HAD-420 Viewing and Constructing the Classical Body

3 Credits

Ancient societies were profoundly visual. Fewer images were available, so those that existed were more important. Representations of the human body played a central role within visual arts, as the starting point for recognizing the self. This course looks at ancient Greek and Roman representations of the human body: how they were constructed and functioned, how forms developed and changed, what they expressed when new, how we have received them and see them today. The Classical focus on the nude figure that forms the foundation of the western artistic tradition is atypical of the global experience, requires special explanation.