An introduction to Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Unlike other academic disciplines, art history continues to refer to this period as a renaissance or "rebirth." Why is this the case? To what extent is this a useful definition? We will consider these questions by paying critical attention to the ideals that have come to define the Renaissance as a period of astounding creativity and achievement in the visual arts: the rebirth of classical culture, renewed attention to naturalism, and developing individuality and intellectual status of the artist. We will then take up a series of thematic lenses (including religion, domestic life, gender identity, civic ritual, political power, and artistic style) in order to pose questions about the character and purpose of art in different social contexts. The goal of this course is not to present an exhaustive survey of the period, but rather to provide a broad range of frames of reference for thinking about Renaissance art. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: a midterm, a final, and two papers. Prerequisites: ArtH 101-102. Enrollment limit: 40. Open to Art majors as well as non-majors.

Hour: SOLUM