Art History

students gathered around a table looking at armor

A day in shining armor

Grad students get a close-up view of artwork and materials from museum collections—including a 500-year-old painting and two sets of armor from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Louisa Shepard ・ January 21, 2020

A conversation with Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw

In the latest episode of “Office Hours,” a Penn Today podcast, Professor of History of Art Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw explains the curation process behind the Barnes Foundation’s “30 Americans” exhibit.

Brandon Baker ・ November 19, 2019

Students standing in front of a series of ancient columns and stones.

Studying ancient architectural artifacts in Greece

Junior Zahra Elhanbaly worked with art history’s Mantha Zarmakoupi on a research project on the island of Paros.

Louisa Shepard ・ September 20, 2019

An active time of year for the arts community, the University’s fall arts and culture offerings range from a sculpture exhibit from Jaume Plensa, at Arthur Ross Gallery, to a viewing garden along the Rail Park.

Brandon Baker ・ September 12, 2019

A sculpture of a female figure and the feet of another sculpture of two figures as they are being lowered onto a pipe while one construction worker holds a rope and another reaches up.

Two monumental sculptures arrive on campus

On loan for 99 years, one sculpture is between Franklin Field and The Palestra, the other next to the main library.

Louisa Shepard ・ August 23, 2019

Six people standing in a parking lot looking at a colorful mural on the wall of a building.

Art history on foot: A class tour of public works of art

A summer course in history of art took students to the streets of Philadelphia to view and discuss murals, sculptures, and other public artworks.

Louisa Shepard ・ August 20, 2019

Student standing in front of a stand of forsythia.

Photo finish

Graduating senior Wilson Fisher will use a Fulbright Award to study photographers and other artists in Ukraine.

Louisa Shepard ・ May 16, 2019

Seven students gathered together looking at a painted Chinese scroll unrolled on a table.

Rare Chinese scroll unfurled at Penn Museum

Students in a history of art course taught by Professor Nancy Steinhardt had the chance to closely examine a rare 200-year-old painted Chinese scroll at the Penn Museum.

Louisa Shepard ・ April 23, 2019

Four people standing in front of a painting, clapping and looking at each other.

Cuban horizons

Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw’s art history classcurates a new Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition of paintings by Roger Toledo after visiting his Havana studio.

Louisa Shepard ・ April 10, 2019

Five events to watch for in March

Happening around campus this March: the world premiere of ‘Vessels’ at the Annenberg Center, a lecture on trees from China, and a visit to Kelly Writers House from reporter Emily Jane Fox.

Brandon Baker ・ March 1, 2019

Media Contact

Louisa Shepard News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu

In the News

Associated Press

The European Art Scene Began With Neanderthals

Harold Dibble of the School of Arts and Sciences weighs in on new studies claiming cave paintings and decorated seashells found in Spain must have been created by Neanderthals 20,000 years prior to the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe.

FULL STORY →

WHYY (Philadelphia)

The Montiers: An American Story

Gwnedolyn DuBois Shaw of the School of Arts and Sciences commented on the history of Philadelphia’s Montier family, who owned one of the earliest African-American homesteads and cemeteries in the U.S. (Video)