ARH 267 Art of the Italian Renaissance
In this course, we will study the painting, sculpture, and architecture of the Italian Renaissance from c. 1300-1600. We will examine different modes of visual representation—fresco cycles, altarpieces, monumental sculpture, works on paper, and the built environment—to determine how art was utilized by individuals and communities to construct, affirm or challenge power. We will analyze the spaces in which art was displayed—civic buildings, cathedrals, public squares, and private palaces—to understand various viewing experiences in different physical contexts. The Renaissance was also the period of changing ideas about creativity, the role of the artist, and the potential of the individual. We will consider how various cultural concepts transformed, and were in turn transformed by, the visual arts.