Cultural History of the Visual Arts

Catalog description

Have you ever felt that you liked an artwork but couldn't explain why? Do you have questions about art that you were always afraid to ask? This course is conceived to give students the tools to feel at home when visiting a museum and talk about art in social, business and academic settings. It is organized over two semesters, but students can take only one of the two courses. Cultural History of the Visual Arts I (in the fall) covers the period from the 1500s to the 1800s and features masterpieces and lesser known works in Western and Non-Western art, organized chronologically and by theme. Some of the topics we will study include the controversy surrounding Leonardo's and Michelangelo's works, the role of censorship in the arts, the development of perspective experiments and visual theories from Antiquity onward, the concept of landscape and the status of the artist in the Ming dynasty, the impact of colonialism and post-colonial identity in South American Art, the rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the Egyptian craze in the 1800s, the world of Opera and ballet, and the Impressionists' ideas of what an artwork should be. The course also includes museum visits that will be organized taking in consideration the students' schedule. No prerequisite required and open to students from all disciplines.