Mythologies of Modern Art: Fact, Fiction and Film

3 units

The history of art -- and its translation into other media -- has celebrated the cutting-edge, the experimental, and the controversial, especially in its examination of modern artists and their work. This course introduces students to the life and work of modern artists Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. From this introduction, students will then interrogate the representation of these artists' lives and works in multiple media, including fiction literature and film. This course includes visits to the Saint Louis Art Museum and required film screenings. Students will work to collaboratively transform their research into a dramatization of two artists' lives and works as part of their final project.