ARTH 001E. First-Year Seminar: Michelangelo and Renaissance Culture

In this discussion-based first-year seminar, we will study the sculptures, paintings, architecture, poetry, drawings, and biographies of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. We will investigate these in light of Michelangelo’s patrons, audiences, and the larger cultural, political, and religious contexts in which these works were produced. We will also consider the ways in which these works have been analyzed over the centuries and how the biographies and myths of Michelangelo have been created and understood. In doing so, we will develop a critical understanding of the methods and terminology of the discipline of art history itself. Course projects include convening as a mock group of museum trustees to discuss whether the museum should purchase a sculpture that has recently been attributed to Michelangelo.
Humanities.
Writing course.
1 credit.
Catalog chapter: Art History
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art

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