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Smarthistory syllabus:
History of Western Art and Civilization: Prehistory through the Middle Ages
Who were the Babylonians? The ancient Romans? The Crusaders? This course will survey
the art made in the Ancient Near East, Africa and Europe from the dawn of art-making in the
Paleolithic period to the dawn of the Renaissance in 14th century Italy. We will focus on
turning points in the historical narrative including the Neolithic revolution, the early river
valley civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, the great Greek, Roman, and Byzantine
empires, the rise of Christianity, Islam, the crusades, pilgrimages and the early humanism
that eventually leads to the modern world.
Introduction
Art history basics
Why look at art?
A brief history of Western culture
What is art history?
Common questions about dates
Introduction to art historical analysis
An introduction to art historical analysis with Goya’s Third of May, 1808
A brief history of representing of the body in Western sculpture
How to do visual analysis
What maps tell us
Prehistory
Paleolithic, quiz
Paleolithic art, an introduction
Lion Man, c. 40,000 B.C.E.
Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), c. 28,000-25,000 B.C.E., quiz
Lascaux, c. 15,000 B.C.E., France
Neolithic
The Neolithic Revolution
Jericho, beginning c. 9000 B.C.E, West Bank
Çatalhöyük, c. 7000 B.C.E., Turkey
Bushel with ibex motifs, 4200--3500 B.C.E., Susa (Louvre)
Anthropomorphic stele, Saudi Arabia, 4000-3000 B.C.E.
Stonehenge, beginning c. 3100 B.C.E., Salisbury Plain, England
Jade Cong, 2500 B.C.E.
Nuragic architecture at Su Nuraxi Barumini, Sardinia, beginning 18th century B.C.E.
● Paleolithic ● tell
● Mesolithic ● necropolis
● Neolithic ● ochre
● Bronze Age ● terracotta
● B.C./A.D., Anno Domini, ● bucrania
B.C.E./C.E., B.P., and Julian and ● post and lintel
Gregorian calendars ● excavation
● formal analysis ● monotheism
● subject matter
● context
Sumer
Sumerian art
Cuneiform
Writing cuneiform
White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk, c. 3517-3358 B.C.E
Standing Male Worshipper (votive figure), c. 2900-2600 B.C.E., Tell Asmar
Standard of Ur, 2600-2400 B.C.E., quiz
Perforated relief of Ur-Nanshe, 2550–2500 B.C.E.
Akkadian
An introduction
Cylinder seal, c. 2250–2150 B.C.E.
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, 2254-2218 B.C.E., quiz
Neo-Sumerian/Ur III period
Seated Gudea holding temple plan, c. 2100 B.C.E.
Ziggurat of Ur, c. 2100 B.C.E.
Cylinder-seals
Babylonian
An introduction
The Babylonian mind
Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi, 1792-1750 B.C.E., quiz
Neo-Babylonian
Neo-Babylonian culture, the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way, c. 575 B.C.E., quiz
Visiting Babylon
Assyrian
Assyrian art, an introduction
Lamassu, citadel of Sargon II, Khorsabad, Iraq, Neo-Assyrian, c. 720-705 B.C.E.
Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions, North Palace, Ninevah, c. 645-635 B.C.E., quiz
Persian
Ancient Persia, an introduction
Cyrus Cylinder, 539 B.C.E
Persepolis: The Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes, c. 520-465 B.C.E.
Capital of a column, audience hall of the palace of Darius I, Susa, c. 510 B.C.E.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt, an introduction
Egyptian art
Materials and techniques
Mummification process
Pre-dynastic
Palette of King Narmer, from Hierakonpolis, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E., quiz
Old Kingdom
Pyramids of Giza, quiz
Pyramid of Khufu, c. 2551-2528 B.C.E.
Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Sphinx, c. 2520-2494 B.C.E.
Pyramid of Menkaure, 2490-2472 B.C.E.
King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen, 2490–2472 B.C.E.
Seated Scribe, c. 2500 B.C.E.
New Kingdom
Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak
Mortuary Temple and Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut, c. 1479-58 B.C.E.
Tomb-chapel of Nebamun (paintings), c. 1350 B.C.E.
