| CODE | HPA1303 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Sacred Art from the Palaeochristian to the Medieval Period: An Appreciation | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Church History, Patrology and Palaeochristian Archaeology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | In this study-unit a general introduction to sacred art from the palaeochristian to the medieval period will be discussed. The Church in Malta has of a tradition extending to Apostolic times. Studying this tradition allows one to deeper understand the formation of the national identity, which in ever aspect; culturally, socially, artistically is intimately linked with the Catholic faith. The rich artistic tradition of the Church in Malta, must be interpreted in the wider context of the faith which made necessary the production and use of sacred art and space in its worship. It is a tradition which extends far back to the palaeochristian, and is manifested in the medieval patrimony, that has survived to the present age. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to provide: - An introductory understanding of the sacred art in Malta from the palaeochristian to the medieval period. - An interpretation of the formative elements of its artistic tradition from the early Christian era to till the late 15th century in the light of the wider history of the sacred art in the Universal Church. - An awareness of the artistic wealth of the Church in Malta, especially the much overlooked early period encompassing from the palaeochristian to the medieval period. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Define the palaeochristian and medieval period in sacred art history that is important for the subsequent development of sacred art; - Recognize the main forms of art present in Malta coming from the Palaeochristian and the medieval periods. - Classify these art-forms according to themes and imagery pertaining to Christian symbolism from the palaeochristiant ot he medieval periods. - Acquire a proper understanding of the conditioning effect of new artistic currents on and established aesthetic, especially during the medieval period. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - interpret the artistic and documentary heritage in a faith context. - relate the importance of palaeochristian and medieval sacred art to subsequent artistic styles used in Malta from the late 15th century onwards. - understand and contextualise palaeochristian and medieval sacred art in Malta Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Buhagiar M. (1986). Late Roman and Byzantine Catacombs and Related Burial Places in the Maltese Islands. (Oxford: B.A.R.). Available at MZ9. - Fiocchi Nicolai V.-Bisconti F.-Mazzoleni D., (2009). The Christian Catacombs of Rome. History, Decoration, Inscriptions (Regensburg: Schnell und Steiner). Available at DG807.4 .F5 (Italian version). - Jensen R.M., (2000). Understanding Christian Art (Oxfordshire: Routledge). Available at N7832 .J46. - Vella C., (2013). The Mediterranean Artistic Context of Late Medieval Malta: 1081-1530 (Malta: Midsea Books). Available at MZX, BD. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Keith Buhagiar Jonathan Farrugia 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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