ARH.1018 Art and Architecture of the Medieval World: Europe, North Africa, and Asia
As it turns out . the "Dark Ages" weren't so dark after all! This course is designed as an introduction to the art and architecture of the medieval world of Europe, Byzantium, North Africa, the Middle East, and East and Central Asia from the 4th to the early 14th centuries. This course focuses on the dynamism, creativity, and cultural diversity of these centuries-an era shaped by the soaring aspirations of religious and secular leaders and the hard work of common men and women, by faith and conversion, migration and assimilation, pilgrimage and conquest, exploration and restoration, luxury and poverty, trade and destruction, diversity and global interconnectedness. We begin with the fall of the Roman Empire and end with the travels of Marco Polo to China. Along the way, we will examine the political, religious, social, and economic circumstances that shaped artistic and architectural production as we seek to dispel misperceptions about the "dark" Middle Ages.
LA