History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons^™

Removing The Veil: An Audiovisual Exploration Of Medieval Jewish Art, Ray Kaplan

Student Research Symposium

• Purpose: analyze the harmful narratives created by antisemitic art, uplift Jewish Medieval artwork instead
• In-progress URCO, to be done at the end of April
• Ultimate product: video essay
• Project delayed due to evolution of original concept
• Where it's at now

Saintly Cinema: Modelling The Icon In The Flowers Of St. Francis And Andrei Rublev, Alexander Hart

Journal of Religion & Film

Throughout the history of the cinema, filmmakers have turned to the visual arts for inspiration in creating spiritual styles on film. In this essay, it is argued that Roberto Rossellini’s The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (1966) were influenced by Giotto di Bondone’s frescos and Andrei Rublev’s Eastern Orthodox icons, respectively. Committed to realism, Rossellini adopts Giotto’s proto-Renaissance, humanist art as a model for a spiritual style in which the Transcendent is manifested through the natural world. Subverting terrestrial reality, Tarkovsky adopts the aesthetic principles of the Eastern Orthodox icon, translating Pavel Florensky’s concepts of …

The Art Of Travel, Colleen Bergmann, Joshua Fackler, Natalie Heiland, Sarah Louise Huebschen, Charlotte Ji, Grace Jurchak, Lizzy Kramer, Mathea Linden, Jake Neff, West Rathbun, Daniela Rodriguez, Alice L. Van Etten, Dalila E. Weismantle, Annie Witham, Yan Sun

Schmucker Art Catalogs

Under the direction of Professor Yan Sun, student curators examine the theme of travel in both Eastern and Western works of art. Exploring topics such as artists’ trips, the imagined landscape, pilgrimages, tourism, and modes of travel, the exhibition features prints, paintings, carvings, photography and material culture.

Titian’S Bacchus And His Two Loves, Fern Luskin

Publications and Research

Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne represents not only Bacchus' attraction to Ariadne, as has long been recognized, but also his infatuation with a boy-satyr, Ampelos, who struts at the centre of the composition. The little satyr's identity, recognized in the seventeenth century, but overlooked by modern scholars, is confirmed by newly revealed pentimenti. Titian was probably the first to embed this homoerotic love story in a painting depicting the Bacchus and Ariadne myth. The textual impetus for Titian's inclusion of the Ampelos myth was Nonnos' Dionysiaca. Guided by Nonnos' text, Titian alludes not only to Bacchus' love for Ampelos, …

For The Birds, Charlotte L. Middleton

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

For the Birds is a homogenous material exhibition of porcelain pottery that explores the relationships between, expectations of, and roles placed upon women and pottery. Using traditional craft processes, still life imagery, and the language and limits of porcelain, I create arrangements that expose the viewers assumptions of both subjects. Pottery- pitchers, cups, and vases—is a product of anthropocentrism and anthropomorphism and can be entirely taken for granted- their role is assumed and unquestionable—to serve. The language and expectations of these objects are the medium I build with.

The title of the show, For the Birds, is both a …

“Gli Scheletri Della Dittatura”: Fascist Art, Architecture, And Monuments In Modern Italy, John "Jack" Moore

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

When Italy reconstituted itself as a republic in 1948, it inherited the art, architecture, and monuments that were constructed under Fascism. Many of these artifacts contained inherent Fascist imagery and were made to exalt the regime, but Italy’s postwar government – known as the First Republic – neglected to systematically confront them. This mirrored the First Republic’s approach to shaping Italy’s memory of Fascism, as the government established an anti-fascist narrative without addressing the country’s support for the regime. During the 1980s, notions of anti-fascism began to fall alongside the political power structure upholding them. This coincided with the rise …

Teaching Art Beyond The Hierarchy: How “Big Ideas” Combat Cultural Appropriation, Carlie Pearson

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

[First paragraph] As an art educator who has worked with children aged 5-18 in the public-school setting, I find myself constantly assessing and reevaluating my practices. When I was in high school and falling in love with the world of visual art, I had a teacher who introduced me to the beautiful and sacred art of mandala making. We learned about how Buddhist Monks create massive works with colorful sand, and I was shocked to hear that the pieces are traditionally swept away upon completion. When I started my first full time teaching position seven years ago at a high …

3rd Place Contest Entry: Clement Hurd And The Artistic Integrity Of Illustrated Children's Books, Cassandra Chan

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Cassandra Chan' submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won third place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a sample of their research project on the work of illustrator Clement Hurd.

