Critical Studies in Portraiture, Ancient to Contemporary

3 units

To study portraiture is to confront the complexity of human identity. The central theoretical question of this course is how identity can be expressed in a portrait. Following the consideration of theories of portraiture, identity, and artistic representation, we will treat specific historical and cultural instances of portrait-making, from ancient Greece to the present. Non-Western cultural examples will broaden the scope beyond the conventional conceptions of portraiture. We will conclude by trying to understand the continuing allure of the portrait today as digital media challenge our conventional ideas of visuality and perhaps even the urgency of portraiture in the post-human age. Prerequisites: L01 113 or L01 215; or permission of instructor. One 300-level course in art history preferred.