History of Western Art I

Full-year course. A survey of western art from the beginning of civilization through the late medieval period. Students will consider how religion, politics, and the economy influenced painting, sculpture, and architecture from the Stone Age through Late Medieval Italy. Over the course of the year, students will study major works of art from each period and learn how to analyze and write about them in a scholarly way. Pieces will be considered in both their original cultural context as well as within a historical framework that considers the impact of these major works on modern western visual culture.