ART 365-01, Art and Architecture in the Most Serene City, Spring 2005

Abstract

This class will cover Venetian art from its medieval origins through the eighteenth century. Emphasis will be placed on the city’s unusual topography and light, situated in a lagoon, and the way the construction of civic myth and propaganda informed the city’s art. Special focus will be placed on Renaissance art produced by masters such as Bellini and Titian, church and civic architecture, the unique palaces that line the magnificent Grand Canal, and painted views of the city. We will also briefly study the way in which Venice’s cityscape has become a peculiar protagonist in western literature and recent film.