Art/Arch., Medieval World

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course will survey the major objects, images, and monuments from Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East between circa 300 AD and circa 1400 AD. It will begin with the first examples of Christian art in the Early Christian period and end with the precursors of the Renaissance. The course will cover a fascinating variety of art historical, theological, and cultural topics relevant to medieval art: the origins of modern painting; politics and monumental art; pilgrimage, relics, and the cult of the Saints; manuscript making and the origins of the book; Iconoclasm; and the Crusades, among others. By the end of the course, students will gain concrete knowledge of the vibrant and varied artworks, figures, and concepts that have shaped the visual imagination of Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East. Students will further acquire "visual literacy" skills that will allow them to interpret images and "read" visual objects and texts together.