Goucher College 2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalogue 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
Goucher College 2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalogue PLEASE NOTE: This is an archived catalog. Programs are subject to change each academic year.

VMC 383 - The Art and History of the Book (4 Cr.)

(ARH 383) (GCR Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies area)
This course surveys the history of the book and book illustration in the West, with emphasis on the art and poetics of word and image from ancient scrolls and the medieval codex to the printed and hypertext page. We will meet at Goucher’s Special Collections and Archives, which will provide a unique, hands-on opportunity to explore the art and history of the book through our “home” collection.   Our visits to several area collections of books and meet with conservators, collectors, book artists, and booksellers will also comprise a major part of the course. As we travel through a wide range of books from a variety of genres, we will consider the many ways that books make meaning,  physical aspects of books and their production, the evolution of writing (and type), illustration processes and styles, page design, and the artful ways that word and image embellish one another to communicate meaning.  We will also touch on broader questions including the place of books in history, the role of the book in society, the history of reading, manuscript and print culture, and the transformation of illustrated books in the digital age. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Variable semesters. Oettinger.