Art & Art History 303 - Roman Portraiture

Institution:

Dickinson College

Subject:

Description:

Of all visual and literary genres, portraiture is undoubtedly the most specific and elusive in western culture. Its history is as old as the ancient Greek myths about the origins of painting itself, and as recent as the current pseudo-journalistic television program entitled "Intimate Portraits." This course will examine the tradition and evolution of ancient roman portraiture as the most prolific and enduring source of the genre from its Etruscan and Hellenistic foundations through the dissolution of the Empire in the mid-fourth century AD. Republican and Imperial iconographies, funerary genres, and contextual considerations such as the public, private, and political realms will be considered. The notion of constructing a visual identity and historical legacy through portraiture as part of Roman culture, and more specific conceptual qualities such as "realism" and "idealism," "youth" and "age" will be discussed together with more technical issues such as dating, identifying physiognomic types, sculpting techniques. At least one trip to a regional museum or gallery will be required. Prerequisite: Archaeology core, or 101 and 102 or 202.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.dickinson.edu

Phone Number:

(717) 243-5121

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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