There are numerous ways in which a picture is worth a thousand words. This course investigates the complex relationship between narrative and image, and the ensuing notions of temporality in spatially based pictorial media. The focus on ancient Greek and Roman visual culture — from Greek vase painting to Roman historical reliefs — provides a rich ground for exploring different narratological methodologies, which the students will learn throughout the course. The readings, thus, will be partly drawn from a wide range of theoretical sources in narrative studies, from Aristotle's Poetics to Roland Barthes, as well as more recent approaches to visual narratology in contemporary film studies. The course will also address broader philosophical issues regarding notions of time and art, going beyond the domain of narratology proper, and consider the ways in which artworks can acquire temporality, both in and out of their proper socio-historical contexts.

A truly interdisciplinary course by design, on the relationship between Time and Art. Using Concepts of Time as a disciplinary bridge between Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art History, the course will examine some of the major philosophical thoughts on Time throughout history and explore different ways in which Time and temporality enter into art historical or philosophical discussions on works of art. We will approach each subtopic of Time and its relationship to Art, from both philosophical and art historical perspectives, offering productive avenues for interdisciplinary investigations. Some of these topics include: Time in Ancient Philosophy and Art, Visual Narrative and the Philosophy of Narrative, Renaissance Anachronism, Phenomenology of Time and Art, Time and Modernity, Retrieval and Restoration of the Past, and On Writing History. Close readings of philosophical texts will include excerpts from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Freud, Heidegger, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty, and Benjamin; we will also be analyzing works of art and their relationship to Time from major periods of Art History, with a focus on Ancient Greece, and touching upon Renaissance, Modern, and Contemporary. Students will be encouraged to work on artworks from local museums, notably the Royal Ontario Museum.

A seminar on Roman Imperial Art and the metanarratives and conceptual frameworks that have shaped its study over the past 120 years. Topics include: the problem of style/form and the transformation of Roman art during the first four centuries of our era; Roman "classicism"; "propaganda" and the function of "state monuments" and "official" art; the figure of the "viewer" in archaeological scholarship; spolia and "damnatio memoriae"; historical commemoration. Monuments under discussion will include the Ara Pacis, Triumphal Arches, Columns of Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius, Roman "Historical Reliefs."

This seminar explores different facets of its topic. Using a representative selection of works in a variety of media (mainly sculpture and painting) we will examine how ancient art both depicted and elicited affects, "emotions," and bodily responses. No matter if we are looking at a Hellenistic symplegma ("entanglement"), a sarcophagus depicting the killing of the Niobids, a painting showing the violent death of Pentheus, or the decapitation of enemies of the Roman order — ancient art wanted to be experienced “in the flesh.” To this we can add scenes that — self-referentially and recursively — evoke the bodily experience of interacting with the object they decorate. But how exactly, and why, do ancient works of art seek to evoke bodily responses? How do the viewer responses they imply relate to the emotional protocols that can be reconstructed from a variety of ancient sources? (For example, in ancient theories of emotions, and in stark contrast to modern conceptions, viewers are supposed to feel "pity" in response to viewing the suffering of others only under certain circumstances). How does the emotional economy of ancient art, from the late archaic to the Roman periods, reflect a shifting corporeal habitus and changing concepts of personhood and subjectivity? Can the recent sub-discipline of "neuro-art history" provide a productive perspective, and has it made good on its claim of unravelling the "neural bases of empathy and emotion"? And if so, where does that leave us? Can the bodily responses they register really be "automatic" and universal, and how do their more reasonable practitioners account for the significant historical modulations in the responses to images? Readings will include some "classics" from the fields of Aesthetics and Phenomenology, but also more recent work produced in disciplines as diverse as Neuro-Art History and Classics.

This is a course on Greek and Roman sculpture in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) collection of ancient art. The course is related to the wider project of a catalogue raisonnée of the ROM's sculpture collection; it will give students the opportunity to participate in the preliminary research for the catalogue, and to write entries on individual pieces. The course will combine weekly visits to the ROM's collections and archives with in-class meetings and presentations. Students will select an artefact or group of artefacts on which they will conduct their research, and will prepare a final essay. The seminar is structured around the material in the Toronto collection and offers a closer and more immediate engagement with ancient art and artefacts than most graduate courses in the department. It will, however, equally address the broader issues of cultural and art historical analysis and contextualization. It will further cover the themes of provenance and collecting, as well as the 'biography' of individual artefacts. If students' texts or research will be used in the envisaged catalogue, their work will of course be fully credited.

