This course surveys the history of illustration from prehistory through approximately 2000 AD. The work shown is culled from a vast cache of artistic production for its power to convey ideas and ideals, report and editorialize events or serve as an enhancement to literature. We consider how evolving technologies in printing and communication have influenced artistic processes, shaped aesthetics and facilitated the distribution of illustration. Emphasis is placed on Illustration's role in reflecting and influencing culture, and its variable relationship to its sister arts. The required class includes lectures, critical writing and discussions, weekly readings, a research project involving museum or special collections objects, quizzes and a final exam. Textbook required. Textbooks will be on reserve at the RISD Library and available for purchase at a student discount. Study images are made available on Canvas.

Open to Sophomore Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

How does illustration shape ideas, information, opinion, and culture? How can images make or break “truth”? How does aesthetic delight contribute? This course considers ways Illustration has intersected with authority and resistance globally. From pre-history to the present, we critically analyze how belonging is visually defined in terms of race, class, gender, citizenship, age, and ability. We consider illustrators’ participation in systems of governance, knowledge, and communication; and illustrators’ roles in justice, health, spirituality, education, leisure, and community. We study non-industrial forms, as well as how print and electronic technologies shape illustrative processes and aesthetics. We also discuss theories, ethics and controversies in the making and consumption of illustration in order to implement our tools, skills, and ideas responsibly.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration