This course will examine the visual arts in Western Europe and the Byzantine East during the period normally known as the Middle Ages. Chronologically this stretches roughly from the reign of Constantine in the 4th century to the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe in 1348 (or stylistically from the end of the classical period to the dawn of the Renaissance). During this era, Europe saw strikingly new and original artistic forms, both in a secular context and in art related to the increasingly influential Christian church.

This course examines Italian art from about 1300-1580, with emphasis on the historical and social context. Such themes as patronage, functions, theory, materials and techniques, style, gender and sexuality, and the profession of the artist will be discussed. Artists treated include Giotto, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, and Palladio. (Course offered every third semester.)

Prerequisites: History of Western Art recommended, but not required.

An examination of painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts in the Netherlands, Germany, and France, from about 1400 to 1600, with emphasis on the historical and social context. Such themes as the status of the artist, art and mysticism, iconography, and the relationship of Northern European and Italian art and culture will be discussed. Artists include Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, and Pieter Bruegel. (Course offered in alternate years.)

Prerequisites: History of Western Art recommended, but not required.

The course investigates European art ca. 1580-1750. Students will be introduced to the major artists, subjects, and stylistic developments during this time period. Additional emphasis will be placed on issues such as patronage, collecting, technique, women artists, and recent discoveries. Artists covered include Caravaggio, Bernini, Gentileschi, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velasquez, and Rubens. (Course offered in alternate years.)

Prerequisites: History of Western Art recommended, but not required.

An examination of the life and art of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). Special attention will be paid to stylistic, interpretive, and methodological issues, as well as the many controversies that have surrounded his life and art from the Renaissance to the present. Works studied will include painting, sculpture, architecture, drawings, and poetry. Class will combine both lecture and seminar formats. Either Art History 151 or Art History 223 is strongly recommended but not required. (Course offered occasionally.)