Annotation
The course is intended as an introduction to visual culture of pre-modern Europe. During each session, we will analyse various types of images and discuss their social and religious background. The aim of the course is to demonstrate connections between art and the society in wider anthropological perspective. The participants should learn about the background of different pre-modern visual traditions, many of them also present in the modern culture. Moreover, they should learn how visual sources could be used to enrichen our understandingof the society. Syllabus:
1) Medium is the message Medieval "art", its transmisssion and functions
2) Body of Christ Eucharistic cult and miraculous depictions of Christ
3) Jewish sow Rise of anti-judaism and its visual representations
4) Everyday Hell Depiction of Hell and everyday morality
5) In Praise of Folly Fools and their function in visual art
6) Power of women Gender in pre-modern society and images of strong women and weak men
7) Love hurts Medieval concept of love and its visual representation
8) Medieval obscenities Scatology and sexuality in pre-modern art and their function
9) Rise of the living dead Ghosts and other revenants, triumph of death
10) Naughty priests Critics of church, reformation, antireformation and their propaganda
11) Good king Wenceslas National saints and their role in pre-modern society
12) Baby Jesus Changing depictions of Christmas story and Jesus' youth
13) Final test