ARHI 63255 - Imago: Constructing a Medieval Theory of Images

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

Art History

Description:

Despite the wealth of artistic creations surviving from western medieval Europe, the Middle Ages lacked a formative written tradition defining a theory of imagery in its own right. This textual silence contrasts starkly with the highly complex and varied systems of representation demonstrably at work in medieval images, objects, and monuments. In a culture that defined man as made in the image and likeness of God, that delighted in the metaphor of the logos made flesh, that granted divinity to fragmentary parts, that defined memories as tangible impressions upon the brain, and that attached indulgences to pictures of the Holy Face, the richly nuanced concept of imago exerted a profound influence on representations spanning the millenium. Using visual and textual primary sources supplemented by secondary studies, this class will examine the nature of the medieval imago as it appeared in practice and as it has been constructed in modern scholarship on the Middle Ages. This course draws from multiple fields and reveals the truly interdisciplinary nature of the imago as it was created, seen, studied, replicated, adored, and defiled throughout the Middle Ages.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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