ART 395 - Meeting of Worlds: Art and Exchange in Medieval Sicily

Semester Offered: Fall
0.5 unit(s)

At the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily lay at the crossroads of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Just miles from the Italian Peninsula, across the Sicilian Strait from Tunisia, closely connected to Fatimid Egypt, trading with Byzantium, and in the twelfth century conquered by the Normans—French descendants of Vikings—medieval Sicily represented a rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and artistic styles. Across the island’s monuments appear glittering Byzantine mosaics, Islamicate painting evoking subjects ranging from textiles to the cosmos, and Romanesque sculpture in which harpies and centaurs intermingle with biblical figures. This course examines Sicily’s dynamic medieval history and the ways in which its monuments communicated with their various patrons and audiences: from powerful queens and kings to cloistered monks to transitory pilgrims and merchants. A highlight of the course is a required fully-funded trip to Sicily with the Loeb over fall break. Elizabeth Lastra.

Prerequisite(s): At least one 200-level course in Art History.

First six-week course.

One 2-hour period.

Course Format: INT