Explore the contrasting styles, movements, and masterpieces of European and American architecture as art historian Karin Alexis presents an overview of styles from the late 19th century to the present, focusing on pivotal structures (such as the Chrysler Building, the Bauhaus, Fallingwater) and seminal architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Eliel Saarinen, and Mies van der Rohe. Alexis’s overview emphasizes the cultural context and influences that inspired the creative spirit of architecture rooted in the Machine Age.
Begin by examining works of the Chicago School and early skyscrapers; art nouveau, art deco, the arts and crafts movement, and the Prairie School; national romanticism; and modern classicism.
Then move to 20th-century and contemporary expressions in architecture, including radical modernism; the Bauhaus, international style, and streamlined moderne; brutalism; Scandinavian modernism; neo-expressionism; and post-modernism.
Alexis has lectured widely on European and American architecture.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit
