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.
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the program has filled. Please contact us at HAD@pratt.edu for any deadline questions.
History of Art and Design at Pratt
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.
🎨 Art Inspiration of the Week
“The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1490 to 1510
Step into a surreal world where paradise, pleasure, and punishment coexist. Bosch’s iconic triptych defies categorization. It is part religious warning, part psychedelic fantasy. The central panel bursts with enigmatic scenes. Nude figures frolic among giant fruit, hybrid creatures, and impossible architecture. This is neither heaven nor hell, but a dreamlike realm suspended between desire and doom.
Prado Museum, Madrid
#ArtHistory #ArtInspiration
"Design is intelligence made visible." – Alina Wheeler
This June, we’re celebrating the invisible logic behind beautiful design. From simplicity to sleek digital interfaces, smart design shows up when form and function align.
#DesignQuote #Bauhaus #DesignHistory #AlinaWheeler #IntelligentDesign #HistoryOfDesign #HAD #ArtAndDesign
Important Update:
The time for Topics in African Art, HAD 456-01, by Professor Risham Majeed, changed to Fridays 2:00-4:50.
Course Description:
The course will look at the forms, function and contexts in which arts have been created and used in African societies, and how that body of material has been observed, described and collected by people outside the Continent. Materials or bodies of art will be viewed in a geographic pattern that moves across the Continent. Those materials will be selected to illustrate themes and issues that inform the study and understanding go the general body of African arts. The course will reflect a growing shift in the literature and in the professional discourse of the field of non-western and post-colonial studies toward a focus on the performative and holistic interpretation of artistic expression, and the impact of a global post-colonial experience that engenders a world-art perspective.
Art Term: Aniconism
The intentional avoidance of figural imagery, often seen in religious art.
Example: The muqarnas ceiling in Alhambra’s Hall of the Abencerrajes uses intricate geometry instead of human forms to reflect divine order.
#ArtTerms #IslamicArt #Muqarnas #Alhambra #ArtHistory
Professor Lisa A. Banner and her graduate student class, Creating Exhibitions HAD 635, Spring 2025 visited the Artist Studio, 25 February 2025, with Lex Braes (Pratt Faculty)
Pictured from left to right:, three rows:
Back row: Shir Sudri, Allie Schwam, Jianing Cui, Emily Kokotajlo, Heechan Lee, Rob HIll, Tony Griego
Middle: Elza Lambergs
Front: Tong (Bill) Wu, Artist Lex Braes, Yerang Moon, K Rawald
Photo credit: Lisa A. Banner, 2025.
As the Spring 2025 semester draws to a close, we celebrate the insight, creativity, and dedication of our History of Art and Design community. From in-depth research to critical discussions and final presentations, your work continues to shape the understanding of art, design, and their histories.
Wishing all our students, faculty, and staff a restorative and inspiring summer! 🌿
#EndOfSemester #PrattInstitute #Spring2025 #HistoryOfArtAndDesign #ArtHistory #DesignHistory #CreativeCommunity
Design History Spotlight: The Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen
Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955, the Tulip Chair is a hallmark of mid-century modern design, combining sleek elegance with functional innovation. Saarinen, known for his ability to blend form and function, created this iconic chair as part of his Pedestal Collection for Knoll.
Key Features:
The chair’s single pedestal base was revolutionary for its time, eliminating the traditional four legs and offering a smooth, clean silhouette that made it visually striking and highly functional.
Made from fiberglass and vinyl, the Tulip Chair was designed to be lightweight yet durable, perfectly suited for the modern living environment of the 1950s.
Its organic, fluid shape was inspired by the natural forms of flowers, making it an ideal fusion of biomorphic design with contemporary materials.
Fun Fact: Saarinen’s aim was to eliminate the “slum of legs” that often cluttered furniture designs, creating a chair that was both elegant and practical. The Tulip Chair has since become an enduring symbol of mid-century modern style.
#EeroSaarinen #TulipChair #MidCenturyModern #DesignHistory #FurnitureDesign #Modernism
Art History 101: Unt 5 - Modernism and Abstract Art
The Modernist Movement
The early 20th century saw the rise of Modernism, characterized by a break from tradition and exploration of new artistic expressions.
Example: "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí (1931)
Cubism Revolutionizes Art
Pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Cubism shattered conventional perspectives by depicting subjects from multiple viewpoints simultaneously.
Example: "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" by Pablo Picasso (1907)
Abstract Expressionism Emerges
Artists like Mark Rothko emphasized emotional expression through abstract forms and colors, focusing on viewer experience rather than representational accuracy.
Example: "No. 61 (Rust and Blue)" by Mark Rothko (1953)
Op Art Phenomenon
Op Art emerged in the mid-20th century, using optical illusions to create dynamic visual effects that challenged perception—Bridget Riley was a key figure here.
Example: "Movement in Squares" by Bridget Riley (1961)
Weekly Art Spotlight: The Hall of the Kings, Alhambra – Muqarnas Ceiling
The Hall of the Kings in the Alhambra, Granada, is known for its stunning muqarnas ceiling, an extraordinary example of Islamic architecture. This intricate ceiling design combines geometric elegance with spiritual symbolism.
Key Features of the Muqarnas Ceiling:
The muqarnas are a form of stalactite-like ornamentation that creates a visually striking 3D pattern. These small, niche-like structures are arranged in tiers, creating a honeycomb or star-shaped appearance.
The ceiling’s layered structure gives the illusion of depth and complexity, symbolizing the infinite nature of the universe. It reflects the Islamic belief that the divine cannot be fully understood but is hinted at through beauty and complexity in nature.
In the Hall of the Kings, the muqarnas design is more than just decoration; it serves as an architectural and symbolic link between earth and heaven, offering a celestial, ethereal effect. The play of light and shadow in the recesses of the muqarnas emphasizes a spiritual connection.
Fun Fact: The muqarnas ceiling not only enhances the aesthetics of the space but also serves practical purposes, improving acoustics in the hall.
#IslamicArt #Muqarnas #Alhambra #ArtHistory #Architecture #GeometricArt #WeeklyArtSpotlight
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.
