ARTH 01 Z — Vincent van Gogh and His World
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Alexander Nemerov
Date(s): Apr 3—Jun 5
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Thursdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Tuition: $550
Refund Deadline: Apr 5
Unit(s): 2
Status: Registration opens Feb 24, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Spring
Day: Thursdays
Duration: 10 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 3—Jun 5
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $550
Refund Deadline: Apr 5
Instructor(s): Alexander Nemerov
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Feb 24, 8:30 am (PT)
No artist is more famous than Vincent van Gogh. Yet how well is he known? Perhaps not at all. A victim of clichés and platitudes, his art is rarely seen or, to put it differently, the power of its call on us is mostly unheeded. What was he searching for and what did he hope to make possible for us to experience along with him? How, to put it differently, did he love us? Beginning with paintings of the asylum’s grounds at Saint-Rémy, we will explore how Van Gogh’s art makes the world startlingly present—how he portrayed trees and sky and budding branches in such unflinching, unapologetic terms. An adventure beyond the tried and true, an exploration of hope and despair, the course will take us deeply into Van Gogh’s art and his moment. If you are to take one course on Vincent van Gogh, this will be the one.
For students who have previously taken ARTH 01: “The Paintings of Vincent van Gogh,” this course will cover new ground while also revisiting some previously taught content. Past students are encouraged to join. Students can choose to attend this course on campus or online. Sign up for Section H if you think you might attend class on the Stanford campus at least once. There is no commitment—you can still choose to attend via Zoom for any session. Sign up for Section Z if you know you will exclusively attend via Zoom.
ALEXANDER NEMEROV
Carl and Marilynn Thoma Provostial Professor in the Arts and Humanities, Stanford
Alexander Nemerov is an art historian and a distinguished scholar of American culture. He explores our connection to the past and the power of the humanities to shape our lives. He has been named one of Stanford’s top 10 professors by The Stanford Daily. He is the author of many books on art and cultural history. His most recent book is The Forest: A Fable of America in the 1830s.Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.