INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART I in Spring 2024 (AH1000)

This course covers the beginnings of art in Europe and the Mediterranean,from the earliest known representations in cave paintings through to the art of the great cathedrals. This will include Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian,Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, African, and Western Medieval art. The course is structured chronologically and will also emphasize the themes of the classical tradition and its alternatives, as well as diverse expressions of sacred arts and architecture. Major monuments in all media-architecture,sculpture, painting, and the so-called "minor arts"-will be studied. Original works of art on view in Paris will form an essential part of the course and the assignments. We will also emphasize multiple perspectives and interpretations for works of art and their global receptions and contexts.