ARTH259
The Art and Architecture of the European Enlightenment

This course will present a thematic survey of 18th-century European art and architecture from the reign of Louis XIV to the French Revolution (1660-1789). We will examine works of art in relation to the social, political, and cultural debates of the period, and how artistic practice engaged with new approaches to empiricism, secularism, and political philosophy spurred by the Enlightenment. Topics include French art in the service of absolutism, debates between classicism and the Rococo, public and private spaces of social reform, the Grand Tour and the rediscovery of antiquity, collecting, global trade, and imperialism. We will also consider Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment trends in Spain, Austria, and Great Britain.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: None. ARTH 100 or WRIT 107 recommended.

Instructor: Oliver

Distribution Requirements: ARS - Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: