This course examines paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and decorative arts in Italy, from the early 15th to late 17th centuries. Through different thematic units, such as The Bubonic Plague and the Visual Arts and Studies of Expression and the Invention of Caricature, we will consider contributions of major artists, while also focusing on the function and cultural context of different types of objects. Classes will be held at the PU Art Museum, with behind-the-scenes access to works of art in storage and a close consideration of materials, techniques, and questions of display and interpretation.
