Time Schedule:
Kriszta Kotsis
ART H 309
Seattle Campus
Topics vary.
Class description
Art History 309C, MWF 9:00-10:20, Art 317, Spring 2005. Images of Women in the Ancient World This course explores artistic representations of women from the ancient world. The focus will be primarily on representations of women in societies before the rise of Christianity, such as Egypt, Greece, Etruria, and Rome, yet it will also explore images of women in Late Antiquity, a period characterized by the rapid spread of Christianity. We will examine how images of women may be interpreted and what they reveal about the role and status of women in these ancient societies and their respective ideologies. The course will explore representations of female deities (and saints) and their role in religion, ideology, and the social fabric, and will also analyze female encounters with the divine and the holy, and the role of women in religious rituals. We will study images of female rulers and consorts of rulers, as well as images of women of the elite to shed light on the nature and extent of female power and influence. An analysis of the representation of middle or lower class women will allow us to draw conclusions about the visual manifestations of class stratification as well as provide insight into the everyday life of women and the typical daily activities associated with women. We will study images that represent events of exclusively female experience, such as childbirth, nursing, and motherhood, and will explore questions related to female beauty and adornment. We will also encounter mythical female figures, such as amazons, maenads, and female demons of the underworld to question the role of female figures who defy what is considered to be the ‘norm.’
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Methods of instruction: lectures and discussions of assigned readings
Recommended preparation
The Survey of Ancient art, or other courses on Egyptian, Greek, Roman art/literare/history would provide useful background for the course.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments may include: discussions of weekly readings, quizzes, written examinations (midterm and final), short papers.
Grading will be based on the level of contribution to class discussions and the quality of written work, such as quizzes, exams and papers.
