• Offered by School of Art and Design
  • ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Classification Transitional
  • Course subject Art History
  • Areas of interest Art History, Non Language Asian Studies, Visual Arts, Asian Studies, Creative Arts

This course introduces students to the development of modernism in Indian, Indonesian and Japanese art. Whereas the dominant discourse of art history from a Euro-American perspective tends to consign non-western modernist art to a marginal status and treats it as derivative, this course argues that modernism in particular Asian countries follows trajectories that are regionally specific and culturally diverse, responding to political, technological and social transformations. At the same time, the course addresses the complex interrelations between these non-western modernisms and the development of Euro-American modernism.

Concentrating on a century of artistic practices from the later nineteenth century onwards, the course will offer students an introduction to visual practices, historical approaches and theoretical formulations relating to this material. Colonial and postcolonial histories of art, as well as relations between art practice and nationhood will form the core of the inquiry.

Learning Outcomes


  1. demonstrate sound knowledge of major trajectories of modernist art in India, Indonesia and Japan, c. 1860-1960;
  2. present sophisticated analysis of the work of significant artists in formal and contextual terms;
  3. demonstrate thorough understanding of historical, political and aesthetic issues that relate to individual artists, periods or movements;
  4. demonstrate thorough understanding of major theoretical issues that underpin the work of Asian modernist artists; and
  5. present thoroughly researched and sophisticated oral and written discussions pertaining to the course material.

Indicative Assessment

  1. Oral Presentation including submission of PowerPoint Slides/presentation notes, 12 minutes (30) [LO 2,3,4,5]
  2. Essay, 4500 words (60) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
  3. Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]



130 hours of total student learning time made up from:



Inherent Requirements

Not applicable

Requisite and Incompatibility

You are not able to enrol in this course if you have previously completed any of the following courses: ARTV2052, ARTV6105 or ARTH2169.

Prescribed Texts


Preliminary Reading

Available on the course WATTLE site.



Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students

Student Contribution Band:
Unit value:
6 units



6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee
2021 $3630
International fee paying students
Year Fee
2021 $5580

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.

First Semester

