Description
This course compares and contrasts the rich visual traditions of Byzantium with those of Western Europe, and especially Italy, by using an interdisciplinary set of readings as well as both traditional and innovative methods of instruction. Geographically, the course covers parts of Eastern and Western Europe as well as prominent cities in the Middle East. Chronologically, it begins with the founding of Constantinople in the fourth century and ends with modern art in the twentieth century. Representative artistic and architectural examples are examined and analyzed on the aesthetic, historical, religious, and social levels.