3.00 Credits
This course will serve as an introduction to the history of Western art addressing the burial complexes of Ancient Egypt, the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, the earliest Christian imagery in subterranean catacombs, the arts of the Byzantine Empire, the advent of Islam, the development of monastic culture, and the multi-media environment of Gothic Cathedrals. Select art works or sites representative of these periods in their physical, historical and social context will be considered. Although the course will focus primarily on developments in architecture, sculpture, and painting, lectures will also touch on the so-called minor arts (ceramics, small-scale metalwork and ivory carving, textiles, manuscript illumination, etc.) where possible. Emphasis will be placed on both visual analysis (honing the student's descriptive, analytical, and interpretive skills) and contextual history. Three credit hours.