This seminar takes place in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), using their significant collection of Greek vases. The course is co-taught with the ROM curator of antiquities, who will oversee the handling of and discussions about the vases, fragments, and their historiographical and iconographical studies. This course not only offers a rare opportunity for hands-on, object-based learning, it also provides instructions on writing for the museum, whether a catalogue entry, archival notes or labels. The course will also introduce students to theory, methodology, and historiography of vase painting scholarship, while using the ROM's collection as case studies for further research. Topics of exploration will include formalist subjects such as vase painting techniques, connoisseurship, and dating, as well as interpretative frameworks including archaeological and social contexts, aspects of daily lives, gender and sexuality, and mythological iconography. We will also be engaging in digital technology such as 3D reconstructions and photogrammetry of the objects. The format of the class will be an hour lecture, followed by discussion/hands-on investigations of vases and fragments, and a visit to the galleries where students will have chances to perform short presentations.

At its most basic level, the course examines ancient representation of eroticism against the background of Greek and Roman constructions of gender and sexuality, as well as the medical understanding of the human body in antiquity. It also explores intersections with the themes of ancient humour, myth, and magic, and explores visual strategies of 'othering' by means of sexualized representation. This is, however, more than a standard course on 'gender and sexuality' in antiquity, or on 'text and image': It also examines the hedonic structures and libidinal economies of the works of art themselves, and relates them to changing notions of pleasure and desire in antiquity (from the 6th century BCE to the 4th century CE), as well as to social, cultural, and philosophical constructions of personhood. The course avails itself of the rich scholarship that has been produced in the wake of the foundational works by K. Dover (Greek Homosexuality, 1978) and M. Foucault (The History of Sexuality I-III, 1976; 1984).

This course considers fundamental problems in developing an Art History for ancient art, with an emphasis on the prehistoric through Medieval Mediterranean. How can the approaches, methods, and theories developed for the study of "art" be applied to ancient artifacts and visual culture recovered from archaeological contexts? How is art history impacted when we seldom can identify the creator of an artifact, or so little is known about an ancient persona that we cannot meaningfully assess a career at an individual level? Going beyond the erasure of the great majority of creative individuals from an otherwise literate ancient society, how do we engage with imagery in a prehistoric context, where creators are not only anonymous, but the lack of written documents introduces a deep uncertainty in any interpretation? In response to these existential questions about ancient art history, we will examine both modern and ancient concepts of art and craft, including the culturally embedded constructs of artist versus artisan. The surviving ancient literature and epigraphical records cast important light on ancient aesthetics, modes of perception, and emerging ancient notions of art history, albeit one quite distinct from the modern. The course also reviews specific methods and theories which have been applied to the study of ancient artisans and aesthetics, beginning with attribution studies and collection practices which shaped modern museums. We will then consider the corpus of ancient signatures and other personal marks left on artifacts, as well as visual representations of craft created by the artisans themselves. Additional topics will be adapted to the background and interests of the enrolled students. We may consider the power and influence of images and image-makers in antiquity, the approaches to symbolism and meaning in prehistoric visual culture, the organization of artisans and workshops in various media and conditions, the economics of craft production, or the reconstruction of ancient technologies — each of which provide new insight into and perspective over the lives of artisans and craftspeople in the ancient world.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of a specific topic in Art History. The focus of the course will vary each time it is taught and will be determined by the instructor in accordance with their research interests.

This reading course is an independent study designed to allow a student to explore a topic related to Ancient art which is not currently offered as a graduate course. The student is responsible for proposing a topic and finding a graduate faculty supervisor.

This reading course is an independent study designed to allow a student to explore a topic related to Medieval art which is not currently offered as a graduate course. The student is responsible for proposing a topic and finding a graduate faculty supervisor.

