We will explore socio-cultural foundation of nineteenth-century art from the intellectual revolution in late eighteenth-century Europe. Looking at the formation of modern art in the age of industrialization, our major topics include some classic artistic movements and trends/groups from Neo-classicism to Realism, the relations of art and life, and artistic relationships, as well as recent studies on race and the body. We will also introduce studies on illustrated books and visual culture, within the context of democratization of art and mass culture. This course encourages students to cultivate connoisseurship to some extent and especially research ability, so they could enjoy looking at art works in diverse media and frameworks.