Ptolemaic
Mummy portraits
Mummy portraits (Faiyum portraits)
● Nile ● pharaoh
● Narmer ● Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure
● palette ● Horus
● Upper and Lower Egypt ● Osiris
● Predynastic, Old, Middle and New ● Ka
Kingdoms, Amarna, Intermediary ● hieroglyphs
Periods, Ptolemaic ● papyrus
Cycladic
Male harp player from Keros, c. 2600-2300 B.C.E.
Frescoes from Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini), 16th century B.C.E.
Mycenae
The "Palace" and Grave Circle A, Mycenae, c. 1600-1100 B.C.E.
Mask of Agamemnon, c.1550-1500 B.C.E., quiz
Lion Gate, c. 1300-1250 B.C.E., quiz
The Treasury of Atreus, c. 1300-1250 B.C.E.
Greek pottery
Introduction to Greek vase painting
Geometric
Dipylon Amphora, c. 755-750 B.C.E., quiz
Terracotta Krater, 750-735 B.C.E.
Proto-Attic
Eleusis Amphora, 675-650 B.C.E.
Attic black-figure
Ancient Greek vase production and the black-figure technique
Exekias (potter and painter), Ajax and Achilles Amphora, c. 540-530 B.C.E., quiz
Attic red-figure
Euphronios (painter), Euxitheos (potter), Sarpedon Krater, c. 515 B.C.E.
Euthymides, Three Revelers, c. 510 B.C.E.
Niobid Painter, Niobid Krater, c. 460-50 B.C.E., quiz
Daedalic
Lady of Auxerre, 640-630 B.C.E.
Roman Republic
Roman Forum
Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Rome, 6th century B.C.E. - 5th century C.E.
Capitoline Brutus, 4th-3rd century B.C.E.
Tomb of the Scipios and Sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus, early 3rd century B.C.E.
Temple of Portunus, travertine, tufa, stucco, Rome, c.120-80 B.C.E.
Veristic male portrait, early 1st Century B.C.E., quiz
Head of a Roman Patrician, c. 75-50 B.C.E.
Roman mosaic
Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii, c. 100 B.C.E., quiz
Imperial Rome
Early Empire
Augustus of Primaporta, 1st century C.E., quiz
Maison Carrée, c. 4-7 C.E., Colonia Nemausus (Nîmes, France)
Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace), 13-9 B.C.E., quiz
Preparations for a Sacrifice, c. mid-first century C.E.
Colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium), Rome c. 70-80 C.E., quiz
Arch of Titus, Roman Forum, after 81 C.E.
Imperial Fora, an introduction
Apollodorus of Damascus, Forum of and Markets of Trajan, Rome, dedicated 112 C.E.
Column of Trajan, Rome, completed 113 C.E., quiz
Palmyra
Palmyra: the modern destruction of an ancient city
Temple of Baalshamin, 1st century C.E.
Palmyrene Funerary Portraiture, 1st century C.E.
Temple of Bel, 1st and 2nd century C.E.
Middle Empire
The Pantheon, Rome, c. 125 C.E., quiz
Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, c. 117-138 C.E.
Maritime Theatre, Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, c. 117-138 C.E.
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, gilded bronze, c. 173-76 C.E., quiz
Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus, c. 250-260 C.E., quiz
The Lullingstone Busts
Late Empire
Portraits of the Four Tetrarchs, c. 305
Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (Basilica Nova), Roman Forum, c. 306-312
Colossus of Constantine, c. 312-15, quiz
Arch of Constantine, Rome, 315 C.E., quiz
● precinct ● basilica
● Flavian ● apse
● forum, fora, Imperial fora ● rondel
● Sacred Way ● equestrian
● villa ● theatre, amphitheatre
● Tetrarchs ● Tiber
● Constantine ● Capitoline, Palatine, Quirinal, and
● Oculus Esquiline Hills
● Monolith ● colossus
● Spolia
Early Christian
Early Christianity, an introduction
Early Christian Art, quiz
Classicism in the Early Middle Ages
Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome, late 2nd century through the 4th century C.E.
Santa Maria Antiqua Sarcophagus, c. 270 C.E.
