View Specification DocumentEarly Modern Ecologies, 1300-1600 HISTART5170
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
- Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
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.
Timetable
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
Requirements of Entry
Standard entry to Masters at College Level
Excluded Courses
HISTART4089 - EARLY MODERN ECOLOGIES 1300-1600
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
Essay (2500 words) - 50%
Presentation (10 minutes) - 25%
Catalogue entry (1500 words) - 25%
Course Aims
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.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ Critique key concepts from Environmental Humanities in their study of early modern art.
■ Critically review and rigorously apply comparative methodologies to study of visual cultures
(i.e., Italian, Islamic, Byzantine)
■ Undertake independent research on a relevant topic of their choice with substantial autonomy.
■ Shape and sustain an interdisciplinary learning environment by leading discussions, presentations, and collaborative activities.
■ Synthesise comprehensive knowledge and theorise advanced ecocritical frameworks to illuminate the artistic and intellectual context of the early modern Mediterranean.