ARTH 365 Studies in 17th and 18th Century Art and Architecture

• Thursdays, 2:45 - 5:30 pm
• Instructor: Dr. Farrukh Rafiq

In this course, we will survey the visual arts and architecture in Western Europe from c.1600-1750. Although our approach will be based in geography, we will carefully consider the broader political, religious, and artistic connections between regions. Students will also learn of the frictions as presented in the visual material between the Catholic Church and Protestantism, the absolutist, competing courts, the growth of urban centres, and the influences of an increasingly widening art. We will consider a wide range of material, including painting, prints, sculpture, and architecture.

The lectures will provide the students with a basis for understanding the material, and will be complemented by the readings, in-class exercises and discussions, and online forum posts. By the end of this course, students will be able to describe and analyze works of art in terms of their formal and material qualities, to compare and contrast Baroque works within their contexts, and to apply this knowledge to the broader realm of art history.