| CODE | ART1017 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | The Art and Architecture of Early Christianity and the Early Middle Ages | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Art and Art History | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The Study-unit discusses an essential aspect of the Art History of the Latin West and the Greek East that was to have a rippling effect on subsequent art historical developments, and covers the period between approximately the early third century A.D. and the the mid-11th century. It will trace the humble origins of the earliest known manifestations of an essentially Christian art that evolved within the context of Late Antiquity, to the golden age of the architecture and mosaic programmes of an Imperial sponsored art, including the Age of Justinian the Great (527–586 A.D.), and the developments of Carolingian and Ottonian art and architecture. These periods will be considered through a discussion of select case studies. Study-Unit Aims: Spanning over a number of centuries, this study-unit aims to hone in on the more salient artistic and architectural developments in this formative period of European art and architecture. The aims are to survey the art and architecture spanning from the Early Christian period until the end of the Early Middle Ages, thus encompassing the artistic richness and inventiveness of the often misunderstood period in art history stigmatised as the ‘Dark Ages’. It is designed to create an awareness in the student of Early Christian, Byzantine, Carolingian and Ottonian art and architecture, considering also the new artistic currents from the Semitic east and the art of Barbarians. It will therefore also serve as a basis and proper understanding of subsequent developments in art and architecture with particularly reference to the Romanesque and Gothic period. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - reflect on how early Christian art managed to evolve in the west, developing an art and symbolism that would remain in use for centuries; - broadly analyse how the Byzantine east developed its own unique artistic vocabulary; - have a thorough understanding of the renaissance of the visual arts that took place in the Early Middle Ages; - describe the unique significance of the Early Middle Ages to western art history; - recognise the significance of this broad period in western art history for the development of subsequent periods. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - be in a position to better appreciate the importance of Early Christian and Byzantine art as a bridge between Greco-Hellenistic art; - contextualise early Medieval art with the developments that unfolded in Early Christian and Byzantine art; - be well equipped to appreciate the political issues that shaped the art and architecture of the Early Christians, Byzantines, Carolingians and Ottonians; - be in a competent position to appreciate the artistic heritage of this often disregarded period; - outlinehow the developments in these centuries paved the way for subsequent art-historical periods. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - J. Beckwith, Early Christian and Byzantine Art, Yale (several editions) - J. Beckwith, Early Medieval Art: Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque, Thames and Hudson (several editions) - K. J. Conant, Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture, Yale, (several editions) - J. Huber, J. Porcher and W. F. Volbach, Carolingian art, Thames & Hudson, 1970 - G. Koch, Early Christian Art and Architecture, an introduction, Hymns Ancient and Modern Limited, 2012 - R. Krautheimer, Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture, Yale University Press Pelican History of Art series, various editions - J. Lowden, Early Christian and Byzantine art, Phaidon, 2008 reprint - D. Talbot Rice, Byzantine Art, Thames & Hudson (several editions) - Medieval Art (Oxford History of Art), Veronica Sekules, 2001 Supplementary Readings: - D.V. Ainalov, The Hellenistic origins of Byzantine art, Rutgers University Press, 1961 - R. Cormack, Byzantine Art, Oxford University Press, 2000 - A. Grabar, Byzantium: Byzantine art in the Middle Ages, Methuen, 1966 - R.M. Jensen, Understanding Early Christian Art, Routledge, 2006 - P. Lasco, Ars Sacra, 800-1200, Penguin or Yale University Press, 1972 or 1994 - J. Spier ed, Picturing the Bible: the Early Christian Art, Yale, 2008 - D. Talbot Rice, The Appreciation of Byzantine Art, Oxford University Press, 1996 - P. Williamson, Medieval Ivory Carvings – Early Christian to Romanesque, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Conrad Thake Charlene Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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