“Art history at the University of Notre Dame is a great, diverse curriculum. It gives you such an eye-opening set of media to which you can approach history in a totally different way,” said Seán Cotter ’15, an art history major.
Majors in art history gain a broad understanding of Western art along with opportunities for in-depth examination of particular periods, such as ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and modern art. In addition to honing analytical and research skills, art history students develop keen problem-solving abilities, Cotter said, “because that’s really what a lot of art is: it’s solving a problem for a very specific context.”
Cotter completed a senior thesis examining the complicated architectural history of a fortified house in Mallow, Ireland. His original research was supported by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
“There’s something I really love about the challenge that comes with the unexplored,” said Cotter. “I love the tradition that can emerge from that, and I love that I’m part of that tradition.”
Cotter is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London.
You can also watch this video on YouTube.
Learn More >
- Subscribe to the Arts and Letters YouTube channel
- Watch the Arts and Letters major profiles video series
Originally published by Todd Boruff at al.nd.edu on August 28, 2015.