ARTH 685: The Art of the Medieval Book

The invention of the codex – the book – around the end of the first century C.E. not only revolutionized the preservation and transmission of texts, but it also had a profound impact on the history of art because the illuminated manuscript became one of the major art forms of the Middle Ages. This course is divided into two unequal parts. In the first we will study what a manuscript  is and examine how it was made. In the second part we will trace the history of the illuminated manuscript from its origins through the Middle Ages, focusing on how artists created the imagery that decorates these books and the relationship between text and image in them.

ARTH 601: IMPERIAL TO PAPAL ROME: THE ETERNAL CITY IN TRANSITION

With the foundation of Constantinople in A.D. 324, Rome effectively ceased to be an imperial capital and came to be identified increasingly with a religious leader, the bishop of Rome. This course examines the impact of that transition on the creation of art and architecture in Rome from the Early Christian period to the temporary removal of the papal capital from Rome to Avignon (c. 300-1308). Special attention will be paid to the role of shifting patronage, changes in urban topography, and the use of images and architecture to create a papal identity.