ARH 3330 JEWISH, CHRISTIAN, & ISLAMIC CULTURES: CONTACT & CONFLICT
This will examine the visual cultures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In particular we will look at points of contact, continuity, and conflict. For example, the ancient traditions of Judaism inform the development of early Christian iconographies, while later Christian art reinterprets “Old Testament” iconographies as a critique of contemporary Jewishness. In the generations after the death of the Prophet the arts of Islam borrow artistic motifs from the traditions of Christianity in an effort to both compete and convert. All three faiths come into violent contact during the medieval crusades, a conflict recorded in the visual art, yet some works from this period reflect a co-existence that seems entirely contrary to the historical record.
Course Types
Civilization; Advanced Studies; Art History Elective