Broaden your intellectual and personal horizons through the study of art, design, and curatorial practice within a global perspective. Through critical, theoretical, and historical analysis, we encourage respectful awareness of––and engagement with–– our pluralistic community and enlightened understanding of your own material, visual, and cultural environments and your place within them.
Gain necessary skills and knowledge for a career as an art and design historian, a museum, gallery, or library professional, or to prepare for doctoral studies. By studying global art and design through multidisciplinary and cultural contexts and intensive specialized research, you’ll become an independent and critical thinker and writer, with an understanding of the historical role of art and design. Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide professional opportunities in your area of interest.
The Experience
IXD students Wuke Zhou, Yuki Shimano, and Olivia Turpin at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (photo by Shih Wen Huang)
Learning at the nexus of NYC arts and cultural communities, students in the History of Art and Design MA consider their discipline within larger social, cultural, and political contexts. With class sizes of just 8–12, you’ll collaborate closely with your cohort and faculty and work directly with museum collections and archives.
Internships
Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide professional opportunities in your area of interest and prepare you for future careers. Recent students have interned at prestigious institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and more.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an unparalleled experience that can extend the boundaries of your intellectual abilities and creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college and graduate experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. Study in Paris with the Pratt in Paris summer program or in Venice with Pratt in Venice, a 6-week program that recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.
Our Faculty
All full-time and part-time faculty are leading scholars and practitioners who are experts in their fields. They are deeply engaged in expanding their disciplines and building equity through their own work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and bring their commitment, and their experience, into the classroom. See all History of Art and Design faculty and administrators.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges, and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
“Less is more.” – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Minimalism was not just a style for Mies van der Rohe, it was a philosophy of design. His buildings and furniture stripped away ornament to reveal clarity, proportion, and precision. The phrase “less is more” continues to inspire designers and architects to this day, reminding us that simplicity can be the most powerful form of expression.
💡 The evolution of lighting design tells a story of innovation and atmosphere. From ancient oil lamps to iconic modern fixtures and today’s smart LEDs, each era has redefined how we live, work, and experience space. ✨ #DesignEvolution #LightingDesign
You are invited to an HAD Faculty Conversations by Caterina Pierre, “Trust in the Soul: Attilio Piccirilli’s Fragilina (1923) and the Beginnings of Modernism in American Figurative Sculpture.”
* This event is for the Pratt community.
Date: Wednesday, September 17th, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Venue: Main 210
About the Speaker: Caterina Y. Pierre, PhD, has taught at Pratt since 2008. She received her doctorate from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2005 where her specialty was nineteenth century sculpture. Her book Genius Has No Sex: The Sculpture of Marcello (1836-1879) was published by Editions de Penthes/Editions Infolio, in 2010. Caterina’s book Redefining the Hero in Tomb Sculpture, 1871-1901: Monument as Memory in France, Italy and the United States is forthcoming from Routledge. Since 2015, Caterina has taught and published on art crime, and her article “The Durig Scrapbook: Notes on the Silent Forger,” was published in the Journal of Art Crime (Spring 2022).
About the Project: Attilio Piccirilli’s Fragilina (1923, Metropolitan Museum of Art) will be analyzed in connection with an earlier sculpture by the artist entitled A Soul (1909, unlocated), a work that is stylistically and thematically connected to earlier nineteenth century Italian Purismo sculpture. Fragilina is a key sculpture in Piccirilli’s oeuvre, in that it marks a shift from his earlier figures to more Symbolist and abstract forms found in the work of his direct contemporaries. The title “Fragilina” references the negative experiences of Italian American immigrants in the United States, and the sculpture also attempts to bring the form into a new stylistic range.
The Anglepoise Lamp was first created by engineer George Carwardine, who applied his knowledge of springs and levers to design a lamp that could move fluidly and hold any position. Soon after, the Herbert Terry & Sons company helped refine and manufacture the design, making it accessible for both industrial and domestic use.
This partnership turned the Anglepoise into much more than a technical invention. It became a design icon that balanced practicality with elegance, a lamp that has illuminated homes, offices, and studios for nearly a century.
Kandinsky’s Composition VIII marks a turning point in modern art. Painted after his time at the Bauhaus, the work reflects his deep interest in geometry, balance, and the spiritual language of abstraction. Circles, lines, triangles, and curves float across the canvas, creating rhythm and harmony without relying on traditional representation.
Rather than depicting objects, Kandinsky sought to evoke emotion through pure form and color. He believed that geometric abstraction could act like music, speaking directly to the soul.
✨ A milestone of abstract art, Composition VIII remains one of Kandinsky’s most celebrated works and a cornerstone of Bauhaus visual language.
"Did you know? Egyptian Blue is considered the world’s first synthetic pigment, created over 4,500 years ago in ancient Egypt. Made by heating a mix of sand, copper, and natron, this luminous blue was used to decorate tombs, statues, and ceramics. Its brilliance symbolized the heavens and eternity, making it one of the most treasured colors of the ancient world."
Fall 2026 applications are officially open for the Department of History of Art and Design at Pratt Institute. Explore, question, and contribute to the future of art and design.
Vienna Secession (1897 to 1910): Where Art Broke Free
In turn-of-the-century Vienna, artists like Gustav Klimt and Josef Hoffmann rejected academic tradition and formed the Vienna Secession. Their goal was to unite art, architecture, and design into one expressive vision rooted in modern life.
Key features:
• Geometric ornament combined with natural motifs
• Symbolism and flat, decorative patterns
• The idea of Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art
#ViennaSecession #GustavKlimt #ArtNouveau #DesignHistory #SecessionBuilding #KolomanMoser #JosefHoffmann #ModernDesign #ArtAndDesign #HistoryOfDesign
The graduate studies in the History of Art and Design provide students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers as art and design historians and professionals in museums, galleries, and libraries, or to pursue graduate work at the doctoral level. Through comprehensive study of global art and design within historical and cultural contexts and intensive research and scholarship in specialized areas, students develop a critical understanding of the field as well as research and analytical skills. Graduates demonstrate excellence in independent and critical thinking and understanding of the historical roles and responsibilities of art and design. Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide opportunities for students to work in professional areas of their interests and prepare for future careers.
