ARTH 511(S) Dionysos and Company in Greek Art and Beyond
The ancient Greek god Dionysos presided over and embodied the benevolent
and destructive effects of wine, masquerades, and theatrical performance.
Those effects ranged from relaxation, loss of sexual inhibition, and loss
of gender identity, to madness, cannibalism, and death. In this course, we
will examine the various ways in which the visual arts gave form to the many
aspects of Dionysos and his worship. We will explore the myths about the
god himself as well as those about his followers, the satyrs, nymphs, and
maenads. Those myths include the violent birth of Dionysos, the many stories
of resistance to his powers and persecution of his female followers, and
the ultimate triumph of the god. We will also examine the many works of art
that purport to represent the actual worship of Dionysos. As we shall see,
in the realm of Dionysos, the distinction between genuine worship and
role-playing, between reality and metaphor, is elusive; indeed, the character
of Dionysos itself is an apt metaphor for the nature of visual artistic
creativity. Special attention will be paid to the complex relationship between
Dionysos and the ritual of drama in ancient Greek culture, and to the
contribution of the visual arts toward the articulation of the nature of
that relationship. Most of the works of art to be considered in the course
date from the Archaic and Classical periods, but important works of art from
the Roman period, and a few examples from the Renaissance art, will be included
in the course. Reading assignments will include, among other things, Euripides'
Bakchai and Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy.
Requirements: short presentations, participation in discussions, and a final
paper.
Prerequisite for undergraduates is the permission of the instructor.