Cassandra is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Art History. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Justin Walsh.

Under The Veil: Women's Head Coverings In Tudor England, Savannah Toth

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis seeks to discover and analyze the agency and meaning of the role of women’s head coverings and veils within the context of Tudor Christianity, society, and the fashion world of English culture. By observing the usage of the veil through various lenses, this thesis examines the nuance of the veil as an object and actor in Tudor society that enables yet prohibits personal choice for women. This research uses various sources such as Tudor paintings and portraits, surviving pieces of garments, and written accounts to paint a picture of the impact and significance the veil had in every …

What's The Art In Artificial Intelligence?, Emily Verla Bovino

Open Educational Resources

This workbook learns from Black and Indigenous artists working with Artificial Intelligence to confront issues of ethics and aesthetics in its technologies. It features guided learning activities with links to publicly available video lectures and online articles, and includes options for experiential learning through both a tutorial in Midjourney and a visit to the public art collection at York College in Jamaica, Queens. Featured artists include: American Artist, Rizvana Bradley, Beth Coleman, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Suzanne Kite, Sondra Perry, Mimi Onuoha and Alisha B. Wormsley. Works by Martin Puryear and Maren Hassinger are explored in the Midjourney exercise.

About …

Migdal, Ashqelon: The Glass Finds, Natalya Katsnelson

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The salvage excavation at Migdal, Ashqelon, unearthed some 85 glass fragments, including jars, bottles, a bowl, a bowl-shaped oil lamp, bracelets, beads and a windowpane. Most of the glass fragments were found in Ottoman- and British Mandate-period strata (III–I). Several fragments were found in Mamluk-period installations (Stratum IV), and only one fragment could be associated with the Roman–Byzantine period (Stratum V). Given the well-stratified context of the glass fragments, some of the uncovered types allow for more precise dating within the Ottoman period. As our knowledge of Late Islamic and early twentieth-century CE glass from settlements in southern Israel is …

Migdal, Ashqelon: The Ceramic Finds, Anna De Vincenz

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The ceramic material presented in this report was recovered from a salvage excavation conducted to the east of the mosque in Migdal, Ashqelon. Although most of the ceramic material was dated to the late Ottoman period, Late Roman–Byzantine ceramics, a few sherds from the Crusader period and a Mamluk-period assemblage were also uncovered. The Mamluk assemblage is characterized by imported glazed bowls and locally made, handmade geometric painted vessels. The Ottoman-period material is varied and comprises ceramics imported from Turkey, Greece and Italy. Black Gaza Ware characterizes the locally produced vessels. Smoking pipes and narghile were common at the site.

Juan Sánchez Cotán’S Still Lifes And Artistic Ingenio In Early Modern Toledo, Carmen Ripollés

Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay brings new light on the creation and early reception of the still lifes of the Toledan painter Juan Sánchez Cotán. It focuses on Cotán’s friendship with and professional relationship to the metalworker Diego de Valdivieso and the manuscript illuminator Juan de Salazar, both of whom are recorded as being among the first owners of his still lifes. An analysis of these artists’ works vis-j-vis Cotán’s still lifes reveals similar technical and conceptual concerns, as well as a shared will to elevate their crafts to demonstrate ingenio. This analysis therefore places Cotán’s still lifes in the context of artistic …

Towards The Non-Spectacle: Responses To Necropolitics In The Artwork Of Teresa Margolles And Maya Watanabe, Leslie Anne Condon

Masters Theses

How do we engage with artwork that addresses complicated histories

of colonialism and political violence, specifically intangible and

incomprehensible violence? Mexican artist Teresa Margolles’ 2005 work, Lote

Bravo, is named after and composed of the soil from a mass grave site

discovered in 1995 in the southeastern corner of Ciudad Juárez, a city known

internationally for the femicide that has continued to haunt its streets and

peripheries since the 1990s. Peruvian filmmaker Maya Watanabe’s 2019 film

Liminal cinematically documents the official exhumation of two mass graves

in the Ayacucho and Huánuco regions of the Andes highlands, where

thousands of …

The Influence Of Japanese Art And Aesthetics On The Paintings Of Théodore Rousseau, Erinn Alexis Stuart

