ARTH 364 Studies in Renaissance Art and Architecture: The Social Contexts of Renaissance Art

• Wednesdays, 15:00-17:30
• EV-1-605
• Instructor: Dr. Steven Stowell

The Renaissance in Europe (roughly 1300-1600) was a period of extraordinary development in art making practices. Artistic change in these centuries was fueled by a myriad of social, intellectual, historical and spiritual developments. This course will set out a number of the core social contexts within which Renaissance art evolved, so that students may acquire an understanding of how art objects responded to and shaped social needs in Early Modern European society. By examining these core contexts, students will gain familiarity with the most essential forms of Renaissance art, major artistic innovators, key works of art, and methods for art interpretation. Students will also acquire an understanding of key historical developments in European culture. The social contexts will include, for example: new forms of art and devotion in urban settings; the development of civic identity through art; inter-relations between art and science; the impact of the humanist cultural movement on visual art; the arts of Renaissance courts; the changing status of the artist. Focusing on Renaissance Italy, this course considers primarily painting and sculpture; works in other media and from other regions may also be considered, though architecture is not a main focus of this course.