Pratt’s an exceptional place to study art and design history. From our landmarked campus you’ll have access to NYC’s premier international private collections, libraries, museums, studios, and galleries, as well as leading artists, designers, historians, and theorists.
Join us in New York City, the art capital of the United States, for an immersive education in the history of art and design. Specialized foundational, art and design history, and liberal arts courses prepare you to conduct research, critically analyze and describe works of art, and place them in their social context. Studios and electives in your chosen concentration provide an in-depth program of study and experiential learning opportunities to practice traditional and new visual arts techniques.
The Experience
Taking specially designed foundation and survey courses, students in the BFA program will engage with a range of liberal arts disciplines including philosophy, literature, and criticism of the history of art and design, as well as studio courses. You’ll collaborate closely with your team, faculty, and community partners to learn the skills needed to create strategies and systems that meet real-world challenges.
Electives and Seminars
You’ll have the opportunity to take electives in film and design, architecture, non-Western, pre-Renaissance, Renaissance to Rococo, and 19th-, 20th-, or 21st-century art, theory and methodology, and chemistry of art. Major-specific seminars are available from your first through senior years, on topics that include the role of New York as a cultural capital, critical and theoretical models, and art and social justice.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. Study in Paris with the Pratt in Paris summer program. We also recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of Pratt in Venice, which is a 6-week program that occurs each June and July. For more information on Study Abroad, visit Pratt’s Study Abroad page.
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
Pratt’s distinguished faculty of outstanding creative professionals and scholars share a common desire to develop each student’s potential and creativity to the fullest. Bringing different views, methods, and perspectives, they provide a rigorous educational model in which students make and learn. 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.
Pentimento: The Ghosts of Art’s Past
Definition:
Pentimento (plural: pentimenti) refers to a visible trace or alteration in a painting, where an earlier version, design, or element has been painted over but becomes visible again as the top layer of paint ages and becomes more transparent over time. This phenomenon provides insights into the artist’s process and reveals changes made during the creation of the artwork.
Image 1: Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434, tempera and oil on oak panel, 82.2 x 60 cm (National Gallery, London)
Image 2: Arnolfini Wedding Portrait by Jan van Eyck (left), detail of infrared scans of Arnolfini Wedding Portrait (right); Courtesy: Principle Gallery
On this day celebrating love, the I ♥ NY logo reminds us how a few simple elements can create a deep sense of pride and belonging, proving that design can be both emotional and iconic.
Created in 1977 by graphic designer Milton Glaser, the 'I ♥ NY' logo is one of the most recognizable and enduring symbols in graphic design history. Originally commissioned as part of a campaign to boost tourism, it quickly became a global symbol of New York City’s bold spirit and resilience.
Key Highlights:
Simple and Iconic Design: The logo features the phrase "I ♥ NY" with a heart symbol, using bold typography that conveys warmth and emotional connection. The heart replaced the word "love," making it instantly recognizable.
Cultural Impact: Despite being created for a specific tourism campaign, the logo became synonymous with the city itself, adapting to various cultural contexts and becoming a symbol of New York’s identity.
Enduring Popularity: From T-shirts to tattoos, the "I ♥ NY" logo remains a timeless example of how effective and universal graphic design can be, transcending its original purpose to become a global icon.
#GraphicDesign #ILoveNY #MiltonGlaser #DesignHistory #IconicDesign #NYC #SimpleDesign #WeeklyDesignHistory
Umberto Boccioni’s 'The City Rises' (1910) is a powerful representation of the energy and chaos of urban life. As a key work of the Italian Futurist movement, this painting captures the spirit of modernity with dynamic forms and vibrant colors.
Details About the Artwork:
Subject: The painting depicts the construction of a new city, with laborers, machinery, and horses in a chaotic, energetic scene. It conveys the frenetic pace of urbanization and industrial progress.
Technique: Boccioni uses sweeping, fluid lines and bold colors to create a sense of motion and vitality. The composition is filled with overlapping forms, emphasizing the dynamism and power of human and mechanical effort.
Significance: Although less famous than other works, 'The City Rises' is a quintessential Futurist painting, celebrating the modern age and its transformative energy.
Inspirational Idea:
"‘The City Rises’ reminds us of the relentless energy and progress of urban life. It captures the essence of modernity, urging us to embrace change and the possibilities of the future."
Image: Umberto Boccioni, The City Rises, 1910, oil on canvas, 199 cm × 301 cm (MoMA)
#thecityrises #umbertoboccioni #artinspiration #futurism #modernlife #urbanenergy #momaart
Brutalism: The Raw Beauty of Concrete
Emerging in the mid-20th century, Brutalism made a bold statement with its raw, unpolished aesthetic. Known for its use of concrete and stark, geometric forms, this architectural style focuses on honesty in materials and structure.
Key Characteristics:
Raw Concrete (Béton Brut): Exposed concrete surfaces define Brutalism, showcasing the material in its natural, unadorned state.
