ART 231-01, History of Western Art I, Spring 2011

Abstract

This course examines the history of Western Art (architecture, painting, and sculpture) from the third millennium BCE to the fourteenth century CE—the prehistoric, ancient, and medieval periods. We will examine not only representative monuments from these periods, but also the historical and cultural contexts in which they were produced. There will be a strong emphasis, too, on questions of analysis and interpretation—including, in some cases, the changing history of the works’ reception. A main goal is to impart not only a body of knowledge but also a set of critical tools, which the students should be able to apply to material not specifically covered in this course.