This paper adopts a qualitative research approach, employing visual and contextual analysis of Brighton Pavilion and its Indian architectural inspirations. The study delves into the historical and cultural origins of the Pavillion's design elements, such as domes, minarets, chatris, arches, etc., and examines their reinterpretation within the European context. By analysing the building through a comparative perspective, the study contrasts these elements with their counterparts in Indian architecture, drawing examples from Mughal and Rajput architecture.
While most of the studies have examined the Brighton Pavillion’s architectural hybridity or its symbolic function within the British royal interpretations, only a few have made a direct, element-to-element comparison between the pavilion and its authentic counterparts from Indian Mughal or Rajput architecture. This study aims to close the gap by examining the ideological reinterpretation of Indian design work within a Western colonial framework, in addition to the formal parallels.
The main goal of this research is to find out how the Brighton Pavilion reimagines and repurposes Indian architectural elements while exposing the cultural and political beliefs ingrained in this architectural synthesis. By doing this, the article hopes to add to the conversation about colonial architectural hybridity by establishing the Pavilion as a significant piece of imperial representation and Orientalist design logic rather than merely a stylistic peculiarity.

This thesis explores the intersection of music and visual art as a medium for political and cultural expression, focusing on four distinct historical and sociopolitical contexts: propaganda in totalitarian regimes, the Civil Rights Movement, countercultural art of the 1960s, and contemporary activism like Black Lives Matter. It examines how music-inspired visual art has reflected and shaped public consciousness by conveying solidarity, dissent, and cultural identity. The analysis reveals shared strategies across movements, such as the emotional resonance of gospel in protest imagery, the psychedelic aesthetics of the 1960s, and the digital amplification of modern activism. By comparing these cases, the research highlights the enduring function of music-infused art as a tool for cultural resistance and political engagement, bridging historical and contemporary practices. Future research directions include exploring how digital media and transnational art networks are reshaping the visual language of music-driven activism.

This thesis examines how Jacob van Ruisdael's windmill paintings from the 1640s to the 1680s integrate elements of the Dutch sublime, a concept that predates the Romantic sublime, while sharing its foundational influence from Longinus. This research examines windmills as a technological structure and symbol of resilience in 17th-century Dutch society by the historical contextualization of Ruisdael's artistic development and the theoretical exploration of the Dutch sublime's distinctive characteristics rooted in Calvinist theology. A visual analysis of three themes with three paintings each is categorized as "Windmill as Primary Object," "Windmill with Nature," and "Windmill in the Built Environment". In the analysis, Ruisdael's constant attempt to combine realism and the sublime became evident from aspects such as the hierarchy within the composition, atmospheric effects, and use of symbols. The findings show how Ruisdael transformed windmills from mere topographical elements into mediators between earthly existence and divine power through integrated dramatic contrast, elevated grounds, and nuanced atmospheric perspective to evoke contemplative reflection rather than overwhelming terror. This research concludes by understanding how Dutch landscape painting engaged with sublime aesthetics through the distinct Calvinist influence.

The self-portrait has piqued the interest of artists through the ages and It is no surprise that the expressionists were among the many that found their muse in themselves. Expressionism as a movement emphasized the artist's feelings or ideas over replicating reality.2 Research has been done on various aspects of the self-portrait. Current studies have delved into specific artists’ portfolios or have done a thorough analysis of stand-alone paintings. This study takes a broader viewpoint across multiple artists, this research was able to uncover a wide scope of motivations and, more importantly, establish reoccurring themes. Here visual analysis of works by Vincent van Gogh, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Gabriële Münter are used together with a literature study to address the research question: "What are the reasons for the creation of a self-portrait by artists of the expressionist movement?” Results showed a recurring motivation of practice. As many artists before them, these artists used their own likeness as a subject to evolve their painting style without having to find and pay a model. In these paintings the focus is on the painter's style, their colors and brushstrokes. For other self-portraits the motivation behind them becomes much more personal. They are used as vessels to express emotional distress. Pushing the genre in a direction it had rarely gone before. Another reason for an artist to create a self-portrait could be to curate an image of themselves. Closely related to this is the finding that self-portraits are heavily linked to identity. The motivation behind a self-portrait could be for an artist to show themselves and the world, who they are. Of course, the role of an artist in society had long been a subject in self-portraits, but with this motivation the artists discussed in this paper are not merely following their predecessors they are surpassing them in terms of emotional honesty and bravery. The invention of photography forced the expressionist artist away from realism. Almost as a rule, these painters laid bare their souls through the medium of the self-portrait and pushed it to be the deeply enchanting, confusing, introspective and truthful genre it now is.