Monolithic Forms: Massive, block-like structures that emphasize weight, solidity, and simplicity.
Function Over Ornamentation: Design that highlights utility and structure, rejecting decorative embellishments.
Brutalism reminds us that beauty can be found in raw, honest expression. It challenges us to appreciate the inherent qualities of materials and the integrity of structure.
#Brutalism #DesignInspiration #ConcreteJungle #ArchitecturalHonesty #Habitat67 #RawBeauty
HAD Faculty Conversations by Jennifer Miyuki Babcock, “A Work in Progress: Mapping the Wandering Goddess”
* This event is for Pratt community.
Date: Wednesday, February 26th, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Venue: Main 212
About the Project: Hathor, one of the world’s first imperial goddesses, absorbed numerous Egyptian, Nubian, and Levantine divinities into her multifaceted identity. The ancient Egyptians described her as “wandering” due to her many mythic journeys and manifestations. This digital project, born from my 2022 book, centers Hathor to foreground the divine feminine in Egypt and to explore the deeply intertwined nature of ancient Egyptian religion at both national and local levels. In this lecture, I will discuss the project’s origins, current status, and long-term goals.
About the Speaker: Jennifer Miyuki Babcock specializes in ancient Egyptian and Nubian art and archaeology. Her research explores cross-cultural parallels with other ancient and modern African cultures, examining how material and visual culture support the concept of divine kingship. She is also interested in artifacts and imagery that reflect personal piety, offering a compelling contrast to the royal and elite experience.
Let’s dive into Van Gogh’s 'Starry Night.' The swirling skies and vibrant colors reflect his emotional turbulence and fascination with nature. 🌌🎨
#vangogh #starrynight #artworkanalysis
Image: The Starry Night, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
Rebecca Houze will be giving a lecture about “From World’s Fair to National Park: Heritage and Fantasy in the Design of the American West�(works in progress)”
* This event is for Pratt community.
Date: Wednesday, Feb 19th
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 pm
Venue: Engr 307
About the Project: This talk by Rebecca Houze, Professor of Art and Design History, Northern Illinois University, argues that Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks were initially constructed as open-air museums of cultural heritage. As unique expressions of national identity, the parks were designed into the landscape and promoted to tourists by transcontinental railroad companies with sophisticated advertising programs and an emerging vocabulary of corporate identity.
About the Speaker: Professor Houze is an art and design historian whose research focuses on Central Europe with an emphasis on women designers. Her first book, Textiles, Fashion, and Design Reform in Austria-Hungary Before the First World War: Principles of Dress (2015) was supported by a Joint Austria-Hungary Fulbright Fellowship. Her collection of essays, New Mythologies in Design and Culture: Reading Signs and Symbols in the Visual Landscape (2016) explores our designed world with stories of familiar brand marks and popular objects such as the McDonald’s Golden Arches, Apple iPhone, and Nike Swoosh. She is currently working on a new book, which investigates the design of heritage at world’s fairs and national parks in Europe and North America.
📢 Calling All Pratt Artists!
How does art unlock the surreal, the unseen, challenge power structures, or reimagine the future of the self? 🔮 Submit your work to Surrealism Tomorrow – The Next 100 Years, an exhibition celebrating 100 years of surrealism while imagining what’s next.🌀
🔥 Why Submit?
💡 Receive exclusive feedback from curators at MoMA & Lenbachhaus, psychoanalysts and artists
🏆 Win monetary prizes + one-on-one sessions with the judges
✨ Get your work featured in a week-long exhibition
📖 Be published in the zine Surrealism Tomorrow: The Next 100 Years
🔹 Deadline: February 28, 2025
🔹 Exhibition Dates: April 14–21, 2025 (Opening April 16)
🔹 Open to all Pratt students
Let’s push boundaries, challenge rationalism, and tap into the unconscious—just like the surrealists before us. Submit your work today! 🎨🔮
#SurrealismTomorrow
The BFA program affords a grounding in the philosophy, literature, and criticism of the history of art and design. Students will take specially designed foundation courses and the survey classes. They will continue with additional credits in liberal arts (English, humanities, sciences, social sciences, and foreign language), studio, and electives. Majors will take upper-level electives in film and design, architecture, non-Western, pre-Renaissance, Renaissance to Rococo, and 19th-, 20th-, or 21st-century art. Theory and Methodology, Chemistry of Art, and a Senior Seminar are requirements for completion of the degree.
Undergraduates are competent in a broad range of knowledge in the history of cultures and their art.
Undergraduates understand that the meaning of works of art is tied to changes in social, political, and economic contexts through time.
Undergraduates will be able to demonstrate the necessary writing skills to analytically observe and describe works of art and the research skills to place art in its social context.
Undergraduates in the B.F.A. degree with studio training and experience learn traditional and innovative techniques in the manipulation of materials that generate artistic expression.
