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Courses - Fall 2023
ARTH
Art History & Archaeology Department Site
ARTH230
Symbolic Images: The Theory and Practice of Iconography in European Art, 1400-1850
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
GenEd: DSSP
Iconographic interpretation of visual narratives, signs and symbols has long been a topic of art-historical inquiry. In early modern European art, images were often conceived with the deliberate intent of posing a 'puzzle' or 'problem' for the beholder to solve; yet in most cases we have little or no evidence of how contemporary beholders solved such enigmas. Provides students with the opportunity to take command of these research methods and source materials, addressing a genuine iconographic problem, researching the relevant literature, identifying the essential primary source evidence, making contextually appropriate assumptions, and producing a valid result.