This thesis explores how Lotte Stam Beese’s exposure to functionalist architects in Eastern Europe influenced her architectural designs during the post-war reconstruction of Rotterdam. While Beese is often recognized for her contributions to Rotterdam’s urban development, this research focuses on her formative years abroad, particularly her time in the Soviet Union.

Educated at the Bauhaus under Hannes Meyer, Beese was introduced early on to functionalist design principles and Marxist-inspired architectural thinking. Her journey through Eastern Europe — including Brno, Charkov, and Moscow — brought her into contact with leading figures like Mart Stam and Ernst May, and eventually into the May-Brigade. Working on projects such as the Sotsgorod Orsk exposed her to the practical and ideological applications of socialist urban planning, including zoning, prefabrication, and the integration of communal facilities.

The thesis offers a comparative analysis of Beese’s Soviet experience and her later work on neighborhoods in Rotterdam, including Kleinpolder, Pendrecht, and Ommoord. Despite the differences in context, these neighborhoods reflect a continuity of functionalist principles adapted to local needs. Beese’s designs emphasized social cohesion, community life, and spatial clarity—goals rooted in her ideological foundation abroad.

Critical perspectives from architectural theorists such as Koos Bosma and Manfredo Tafuri are also considered, questioning whether Beese’s ideals were utopian or pragmatic. The study concludes that Beese’s architectural legacy is a product of cross-cultural synthesis: Soviet functionalist concepts reinterpreted within a Western European framework.

Mannerism has for a long time been associated with primarily painting and sculpture. Its role in architecture has as a result been overshadowed, even though it offers a unique way of working with space. This thesis explores the question: “How did different Italian Mannerist architects use spatial manipulation to challenge Renaissance ideals and shape the viewer’s experience?” Through a comparative analysis of four Italian case studies—the Laurentian Library, Palazzo del Te, Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne and Villa Farnese—it becomes clear that Mannerist architects didn’t simply reject classical principles, but rather challenged their boundaries in their personal and inventive ways. While existing studies mostly discuss Mannerist architects separately, this thesis highlights the variation within Italian Mannerism itself by not only revealing their shared characteristics, but also the individual approaches. It shows that, aside from their differences, the Mannerists were united by a mindset of experimentation, challenging Renaissance ideals and the viewer experience. This approach includes unusual shapes and distortions like elongated proportions or irregular layouts. These were not simply random or decorative, but rather intentional and well-thought-out design choices.

This research paper investigates the evolution and societal impact of late 20th-century street art through the works of Keith Haring and Banksy. It explores how their art reflects the socio-political contexts of their time, transforming graffiti from a stigmatized act of vandalism into a globally recognized art form. Haring’s vibrant, community-driven murals and Banksy’s provocative, politically charged stencils are analyzed to highlight their distinct yet complementary approaches. The study examines their engagement with public spaces, addressing issues such as AIDS awareness, drug abuse, inequality, and war, while navigating the tension between legality and artistic expression. By employing visual, contextual, and comparative analyses, the paper underscores how both artists redefined public art as a platform for activism and social commentary. Despite their contrasting styles—Haring’s openness versus Banksy’s anonymity—their shared commitment to democratizing art and challenging societal norms is evident. This research contributes to the ongoing debate over graffiti as art or vandalism, illustrating how Haring and Banksy’s works bridged the gap between outsider art and mainstream acceptance. Ultimately, the paper highlights street art’s transformative power in reshaping urban spaces and fostering dialogue on critical social issues.

In some of Raphael’s paintings, buildings appear that share similarities with structures designed by Bramante. This research examines the lives of both Bramante and Raphael, with a specific question: To what extent did Bramante influence both Raphael’s paintings and architectural design?
To answer this question, a comparison is made between works from Bramante and Raphael. The works that have been compared are St. Peter’s and The School of Athens, and Tempietto and The Marriage of the Virgin.
The findings suggest that Raphael incorporated Bramante’s design for St. Peter’s into his fresco The School of Athens. However, despite the similarities between The Marriage of the Virgin and the Tempietto, there is no evidence that Raphael drew inspiration from the Tempietto for his painting.
After Raphael arrived in Rome, Bramante had some influence on his work. As the chief architect of Rome, Bramante’s architectural designs served as a source of inspiration for Raphael, who studied and analysed these buildings, incorporating their elements into his paintings and designs. The use of the dome, the Greek cross, and niches, which appear in the painting The School of Athens, were inspired by the design of St. Peter’s. This indirect influence of Bramante shaped Raphael’s architectural style.

In Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal, published in 1963, Colin Rowe and Robert Slutzky introduced the concept of phenomenal transparency, suggesting that transparency should be understood as a broader spatial order and a perceptual effect rather than merely an optical illusion. Their essay established an initial connection between Cubist paintings and early 20th-century Modernist architecture through examining the complexity of spatial experience. Building on this notion, this thesis aims to further explore the development of spatial understanding within Cubist paintings and its translation and effect in architecture. This thesis will begin with a general overview of the transformation in spatial perception of the early 20th century artists, tracing its evolution from Post-Impressionism to Synthetic Cubism paintings. The second chapter will focus on the analysis of representative paintings from the Cubist movement, aiming to extract the fundamental interpretations of space during this period. This will be followed by an examination of architectural case studies, illustrating how these concepts were translated from the two-dimensional surface into the three-dimensional physical world.

This research aims to provide deeper insight into how light can evoke sensory and emotional responses through the interplay of art and architecture. The study is based on both literature and visual analysis of the collaborative work between architect Tadao Ando and artist James Turrell. In Naoshima, Japan, Ando designed the Chichu Art Museum, where several of Turrell’s installations are permanently exhibited. In this collaboration, they use geometry, materiality, and the interplay of light and darkness to shape perception. Ando’s design prepares visitors for the transcendent qualities of Turrell’s light installations. Through a carefully orchestrated, labyrinthine route, with the gradual shifting of natural light. Both Tadao Ando and James Turrell seeking Architecture to capture light and preserve its presence in a fixed space, carefully harnessing its spirit. By bringing light into our consciousness, it evokes a sense of something greater than the self.

This thesis discusses to what extent local building materials influenced in the structural composition, aesthetic beauty and symbolic meaning of three great French Gothic cathedrals Chartres, Amiens and Albi. While Gothic architecture is normally imagined as a monolithic stylistic phenomenon, this thesis illustrates that local material availability and geological location had a significant role in generating diverse architectural outcomes. Through comparison, the research demonstrates how limestone at Chartres and Amiens enabled verticality, intricate sculpture and light interiors, whereas brick in Albi produced enormous, fortress-like buildings emphasizing ecclesiastical domination. From architectural theory, historical records and material analysis, this research reveals the material, spatial interdependence of place and architectural innovation, demonstrating a more nuanced understanding of Gothic architecture as regionally and materially dependent.

Dada is anti-art. It was never meant to be beautiful, nor was it ever meant to conform. It was there to provoke, to disrupt, to challenge everything that had come before. For me, a German, this movement holds a particular weight- a moment in history where art ceased to be just art and became a weapon against the absurdity of a collapsing society. It has been more than 100 years since Dada reached its peak, yet it seems that it is forgotten what it did for modern art, particularly the innovation of photomontage. When I talk to fellow students about this thesis paper, I am often met with responses such as, “Wasn’t that just the crazy art?” But Dada was never just about chaos. It was born out of necessity, out of the ruins of World War I, as a response to a world that no longer made sense.

Dada did not appear out of thin air. It emerged, of all places, in neutral Switzerland, where exiled artists such as Hugo Ball, Tristan Tzara, and Richard Huelsenbeck found solace in the absurd. But it was in Berlin that the movement transformed into something far more radical. Raoul Hausmann, Hannah Höch, George Grosz, and John Heartfield saw an opportunity to take Dada beyond mere performance and poetry. They saw the power of image- the manipulation of reality through photomontage- to expose the political and social hypocrisy of their time. Heartfield’s work in the 1920s and 1930s, in particular, marks a turning point in visual culture, one that directly challenges the traditional perspectives established in the 15th century. With photomontage, he and his contemporaries created an entirely new form of visual critique, merging fragments of reality into a grotesque yet powerful distortion of truth.

What fascinates me most is how Dada questioned not only the value of art, but also its very purpose in a society on the brink of collapse. After WWI, Germany was in turmoil- people were starving, political tensions were escalating, and the Weimar Republic was struggling to find stability. In such a world, art could no longer afford to be bourgeois, decorative, or detached from reality. Dada refused to be complicit. Instead, it mocked, criticised, and exposed. It was inevitable that a group of artists- or rather, anti-artists (monteurs)- would come together to ask the most urgent questions: What is art? Who decides its value? And does art even matter when society itself has lost its sense of purpose?

In this thesis, I will explore the rise and development of Dada, focusing particularly on photomontage as its most subversive and lasting contribution. By analysing key artworks, texts, and manifestos from that time, I will examine how this technique was not just a visual experiment, but a direct response to the socio-political chaos of post-war Germany. While many books on Dada were written in the 1960s and 1970s, more recent debates and documentaries have sought to place the movement in a contemporary context, helping us understand the mindset of those artists who turned to scissors and glue as their weapons of choice.

