Light and Night in Western History

(4 Credits)

This course explores the history of light and the night from the ancient to the modern period. Before electrification, light was a precious resource: the course surveys its importance in domestic life and urban space, its economic and scientific uses, as well as technological and architectural attempts to control and maximize lighting levels. It also probes how light symbolism was invoked in a range of different political and religious discourses. At the same time, the course explores the ‘dark side’ of the topic: the history of the night, a time traditionally associated with a multitude of dangers, real and imagined.