ART 130 - Art and Science in the Age of Leonardo and Galileo

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Art and science were closely intertwined in early modern Europe (1400-1700). Famous figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei simultaneously created breathtaking artworks and life-altering inventions. In this first-year writing seminar, we explore relationships between art, science, and invention during the Renaissance. Focusing on Leonardo and Galileo, we study the sometimes-seamless, sometimes-complex connections between visual expression and scientific experimentation. We also examine the “science of art,” or the materials and techniques of art-making, in order to track developments that inspired painters like Leonardo to produce innovative objects for visual consumption.

To enhance our experience in this class, we visit the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center and the Archives & Special Collections Library to examine Renaissance paintings and illuminated manuscripts at first hand. In addition, a trip to the Warthin Museum of Geology & Natural History provides the opportunity to consider the minerals and other ingredients artists used to make colors and that scientists manipulated to make lenses. Christopher Platts.

Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS