HNRS-251 | The Chemistry of Art

Full Title: The Chemistry of Art

Topic Description:

Where do paints get their color? Why do museums keep famous paintings under dimmed light? How does tie-dye work? These and other questions will be answered as we explore the chemical basis of how many of the materials used by artists work, and develop the quantitative methodologies used by scientists. This course will emphasize fundamental chemical principles including light and its properties, how atoms combine to form small molecules and bulk materials, the properties of metals, the behavior of acids and bases, and the basics of organic chemistry and polymers. These foundations in chemistry will allow us to understand the chemical makeup of materials historically used in the fabrication of art, and the chemical processes that conservators worry about in preserving our cultural heritage. Additionally, the class as a whole will work together to develop a project that engages and educates the community on a selected topic central to the course.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: December 2016