SCI 92 — Art, Chemistry, and Obsession: The Science of Art Materials
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Curtis Frank
Date(s): Jan 12—Mar 9
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Please Note: No class on January 26
Tuition: $495
Refund Deadline: Jan 14
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 55
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Winter
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 12—Mar 9
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $495
Refund Deadline: Jan 14
Instructor(s): Curtis Frank
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Enrollment Limit: 55
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
Please Note: No class on January 26
How did artists create dazzling blues and luminous gold paint hues long before modern science? Why do some ancient pigments remain brilliant after centuries while others fade, darken, or crack? Behind every great work of art lies a story of curiosity, invention, and obsession. From Palaeolithic cave painters to Renaissance masters, this course explores how artists transformed stone, metals, oils, and rare pigments into enduring works of art. Yet prized materials could also be artists’ undoing: arsenic produced a green so coveted that painters exposed themselves to its deadly toxins for centuries. Stanford professor emeritus Curtis Frank draws on chemistry, archaeology, and art history to reveal the science behind painted Greek sculpture, Roman concrete, medieval manuscripts, the Silk Road trade, and the shift from tempera to oil painting. We'll also discover why artworks age and how scientific analysis helps preserve the past. You’ll come to see every masterpiece as a triumph of scientific ingenuity and artistic vision.
No technical background necessary. An optional in-person session will be offered on the Stanford campus for local students, featuring demonstrations of traditional pigment grinding and hands-on exploration of egg yolk and linseed oil as artistic binders. Details will be provided during the course.