Art and Court Society in the 17th Century: Italy, France, Spain

3 units

This course examines the artistic production of the major courts of Southern Europe during the Baroque. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and urbanism, as well as courtly and musical spectacle, are considered. While works by Bernini, Borromini, Reni, Cortona, Velasquez, Rubens, Poussin, Le Brun, Le Vau, and Mansart are studied in depth, the major objective is to situate the artist in the political and social networks of court society. Of central importance are the patronage and cultural policies of Urban VIII and his Cardinals, Philip IV of Spain, and Richelieu, Mazarin, and Colbert under Louis XIII and XIV. The course also engages larger issues of social anthropology of court culture, the role of art in the construction and ligitimization of power, and the fundamental relationship of artd and ideology.