ART HIS C117B
Selected Topics in Medieval Art
Description: Lecture, three hours. Variable topics in medieval art that reflect interests of individual regular and/or visiting faculty members. May be repeated twice for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C217B. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
I don't think Klein will ever teach Pre-Colombian Art of the Maya again, but this class was incredibly difficult for me, and I think for others too that aren't either obsessed with the Maya or really into Pre-Colombian art. Klein's area of expertise isn't Mayan art, which is impressive, because she spoke very eloquently and clearly on the subject. But the grade in this class consisted solely of three papers. These papers are graded very meticulously. It is very hard to get an A on them unless a Pre-Colombian savant. I usually get A to A+s on all of my papers, I am not a bad writer, but on Klein's papers I received flat Bs. The material is really more archeological than art historical. It is all very complicated to put together. I knew very little about Pre-Colombian art going in, and put a great deal of time and effort to understand the fascinating art of the Maya, but ultimately received my first B in an art history despite the time and effort. I wouldn't recommend upper division Klein unless you're passionate about Pre-Colombian art and history in some fashion or another, or you are knowledgeable in it to some degree.
I don't think Klein will ever teach Pre-Colombian Art of the Maya again, but this class was incredibly difficult for me, and I think for others too that aren't either obsessed with the Maya or really into Pre-Colombian art. Klein's area of expertise isn't Mayan art, which is impressive, because she spoke very eloquently and clearly on the subject. But the grade in this class consisted solely of three papers. These papers are graded very meticulously. It is very hard to get an A on them unless a Pre-Colombian savant. I usually get A to A+s on all of my papers, I am not a bad writer, but on Klein's papers I received flat Bs. The material is really more archeological than art historical. It is all very complicated to put together. I knew very little about Pre-Colombian art going in, and put a great deal of time and effort to understand the fascinating art of the Maya, but ultimately received my first B in an art history despite the time and effort. I wouldn't recommend upper division Klein unless you're passionate about Pre-Colombian art and history in some fashion or another, or you are knowledgeable in it to some degree.
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Most Helpful Review
Summer 2023 - Thompson was one of the worst. I swear this Zoom-taught class morphed into an obnoxious flirtation opportunity between Thompson and one student. Every time a question was posed, Thompson called on the same student, without giving a single other student an opportunity, and then gushed at the answers. It felt awkward that the rest of us were there watching the two of them engage in this awkward back-and-forth like none of the rest of were there. The actual readings were cumbersome and difficult, but you'd expect this in a UCLA course, but there was never any attempt by Thompson to engage any student besides the one in trying to decipher them, even when people expressed difficulty. The final project was a paper co-written by randomly assigned classmates, and was very harshly graded. I wouldn't take a class with Thompson ever again if I could avoid it.
Summer 2023 - Thompson was one of the worst. I swear this Zoom-taught class morphed into an obnoxious flirtation opportunity between Thompson and one student. Every time a question was posed, Thompson called on the same student, without giving a single other student an opportunity, and then gushed at the answers. It felt awkward that the rest of us were there watching the two of them engage in this awkward back-and-forth like none of the rest of were there. The actual readings were cumbersome and difficult, but you'd expect this in a UCLA course, but there was never any attempt by Thompson to engage any student besides the one in trying to decipher them, even when people expressed difficulty. The final project was a paper co-written by randomly assigned classmates, and was very harshly graded. I wouldn't take a class with Thompson ever again if I could avoid it.
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