ARTH 040. Michelangelo to Mussolini: The Classical Tradition in Rome

This course considers how artists and patrons in Rome (and beyond) imitated, reinterpreted, and challenged the classical tradition of art and architecture-and to what ends. We will first acquire a foundational knowledge of the Greco-Roman tradition. We will then analyze how artists and architects from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century have employed this tradition to promote the agendas of dynastic, military, and elected rulers, such as popes, kings, dictators, presidents, and prime ministers. For the final project, students will analyze an example of how the “neoclassical” project took form in other countries, such as Germany, Russia, France, England, and the United States.
Arts and Humanities.
1 credit.
Fall 2026. Reilly.
Catalog chapter: Art History
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art-history

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