(3 credits)
This course examines the artistic production and archaeological discovery of the classical
age—from the emergence of Greek culture after the Bronze Age to the reign of Constantine
(Rome’s first Christian emperor). Both the technological innovations and stylistic
developments characteristic of this period will be studied in the major genres of visual
representation: painting, sculpture, architecture, mosaic and the decorative arts. Readings and
lectures on the history, literature, philosophy and daily life of the Greeks and Romans will
supplement the visual material. The placement of these objects and monuments within their
cultural context will emphasized, with the ultimate goal being a theoretical understanding of
the function(s) of art within classical cultures. Finally, the impact of classical art and culture
on later periods of western civilization will be discussed, as well as issues of archaeology and
cultural property.