ARTH 391 Art & its Changing Contexts: Nature, Science and Politics (1000-1800)

• Mondays, 11:45 am-2:30 pm
• Instructor: Dr. Laurence Garneau

This course delves into the connection between nature, science, politics, and European art from the 11th to the 17th centuries. Exploring how beliefs about the universe, scientific tools, and views on anatomy, alchemy, zoology, and botany impacted art and politics, it also investigates how artistic productions were active agents of change.

Commencing with the study of foundational texts such as those authored by Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Paracelsus, and Marsilio Ficino, maps, calendars, bestiaries, medical treatises, and illuminated liturgical manuscripts will be examined in conjunction with their political environments. The course progresses to the Scientific Revolution with key figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Andreas Vesalius, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton. It explores the new scientific gaze, changing views of the infinite universe, flourishing gardens, and mathematical applications through drawings, paintings, sculptures, engravings, books, and architectural analyses.

By the end of the term, students will thoroughly understand the interplay between the arts and sciences and how nature can be used as a political tool. They will also have mastered key concepts related to the major epistemological changes that occurred during this period. The course focuses on ancient art, but students will be encouraged to connect with contemporary art and relate to the current artistic landscape.