ARTH 363 - Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture: An Introduction to Medieval Art History

• J - 12:15-14:45
• EV-1.615
• INSTRUCTOR: DR. STEVEN STOWELL

Frequently characterized as the art of the “Dark Ages,” medieval European art objects have often been romanticized as the products of a culture that severed with the achievements of Graeco-Roman antiquity. When examined on their own terms, however, the aesthetic qualities and the often multi-layered meanings of medieval art objects testify to their sophistication and complexity. Though not a comprehensive survey of medieval art, this course will broadly explore art objects produced during the Middle Ages (roughly defined as ranging from 300 to 1300 A.D.), introducing students to medieval forms of artistic creation and familiarizing them with the historical contexts in which they were produced. Some of the themes that will be explored through art objects will include, but are not limited to: holy images, icons and contemplation; the arts of empires and royal courts; the cult of the saints and pilgrimage; images in medieval manuscripts; stone sculpture and mosaics; art practices in Byzantium and Western Europe. This course will focus on decorative and figurative arts in the Middle Ages; some architectural structures will also be considered, but primarily for their decorative components (e.g.: sculpture and mosaic) rather than their structural design.