ART 321-01, Early Christian, Byzantine, and Medieval Art, Fall 2000

Abstract

This course will examine the visual arts in Europe during the period normally known as the Middle Ages. It stretches roughly from the reign of Constantine in the 4th century to the outbreak of the Black Death in 1348 (or from the end of the classical period to the dawn of the Renaissance). The course will also cover art emanating from the Byzantine Empire. During this era, Europe saw strikingly new and original artistic forms, both in a secular context and in art related to the increasingly influential Christian church. Topics covered will include issues of aesthetics, iconography, style, functionality, and spirituality.