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Landscape paintings of Barbizon painter Théodore Rousseau provide a unique perspective on the impact of Japanese artworks on nineteenth-century French painting. The examination of Eastern influences on Western art has been confined to Western urban popular culture, resulting in a narrative that restricts the understanding of modern art to the context of Western industrialization. This method of exploring cultural influences constructs a narrative of othering, confining the perception of its impact to the superficial and commercial, thus perpetuating an othering subnarrative, not only between the two nations but also between the different genres of Western art. Through an investigation into …

The Evolution Of Heritage: How Three Iconic American Jewelry Houses Have Navigated Their Legacy, Emily Vanderford

MA Theses

This thesis explores the evolution and preservation of heritage of three iconic American jewelry houses: David Webb, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co. Through a detailed examination of their foundational design philosophies, the impact of ownership changes, and responses to modern trends and cultural shifts, this study investigates how each house has navigated the balance of tradition and innovation. Archival research, published materials, and analysis of design practices have revealed the influence of each house’s foundational principles as well as the challenges posed by evolving markets and ownership. This research highlights the strategies that have allowed each house to remain …

The Impact Of Social Media Influencers On Contemporary Art Trends - A Comprehensive Analysis, Babette Meng

MA Theses

Social media have revolutionized the contemporary art market, how artists promote their work, how collectors initially find pieces, and how art is valued and sold. This study investigates the effects of social media on the art industry using a mixed methods approach consisting of qualitative case studies enabled by thematic analysis and quantitative survey with statistical correlation analysis. Key findings from this paper show that with social media, the artist's visibility is vastly increased, direct-to-collector sales are promoted, and dependence on traditional galleries is reduced. The study considers the position of art influencers in the process of art promotion, which …

Artcatalyze Investments: Empowering Art Investment Innovation, Wan Yu Hung

MA Projects

The Art Investment Fund represents an ambitious fusion of art expertise with state-of-the-art Web3 and cryptocurrency technology, poised to revolutionize the landscape of art investment. At its core, the Fund is dedicated to establishing a secure and transparent art investment trading platform that caters to the needs of artists and collectors alike. Anchored by a team of seasoned art advisors, the Fund offers personalized guidance tailored to each client's unique financial goals, ensuring that investment decisions are informed and strategic. Additionally, a cadre of skilled art restorers plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity and enhancing the long-term appreciation …

Blackness And Nineteenth-Century Art In The Atlantic World, Rachel Hooper

Curatorial Publications

No abstract provided.

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Art As Witness: Carrying Christian Iconographies In The Works Of Henry Ossawa Tanner During The Gilded Age To Contemporary Autobiographical Testimonial Art, Ziona King

Pomona Senior Theses

Culminated in a solo exhibition of three works titled the prodigal daughter and The Great High Priest, Baptism, and The Lord of Hosts, this research explores the implications of the Christian methodologies and iconographies in the works of Henry Ossawa Tanner to influence testimonial artwork containing personal Christian iconographies of water baptism, spiritual encounter in everyday life, the lion of Judah, bowls, and more interpretive motifs.

Sunbathers, Marta Louise Sorenson

Art and Art History Honors Projects

Sunbathers is a Studio Art Honors project that explores the awkward intimate nature of introspective life through autobiographical, figurative ceramic sculptures. The forms capture the relationship between body and reality. The project consists of seven portraits, varying in size and display, arranged together on pink pedestals. Each figure communicates a part of self, embodying the internal interactions of everyday existence. The sculptures perform as objects yet speak with the specific sense of being seen/presented. Features shift in and out of focus—glossy glazes draw the eye, while matte colors move inward; the exaggerated, slumped forms are adorned with bright, illuminating glazes. …

Remedios Varo: Peregrinaciones, Julia Condes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

At the time of her death, the artist Remedios Varo (1908–1963) left behind over 500 works of art, the majority of which were created in her adopted country of Mexico. Known for her meticulously crafted fantastical paintings, Varo underwent exile and displacement due to first the Spanish Civil War, and later World War II, which led her to relocate to Mexico, where she would create prolifically for the remainder of her life. This paper will examine the effect of those experiences on the artist and the work she produced, attesting to Varo’s ability to translate complex emotions regarding the human …

