Case studies include the development of political caricature in early nineteenth-century France; the advent of illustrated newsweeklies; the production of large-scale, eye-catching advertisements; the market for fine arts prints; photojournalism and magazine design; political propaganda and protest art; and, finally, the relationship between printed and digital imagery in art galleries, museums, and everyday life.

View on University Catalog