ARTH 288 - Late Antique, Early Medieval Mediterranean, European, and Islamic Art (300-1000)

CR: 3
This course examines the art and architecture of the medieval world, focusing on Europe and the Mediterranean. We will look at decorative arts, paintings, sculpture, and architecture made from about 300-1000 CE, emphasizing both formal analysis and historical context. We will investigate the major ethnic and cultural groups of Europe and the Mediterranean, focusing on how each used art and architecture to articulate their sense of identity and place in the larger world. This class will examine the ways in which Roman, Byzantine, African, Islamic, and European styles were traded and interpreted around the Mediterranean and how a new “medieval” style emerged from that exchange.