Antichrist, Apocalypse, and the End of Time in Medieval Art (U02354)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : ACE-4-U02354

During the Middle Ages and beyond, the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse, was the most influential book of the Bible, both ideologically and artistically. This course will examine the tradition of Apocalypse illustration and commentary from the tenth through the fifteenth centuries in Spain, England, and France. We will be especially interested in the mysterious figure of Antichrist, as well as endtime roles assigned to the various enemies of Christendom: Jews, Muslims, Mongols, and Black Africans. Seminars will combine image analysis with discussion of original source materials ranging from theological commentaries to medieval plays. By examining illuminated manuscripts such as the visionary Morgan Beatus, the regal Douce Apocalypse, and the terrifying Livre de la Vigne de Nostre Seigneur (Book of Our Lord's Vineyard), we will discover how medieval Christian artists and patrons relied on the Apocalypse and the legends of Antichrist as filters through which to view and to make sense of their own enemies, conflicts, and catastrophes.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : History of Art 1 and 2

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History of Art, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	14:00	15:50	Central
Lecture	Monday	16:10	18:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : Monday - 1400 to 1550 or 1610 to 1800

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have detailed knowledge of eschatological traditions in medieval Western art and thought. They will have read and critiqued a range of both primary and secondary sources across an interdisciplinary range of literature (art historical, literary, and theological). They will have engaged with medieval imagery in a variety of media, and will have an especially good grasp of apocalyptic pictorial traditions in illuminated manuscripts. From experience gained in seminars, they will have acquired skills in formal and cultural analysis that may be applied to their subsequent study of other art historical genres and periods at an advanced level.