This reading course is an independent study designed to allow a student to explore a topic related to Renaissance and Baroque art which is not currently offered as a graduate course. The student is responsible for proposing a topic and finding a graduate faculty supervisor.

This reading course is an independent study designed to allow a student to explore a topic related to Modern and Contemporary art which is not currently offered as a graduate course. The student is responsible for proposing a topic and finding a graduate faculty supervisor.

This course is taken with the student's interim supervisor to prepare for the comprehensive examinations.

In this course, MFE students bridge the gap between academics and full-time employment through their active participation in professional development opportunities and an internship. They will learn the tools and skills for a successful career in the financial sector.

An overview of the current issues facing forest conservation, management and research is presented in guest seminars and student presentations. Students will improve their writing and presentation skills as well as broaden their appreciation of forest science through written assignments and presentations. Weekly attendance at seminars and a poster presentation during the fall along with a written research proposal and seminar workshop the following spring are required. During the first fall session, the course includes select assignments in conjunction with students from the professional forest conservation program (MFC).

A key course for graduate students to gain fundamental knowledge focused on forest biomaterial sciences, to have an overview of the utilization of these renewable materials for industrial applications, and to be exposed to leading-edge sciences and technologies in fields relevant to the application of forest biomaterials. Topics will cover materials science, mechanics, wood chemistry, surface sciences, adhesives, nanotechnology and relevant advanced analytical characterizations methods. The course format will be a combination of seminars and student projects and presentations according to specific topics that are selected based on students’ interests or thesis projects.

This course focuses on technological advances and approaches in deriving biofuels and chemical feedstocks from forest and other biomass. Fundamental chemical attributes of biomass, as they affect the fuel value and potential for deriving liquid, solid and gaseous fuels from the biomass will be discussed. Processing options for valuable chemicals for other applications will also be discussed. Emphasis will also be placed on the economics and processing efficiencies of these conversion technologies.

Directed studies (master’s level) course dealing with selected aspects of natural resource management by arrangement between student and individual staff member.

Students may take more than one directed studies course for credit toward their degree requirements, but each course must be under the supervision of a unique graduate faculty member.

A directed studies course can only be taken if a student wishes to explore a topic that is not currently offered as a graduate course at the School of Graduate Studies.

Directed studies (master’s level) course dealing with selected aspects of natural resource management by arrangement between student and individual staff member.

Students may take more than one directed studies course for credit toward their degree requirements, but each course must be under a unique graduate faculty member.

A directed studies course can only be taken if a student wishes to explore a topic that is not currently offered as a graduate course at the School of Graduate Studies.

The assessment of forest fire danger is a critical aspect of forest fire management. We will review the physical, mathematical and statistical aspects of models used for forest fire danger rating in Canada, including fuel moisture, fire occurrence and fire behaviour models and will examine how these models have been developed based on field and laboratory experimentation and statistical modelling techniques. Through lectures and assignments we will examine the assumptions underlying these models and their use, and develop an understanding of how to modify or develop new models to fit new forest types or management needs.

Course objective: to provide background on the many challenges facing those charged with the responsibility of managing urban forest ecosystems. A major theme will be the need to address these challenges within the context of planning and legislative processes.

The Urban Forest Conservation course will provide the background, challenges, opportunities, and solutions to planning and managing urban forests and green infrastructure. The course is built on two interrelated components: the theoretical and the practical/hands-on parts. Through the lectures, the course will introduce students to a range of topics from the historical and existing roles of trees and green spaces in urban environments; socio-economic and environmental benefits of the urban forest and green infrastructure; urban forest relevant policies and urban forest inventories; management and planning; ecological and social drivers of urban forests; components of the urban forest and green infrastructure; urban forest sustainability, various components of green infrastructure to potential conservation and remedial measures. The course topics will be illustrated by real-life examples, guest lectures, and the most recent trends in urban forest management and conservation. By building on such knowledge, background, and critical thinking, students will be connected with the practical needs and will identify and work on specific problems related to urban forestry. They will gain hands-on experience in applied urban forest conservation, urban forest management, restoration, and stewardship and will propose solutions to real-world urban forest problems.