Through this research, I aim to uncover how photomontage became a crucial tool for political critique and subsequently why, a century later, its impact remains as relevant as ever. Although Dadaism is well documented in terms of primary sources and a resurge in 70s literature, the more recent trend since the 2000s is a decline in book sales , as philosopher Wolfram Eilenberger said in an interview on the Swiss Radio Channel SRF. The known publications till now are extensive books, never truly focusing concisely on the topic at hand: This thesis is a holistic compiled writing uncovering the depth of the photomontage philosophy, technique, monteurs and the prevailing Zeitgeist.

This thesis explores the intersection between Vincent van Gogh’s psychological struggles and his artistic expression, focusing on how solitude functions as both a personal affliction and a creative force within his work. While previous scholarship has often framed Van Gogh as a tragic genius overwhelmed by mental illness, this study challenges such romanticized narratives by situating his suffering within the broader sociocultural and medical context of 19th-century Europe. Through a detailed visual analysis of selected paintings, including The Starry Night, Bedroom in Arles, Wheatfield with Crows, and The Night Café, this research examines Van Gogh’s use of composition, color, and brushwork as tools to translate emotional solitude into communicable visual language. Drawing on both psychiatric interpretations and art historical perspectives, the thesis reveals how Van Gogh’s mental illness, social exclusion, and lack of adequate medical care collectively shaped his visual language of isolation. While acknowledging the very real psychological pain evident in his letters and actions, this study also highlights Van Gogh’s active engagement with solitude as an aesthetic and existential subject. Ultimately, the thesis argues that his art was not merely a reflection of madness but a deliberate confrontation with it, an attempt to reclaim control through creation. Van Gogh’s legacy thus compels us to rethink the complex relationship between mental illness, artistic identity, and social reception, offering a deeper understanding of how suffering and creativity coexist within the framework of historical context.

This thesis explores the evolution of stained glass windows throughout the various Gothic periods in Gothic cathedrals, focusing on Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Bourges Cathedral, and Sint-Janskerk in Gouda. The research investigates developments in stained glass techniques, designs, and symbolism, and elaborates on the educational purpose and the link between architectural innovations and the windows. How these innovations enabled larger and more detailed stained glass windows. It also considers how perceptions and uses of stained glass shifted over time, from purely religious functions to more diverse artistic expression. And the importance of preserving the historical and social value of these windows.

By combining historical, visual, material, and comparative analyses, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of Gothic stained glass windows. It contributes to existing literature by focusing specifically on the value of these windows, in well-known cathedrals, rather than treating it as a minor aspect of Gothic architecture. The findings demonstrate how stained glass windows reflect broad changes throughout the Gothic period and beyond. This research enhances the appreciation for this art form and its everlasting historical significance.

This thesis looks into Michel de Klerk his work and the influence his travel to Scandinavia had on his work. The inspiration that the Palads hotel had on his work, is a broadly accepted theory. What other possible influences are visible are discussed in this thesis.

To determine the influence his travel had, this thesis looks into sketches Michel made during his travels. These are placed along the sketches before and after his travels. After a comparative analysis of the sketches, connections between; before, during and after the travels are noted. This comparison shows a lot of consistency between his design language before and after his travels. One aspect which has definitely inspired him or functioned as an reference during his travels is the design of sculptures on the Town hall of Copenhagen. We therefore conclude that there are design principles where Michel was inspired by during his travels abroad and which he introduced to the Amsterdam School and specifically his own work.

The allure of ancient Egypt has captivated minds for centuries, inspiring fascination with its rich traditions, remarkable architecture, and captivating art. The campaign led by Napoleon Bonaparte to Egypt in the late 18th century marked a pivotal moment in Western engagement with ancient Egypt. Prior to Napoleon's campaign, European knowledge of Egypt was limited, often shrouded in myth and speculation. However, Napoleon's scientific quest to Egypt caused information about the ancient civilization to be more accessible, leading to a deeper exploration and understanding of ancient Egyptian culture, art, and architecture.
The central research question guiding this study is: "How has the depiction of ancient Egyptian elements in French paintings changed after Napoleon’s campaign of Egypt?" Through an examination of artworks spanning different periods, themes, and artistic styles, this research seeks to elucidate the transformative influence of Napoleon's campaigns on the portrayal of ancient Egypt in French art.

This thesis delves into the intricate relationship between art and propaganda in Soviet Russia. Placing art in her historical context. This thesis analyzes the key art movements within Russian Avant-Garde; Russian Futurism and Constructivism, as well as prominent propaganda Figures like Vladimir Mayakovsky and Gustav Klutsis. By examining the use of art as a political tool by Soviet leaders, the study sheds light on how propaganda was employed to manipulate and persuade the masses and, ultimately how powerful art can be. Through a detailed examination of artworks and propaganda materials, the thesis offers new insights into the role of art in shaping political ideologies.