Help me choose a minor to compliment my Art History major...

College Majors
1

<p>I am coming from a top LAC and want to make sure that I am an appealing candidate for graduate schools. I plan to earn a BA in Art History, but I'm having a really hard time choosing between a Spanish or a Biology minor. </p>

<p>Is it necessary/wise to have a language when studying art history and planning for graduate work?</p>

<p>I love the idea of understanding Biology. Can anyone think of a path of biological study that would relate to or compliment the study of Art History? </p>

<p>Any other advice/thoughts/comments would be appreciated. I'm a compulsive planner and hate not having this figured out.</p>

2

<p>Biology would probably be a safer choice as it will open up a large number of employment opportunities you would otherwise not have with only a BA in Art History and/or Spanish.</p>

3

<p>Graduate programs in art history generally require a reading knowledge of languages of scholarship. These are usually French and German. In addition, if you specialize in particular geographic/historical areas, you might need other relevant languages, e.g., Italian for Renaissance art, or Chinese for Chinese art. Spanish would be useful for Spanish or Latin American art, but might not substitute for the core scholarly languages of French and/or German.</p>

<p>An important aspect of a liberal education is finding the interconnections between disciplines. So, yes, art history and biology might very well complement each other. You’ll have to make the connections —perhaps as term paper or thesis topics—as they may not be directly obvious. Here are some links for you to explore how others have made the connection:</p>

<p>[A</a> Biology Course for Art Majors](<a href=“http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/stories/college_science.php?news_story_ID=48768]A”>http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/stories/college_science.php?news_story_ID=48768)</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing: Margaret Livingstone: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Art-Biology-Margaret-Livingstone/dp/0810904063]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Art-Biology-Margaret-Livingstone/dp/0810904063)</p>

<p>[Biology</a> and Art](<a href=“http://www.whatislife.com/biologyandart.htm]Biology”>Biology and Art)</p>

<p>[Art</a> Meets Biology - Carnegie Mellon University](<a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/collaboration/2007/winter/art-meets-biology.shtml]Art”>Art Meets Biology - Carnegie Mellon University | CMU)</p>

<p>[The</a> Molecular Gaze: Art in the Genetic Age Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Series on Genomics, Bioe: Amazon.co.uk: Dorothy Nelkin, Suzanne Anker: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.co.uk/Molecular-Gaze-Genetic-Laboratory-Genomics/dp/0879696974/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-8]The”>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Molecular-Gaze-Genetic-Laboratory-Genomics/dp/0879696974/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-8)</p>

<p>[Endless</a> Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science, and the Visual Arts Yale Center for British Art: Amazon.co.uk: Diana Donald, Jane Munro: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.co.uk/Endless-Forms-Charles-Natural-Science/dp/0300148267/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-3]Endless”>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Endless-Forms-Charles-Natural-Science/dp/0300148267/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-3)</p>

<p>[The</a> Floral Art of Pierre-Joseph Redoute: Amazon.co.uk: Marianne Roland-Michael, Peter Sutton, Carolyn Rose Rebbot: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.co.uk/Floral-Art-Pierre-Joseph-Redoute/dp/0711220719/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-4]The”>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Floral-Art-Pierre-Joseph-Redoute/dp/0711220719/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247321797&sr=1-4)</p>

<p>[Bird</a> Biology and the Arts](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Bird_Art.html]Bird”>Bird Biology and the Arts)</p>

<p>[Collaborations:</a> Art, Conservation and Molecular Biology | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine](<a href=“http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/09/04/collaborations-art-conservation-and-molecular-biology/]Collaborations:”>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/09/04/collaborations-art-conservation-and-molecular-biology/)</p>

<p>[Symbolism</a> of plants: examples from European-Mediterranean culture presented with biology and history of art: OCTOBER: Roses – Kandeler and Ullrich, 10.1093/jxb/erp215 – Journal of Experimental Botany](<a href=“http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/erp215]Symbolism”>http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/erp215)</p>

<p>[Toward</a> an aesthetic marine biology. (22-DEC-08) Art Journal](<a href=“http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-37297545_ITM]Toward”>http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-37297545_ITM)</p>

<p>[The</a> Interaction between Art and Biology - University of Connecticut Foundation](<a href=“The UConn Foundation: Supporting the University of Connecticut”>The UConn Foundation: Supporting the University of Connecticut)</p>

<p>[Art</a>, Biology, and Conservation - Koestler, Robert J.; Koestler, Victoria H.; Charola, A. Elena; Nieto-Fernandez, Fernando E. - Yale University Press](<a href=“http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300104820]Art”>http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300104820)</p>

<p>[Scientists</a> pioneer biotech techniques to halt infestation of history, art treasures …( The use of biotechnologies originally i…)](<a href=“http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Scientists-pioneer-biotech-techniques-to-halt-infestation-of-history--art-treasures-in-tropics-14020-1/]Scientists”>http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Scientists-pioneer-biotech-techniques-to-halt-infestation-of-history--art-treasures-in-tropics-14020-1/)</p>

<p>[Art</a> and Disease Lecture](<a href=“http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ar07OFKB8c0J:academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/imagingthebody/Handouts/ArtDiseaseLecture.pdf+disease,+art&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari]Art”>http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ar07OFKB8c0J:academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/imagingthebody/Handouts/ArtDiseaseLecture.pdf+disease,+art&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari)</p>

<p>[Art</a>, Vision, & the Disordered Eye - Monet, Claude](<a href=“http://www.psych.ucalgary.ca/PACE/VA-Lab/AVDE-Website/monet.html]Art”>http://www.psych.ucalgary.ca/PACE/VA-Lab/AVDE-Website/monet.html)</p>

4

<p>Thank you so much, Zapfino. Those links are incredibly helpful but only made it more difficult to decide. Now I know that I need a language, but Biology could be so fun and interesting…</p>

5

<p>You only need a reading knowledge of the relevant scholarly languages. You possibly could pick these up through self-study, a graduate reading course (after admission to grad school or in summer school)—it doesn’t take a minor. I would recommend that you check the specific requirements of graduate art history depts that interest you. That’ll give you a better idea of what emphasis they place on languages in the admission process, but I suspect an applicant with languages may have an advantage.</p>