Topic: Reading Pictures: Visual Narrative in Medieval Art
| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11:30am- | TuTh | Callaway Center C203 | Lyons, Jennifer. | HAP. | 4 | 12622 | TBA. |
January 13, 2010- April 26, 2010
Catalog Description: Topics include: Medieval Monumental Stained Glass, Manuscript Illumination, and Romanesque art and architecture. May be repeated for credit when topic changes, up to a maximum of sixteen hours.
Semester Details: From the monstrous sculptures carved in Romanesque cloisters, to the lives of the saints depicted in Gothic stained glass windows, images played many roles in medieval Europe. Used to instruct, to impress, to persuade and to delight, artists employed a wide variety of narrative devices in order to tell stories with pictures. This course will examine visual narrative as it was practiced in Europe of the High Middle Ages and will consider some of the following questions: What do we mean by the term "narrative"? What were some of the different strategies used by medieval artists to tell stories with pictures? How did pictorial language, such as color, contour or frontality enhance the narrative? In what ways did the specific needs of a site or patron impact the kinds of visual narratives created? Did certain media carry connotations for their viewers? What was the relationship between text and image, between center and margin? Did images function as a Bible for the illiterate?
Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- 2002. Medieval Images: The Art Historian and the Object. ISBN: 9780472097517 .
Recommended Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- Selected Reserve readings.
Grading
| Assignment/Exam | Details | % of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Short response paper and a research paper (10-12 pages). | ||
| Two exams. |
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.