Art History 213 - Venice: Art, History & Envir

A unique city, seemingly floating on water, Venice has gone from being the capital of a world emporium of trade to the center of Disneyworld-like tourism. This course traces the history of the city and its empire from the time of its founding after the fall of the Roman Empire to the present day. Topics covered include: the city's construction on water; its fantastical architecture; its famous tradition of painting by artists such as Bellini, Titian and Tiepolo; the invention of glass-making, the printing press, and map-making; the culture of Grand Tour and the masked ball in the eighteenth century; and the modern period of economic decline and cultural romanticization. We will conclude by considering contemporary problems of preserving and revivifying this world wonder in the face of climate change.