Art History 290MV - Issues in Art History: 'Art, Nature, and Ecology in the Medieval World'

From gardens of paradise to wild forests, silent deserts to raging seas, the natural world was a potent source of meaning and metaphor in the Middle Ages. This course examines human engagements with nature in art, architecture, and literature to reveal how medieval people were shaped by-and also shaped-the landscapes around them. Adopting a thematic and comparative approach, we will explore the intersections between medieval science, society, and religion. How did medieval people conceptualize the world around them? How did the landscape itself express power -- secular, sacred, and supernatural? To what extent do medieval ideas of landscape continue to shape our lives today?

Course limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors