The History of British Art

This 100 level course is a thematically and chronologically structured survey of the visual arts and architecture in Britain from the early Middle Ages to the 20th century. Class discussions will be framed around a number of major issues: symbols of identity, Britain and the outside world (continent, empire, etc.), patronage, the role of the artist, representation of difference, the problem of iconoclasm, art and society, modes of visual perception/production. The diverse character of the ideas involved is intended to introduce different approaches to the study of visual arts. Chronologically, the course is divided into three parts: Middle Ages and Renaissance, from Baroque to Late Romanticism, and Modern and Contemporary Art. Within each part the thematic principle will be used to analyze the most important artistic phenomena.