Santa Maria Antiqua, Roman Forum, consecrated 6th century
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359 C.E., quiz
Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome, 422-432, quiz
“Story of Jacob and Rebecca” & “Eliezer at the Well,” from Vienna Genesis, early 6th century
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, 425 C.E., quiz
Anglo-Saxon, quiz
Anglo-Saxon England
Sutton Hoo ship burial, essay, video, quiz
Decoding Anglo-Saxon art, c. 700
Lindisfarne Gospels, early 8th century, quiz
Carolingian, quiz
Carolingian art, an introduction
Charlemagne: an introduction, Part 1, Part 2
Palatine Chapel, Aachen, dedicated 805
Matthew in the Coronation Gospels and Ebbo Gospels, c. 800-835
Saint Matthew, folio 18 verso, Ebbo Gospels, France, c. 816-35
Jeweled upper cover, Lindau Gospels, c. 880, quiz
Ottonian, quiz
Ottonian art, an introduction
Bronze doors, 1015, commissioned by Bishop Bernward for Saint Michael's,
Hildesheim, quiz
Gospels of Otto III, c. 1000
Islam
Introduction to Islamic art, quiz
Kaaba, pre-Islamic, rededicated by Muhammad, 631-32 C.E.
Stories of the modern pilgrimage
Arts of the Islamic World
Introduction to mosque architecture
Common types of mosque architecture
About chronological periods in the Islamic world
Early Period
Arts of the Islamic World: the Early Period
Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra), Jerusalem, 691-92, quiz
Great Mosque of Cordoba, begun 786 and enlarged 9th and 10th centuries, Spain, quiz
Great Mosque of Kairouan, c. 836-75, Tunisia
Medieval Period
Arts of the Islamic World: the Medieval Period
Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, quiz
Mihrab (niche), 1354-55 (A.H. 755), Isfahan, Iran
Pyxis of al-Mughira, AH 357/ 968 CE, quiz
Coronation Mantle, 1133/34
The Alhambra, begun 1238, Spain, quiz
Mohammed ibn al-Zain, Baptistère de Saint Louis, c. 1320-40, Egypt/Syria
Late Period
Arts of the Islamic World: Later Period
Hagia Sophia as a mosque after Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453
Court of Gayumars, c.1522, Shahnameh Shah Tahmasp I, Safavid, Iran
Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, completed 1558
Mimar Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne, Turkey, 1568–75
The Ardabil Carpet, 1539-40 C.E., quiz
Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1632-53
The Crusades
What were the crusades?
How was crusading justified?
The when, where and who (of crusading)
The impact of the crusades
France
Birth of the Gothic: Abbot Suger and the ambulatory at Basilica of Saint Denis, 1140-44, quiz
Chartres Cathedral, c.1145 and 1194 - c.1220, quiz
Reims Cathedral, begun 1211
Amiens Cathedral, begun 1220
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, 1248
Saint Louis Bible (Moralized Bible or Bible moralisée), c. 1230
Virgin of Jeanne d’Evreux, 1324-39
Germany
Röttgen Pietà, c. 1300-25
England
Salisbury Cathedral, begun 1220
Lincoln Cathedral, begun 1088
Wells Cathedral, begun c. 1175
Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, begun 1503
Wilton Diptych, c. 1395-99, quiz
Czech Republic
Altneushul, Prague, begun 13th century
Italy
Bonaventura Berlinghieri, St. Francis Altarpiece, 1235, Church of San Francesco,
Pescia, quiz
Florence
Florence in the Late Gothic, an introduction, quiz
Cimabue, Maesta of Santa Trinita, 1280-1290
Giotto, Ognissanti Madonna, 1306-10, quiz
Giotto, Arena Chapel, Padua, c. 1305, overview, cycle, Lamentation, Last Judgment, quiz
Siena
Siena in the Late Gothic, an introduction, quiz
Duccio, Maesta, 1308-11, quiz
Duccio, The Rucellai Madonna, 1285-86, tempera on panel, quiz
Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government, c.1337-40, quiz
Pietro Lorenzetti, Birth of the Virgin, c. 1342
Simone Martini, Annunciation, 1333, quiz