Kain Tayo, Ramier Villarama

Art and Art History Honors Projects

Kain Tayo (“Let’s eat!” in Tagalog) is a sculptural installation inspired by the Filipino tradition of Kamayan—a communal feast eaten with one’s hands and served on banana leaves. Using found and discarded objects, the work reimagines a shared dining experience as a celebration of cultural memory, sustainability, and participation. Each piece mimics traditional Filipino dishes like lumpia and lechon, inviting viewers to touch, rearrange, and reflect on the meaning of value, waste, and connection. This honors project merges my background in Studio Art and Environmental Studies, transforming everyday scraps into a joyful expression of identity and storytelling.

In Praise Of Dust, Hasler Gomez-Perez

Theses and Dissertations

A desire path is a physical manifestation of where a system has failed, but also where it has been refused, where a new path has been made. The wake exists in the post, it is not a singular, untethered event, but a subtle double entendre that lives in the post-death, but also in the pre-life—not a liminal limbo, but a superposition of dying and waking.

This collection was assembled and composed over the course of two years as I navigated my practice, myself, and others. Present here are my thoughts, my experiences, and in many ways my beliefs. IN PRAISE …

The Paradox Of Value, David Enrique Guarnizo

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis project examines how, in the United States, and especially in the state of Virginia, archetypes of "wealth," "value," and "identity" have been constructed in relation to land and territory. This analysis explores the tension between the inherent value of life on the land and the economic value that can be derived from it. This tension is exemplified by a theory known as the "paradox of value", also referred to as the "paradox of water and diamonds", which was developed by the renowned Scottish economist and philosopher, Adam Smith. This theoretical framework serves as a fundamental axis for …

Essential Caretaking For Artists With Disabilities: Exploring The Overlooked Histories Of Hazel Knapp And Grandma Moses, Bryan P. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of disability studies and art history, addressing the underrepresentation of disability in scholarship, especially concerning medical sociology and caretaking. Focusing on two early-twentieth-century self-taught American artists, Hazel Knapp (1908–95), who fell into obscurity, and Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860–1961), best known as Grandma Moses, this is a comparative analysis of how disability influenced their artistic practices and shaped their divergent career outcomes. Knapp was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, and fell into obscurity due to a lack of support for her condition, but experienced a promising start to her career that included patronage …

The Cut Worm Forgives The Plow, August Neuscheler

Theses and Dissertations

The explorations in this thesis writing are centered on William Blake’s proverb “The cut worm forgives the plow.” It has been reinterpreted as an allegory of history and energy. A theory of their relation is proposed based on forgiveness, a theory that accepts the palimpsest of orders as evidence for the abundance of the present moment. The writing focuses on questions of proportionality, scale, archaeological screening methods, planar cutting, and a critique of entropy as grounds for this theory. Some of its subjects include the Statue of Liberty, Kate Raworth’s donut economic model, sashimi, triangulation, Joseph Beuys’ “7,000 Eichen,” semiconductors, …

Theopoetics Prothesis: An Exploration In Faith And Form, Elise Aleman, Elise Aleman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the biblical definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Like the Bible’s layered complexity—its patterns, metaphors, and cultural references—faith is not merely intellectual but an active trust in what is unseen. It transcends knowledge, anchoring itself in conviction and hope. This intersection of theology and lived experience is at the core of my practice.

Theopoetics—a framework that fuses theology and artistic expression—shapes my approach, allowing faith to be embodied through form rather than merely explained. Two seemingly distinct bodies of work—one centered …

The Creative Front, Aleksandr O. Barrett

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract

In this paper, I will discuss my thesis exhibition, The Creative Front, focusing on my materials, content, and context as they relate to each piece or body of work. This exhibition is the culmination of my work, which centers on my experience with the Russo-Ukrainian war. My work can be interpreted metaphorically, poetically, and directly through sculpture, installation, sound, and film. I am portraying very human stories and experiences from a full-scale war raging in Europe. My work is immersive, placing the viewer in an atmosphere of war, and conveying a sense of urgency and compassion for those who …