This course will examine the construction of a pictorial discourse of piety in the Netherlands in the fifteen century. What were the component ingredients of this visual devotion and what cultural and social interests did they serve? To what extent should the "naturalism" of the art of this period be understood as the formation of a "reality effect"? If "naturalism" has more to do with the creation of cultural meaning than the imitation of nature, then whose agendas did this style serve? Is "naturalism" only to be associated with the power of the elite or can it also be understood as a means by which the subordinate classes could mold and manipulate their social circumstances? Requirements: one short (5 pages) paper and one longer (8 pages) paper, midterm and a final. A concerted effort will be made to make class visits to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hour: MOXEY