You will be writing and posting two mini-essays on this website. The first is due on Sunday, February 28 at […] Read More
Author: Liz Marlowe
For your final project, you are invited to explore some aspect of our course – any of the artworks or […] Read More
Ok, we’re actually going to skip the “caves” this year, although I highly recommend this film if you want to […] Read More
Today we will examine one of the earliest works of monumental architecture that have survived anywhere in the world, the […] Read More
Today we will look closely at two smaller artworks with complex imagery showing ideal models of Mesopotamian social structure. Here […] Read More
Today we will look closely at two more monuments intended to glorify kings, created about 500 years apart. Building on […] Read More
CLOSE LOOKING DAY! Watch this short video produced by the Met, showing a digital walk-through of an Assyrian palace. Think […] Read More
Why are so many of the objects we studied in this unit in European or American museums? Readings: Neil MacGregor, […] Read More
Today we head west to Egypt! We will start with two non-art historical readings about the Nile River, whose annual […] Read More
Some elements of Egyptian iconography are so laden with specific, symbolic meaning that we literally read them; as with hieroglyphics, […] Read More
The Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving wonder of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. How it […] Read More
Why did millions of Americans stand in line for up to five hours to catch a glimpse of an ancient […] Read More
Everyone loves mummies. But mummies only exist because of the ancient Egyptians’ deeply felt religious beliefs about the afterlife – […] Read More
A deep dive into one archaeological site, including some astonishing discoveries from 2015. How does archaeological context help us understand […] Read More
A story about the development of naturalism. Pay attention to the dates as you do the readings. What are they […] Read More
The Parthenon in its ancient context can be understood simultaneously as an idealized representation of Athenian democracy, as a trophy […] Read More
The most famous cultural property debate in the world; it’s worth thinking about why this one gets all the attention. […] Read More
How do rulers use art, images and monuments to persuade people to accept their legitimacy and authority as rulers? Why […] Read More
Why do statues of nude women in Greek art almost ways show them covering their genitals, and why do statues […] Read More
We will look at just one public space in the city of Rome, a space made possible by — and […] Read More
The problems of a single story; and another CLOSE LOOKING DAY! Readings: Andrew Curry, “A War Diary Soars Over Rome,” […] Read More
For centuries, the classical world — and especially Rome — has been the go-to model when nations and leaders wanted […] Read More
Road networks and acqueducts were two of the perks of being part of the Roman empire — but the benefits […] Read More
How is local identity negotiated in the face of Roman imperialism? And what’s at stake in Roman identity in the […] Read More
Sometimes, the interests of museums are at odds with the goal of historical knowledge. Here are some of the images […] Read More
How did Christianity go from being the despised, persecuted religion of perhaps 5% of the Roman Empire to being the […] Read More
One of the most innovative and beautiful buildings in the world has meant many things to many people over the […] Read More
A new monotheistic religion emerged from the traditions of Judaism and Christianity in the 7th century CE Mediterranean. Today we […] Read More
How monks in Britain with very good eyesight showed their devotion to God; Celtic culture then and now; and another […] Read More
Similarities and differences in how Christianity and Islam aestheticize the written word in sacred books produced between the 7th and […] Read More
Another one of the world’s most spectacular buildings, that is also hotly contested. How is this debate similar to, and […] Read More
Another visual account of a major recent battle, represented by the winners. How does this example compare to some of […] Read More
A medieval ritual for you to add to your bucket list — and the architecture and church furnishings that accommodated […] Read More
Medieval Europe was far more “multi-cultural” than we often assume. Here are some of the images we’ll be looking at. […] Read More
Some European and American scholars are just starting to recognize that the cosmopolitanism that we looked at last time encompassed […] Read More
What solution did Jack Builder invent that prevented the high upper walls of Kingsbridge cathedral from cracking? Here are some […] Read More
This course is predicated on a number of questionable assumptions — a coherent thread that ties together artistic production and […] Read More
