Introduction to Western Art: Ancient to Medieval

3 credits · Undergraduate

An introduction to the art of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the European Middle Ages. Painting, sculpture, and architecture are presented chronologically and considered in relation to their historical and cultural circumstances. The course aims to provide students with a basic knowledge of how artworks balance past tradition with innovation; how people actually looked at artworks and what they valued in them; how works of art were commissioned and displayed; how artists went about their work; and how genre and medium affected an artwork's appearance. The question of artistic quality will be central to the course. In the process, the student will acquire a critical vocabulary for thinking and writing about art. Recommended both for potential majors and for students with a general interest in the topic.