ART 373 Art and Spirituality: Making and Meaning in Medieval Italy 1100 - 1400
This course focuses on the creation and meaning of medieval Italian art, paying particular attention to technique and display. We will examine a wide range of visual material in a variety of media such as sculpted portals, tombs and pulpits, illuminated manuscripts, painted panels, frescoed chapels and enameled reliquaries. This will include consideration of settings and space; the decisions made by both artists and patrons; and audiences. Consideration will be given also to the development of new types of images in relation to the cult of the saints and the rise of new religious orders, particularly the Franciscans and the Dominicans. Making use of works in local art collections, special attention will be devoted to panel painting and the various functions panels served within the medieval church as well as issues related to their display within the modern museum. The course includes visits to the National Gallery of Art and the Walters Art Museum.