Profs. A. Dillon & L. Dembner

Intrigue surrounds us everywhere, from television shows like Scandal, Elementary, and NCIS to spy-based novels and films like James Bond to the real-life conspiracies we hear from news sources. When something as priceless as art is involved, the intrigue deepens even further – as centuries of art theft and fraud have shown us. Often, by studying the intrigue, competitiveness, and covetousness that collectors and would-be collectors have for and over art, we can learn much about the failings of humans. For example, by studying art degenerates, thieves, and forgers in the 1930s, we get a glimpse into the murderous mind of one particular fascist dictator who changed the course of human history and whose crimes continue–even today–to haunt and injure the heirs of the victims whose artwork was stolen and never returned. As you learn about art through the ages in ART 31 (4P, 16582) will focus on art in the 1930s and SD 10 (14P, 18089) will….. A variety of readings and assignments will be shared between your classes.