Course Catalogue

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This course examines representations of the Earth's environment and the interaction between humans and more-than-humans (that is, non-human living beings) in the visual and textual traditions of the early modern Mediterranean, c. 1300-1600, a region that is warming 20% faster than the global average. We will survey Italian, Byzantine, and Islamic visual and textual cultures to investigate the interconnectedness of humans and more-than-humans in the early modern imagination. The advantages and disadvantages of ecocriticism as a methodological approach to early modern art history will also be explored as an integral part of the course.

1 x 1hr lecture per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

1 x 1hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History of Art, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Catalogue entry (1000 words) - 25%

■ Essay (2000 words) - 50%

■ Presentation (10 minutes) - 25%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the catalogue entry, but a flexible deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but a flexible deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ Individual presentation to lecturer OR individual recorded presentation (video or audio) OR PowerPoint with substantial presentation notes OR Written presentation with equivalent word count as alternative to the presentation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor. 

This course aims to:

■ Analyse the visual arts of the early modern Mediterranean through an interdisciplinary (art history, history, literary studies) and ecocritical perspective.

■ Engage critically and historically with selected early modern artworks to assess their ecological significance.

■ Introduce students to early modern views of the Earth that will contribute to the development of ecological thinking in art-historical inquiry.

■ Foster students' interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and research skills by engaging in a critical assessment of the correlation between art and the environment.

■ Establish how the current ecological crisis is calling for a reconsideration of our approach to art history and the humanities.

By the end of the course students will be able to:

■ Understand and critically use key concepts from Environmental Humanities in their study of early modern art.

■ Develop critical thinking skills for the comparative study of visual cultures (i.e., Italian, Islamic, Byzantine)

■ Undertake independent research on a relevant topic of their choice with confidence.

■ Actively engage in an interdisciplinary learning environment by means of discussions, presentations, and collaborative activities.

■ Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and deep understanding of ecocriticism and how it relates to the artistic and intellectual context of the early modern Mediterranean.