ARTH 2252

I cannot recommend this class more! Purvis is easily my favorite professor at UVA. She is passionate, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable. I entered this class with no previous knowledge in art history, nor did I take any college-level history or art, but this class turned out to be quite doable. I enjoyed every minute of the lectures and definitely learned a lot. Lectures are packed with information. She barely puts texts in her slides, so make sure to take good notes. She also records all lectures which is highly helpful for review. Homework is just readings, but everything you need to know for the tests is covered in class. There's two midterms, a non-cumulative final, and a final paper. Many extra credit opportunities too. Tests are 5 short comparison essays. The comparisons are not utterly straightfoward and require critical thinking, but they are not hard if you feel confident with your writing skill. Gradings are lenient too. I put in a decent amount of effort to study for tests, and none of the grades got below 95. She gives a lot of time for the final paper and makes herself available to discuss it. My tip is to stay focused in class, take very detailed notes, and think about the broader implication behind each piece of work.

Awesome class! I knew nothing about Renaissance art going into the class (I only recognized Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, and other commonly known pieces) but ended up learning so much. This class is totally lecture based, so you basically come to class and listen to a really well put together lecture by Prof. Purvis. She is EXTREMELY clear and clearly so passionate. The class starts with mainly the "three greats" (Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael) but continues with artists that came after the high Renaissance. You learn a lot about political, societal, and religious context in Europe at the time too. There are three exams that were not too bad because memorizing the titles, artists, and dates was only a few points. Purvis cares mostly about knowing themes and what each piece means, which is what lectures cover. There was also one paper and MANY extra credit opportunities. Also, she records lectures which is great if you miss class. Definitely take this if you like art!