| Program Detail |
: This course will survey the arts of Egypt, the Near East, Classical Greece and Rome, and Medieval Europe, from about 2500 BC to about 1400 AD. Topics for consideration include the great variety and richness of artistic expression of these different cultures, and some of the general problems of how art historians understand and write about art. There will be a thorough examination of the social context of art: its historical circumstances, context, patronage, the influence of the individual artist, and the role of those who have been the patrons and viewers of art. There will be an examination of what constitutes understanding and explanation in art history, as the individual approaches a work of art and attempts to grasp its various meanings. Works of sculpture, architecture, wall and vase painting, mosaic, manuscript illumination, and other media will be examined, in an attempt to understand the works in their physical, historical and social context. |
