04:30 PM to 07:10 PM T
Off-Campus Location OCL
Section Information for Fall 2014
The vast, polyglot Ottoman Empire was one of the great world empires in the early modern period, with unique achievements in architecture and the decorative arts built on earlier Turkic and Islamic traditions. It was also a major partner and rival in the luxury goods trade with the Italian, Russian, Persian and Arab worlds. In this graduate seminar, we will investigate the history of Ottoman art and architecture, taking advantage of a new wave of scholarship on its princely arts, domed architecture, textiles, ceramics, and trade relations. We will also consider related cultural issues such as the palace and harem, poetry, music, minority communities, and its dynamic relationships with Renaissance Italy and nineteenth century Europe.
The focus of the shared readings and discussions course will be on the cultural and historical context of Ottoman art, through weekly readings and discussion of the major media, primary sources and recent scholarship. Students will lead discussions of the readings, and will present their own work in class. While this is not primarily a course on object connoisseurship, students will be welcome to pursue that in their individual research projects if they wish. As with any seminar, weekly attendance and active participation will be mandatory. Since we will be meeting at the Smithsonian, we will make use of the Freer Gallery’s collection of Islamic art. We will also explore the Textile Museum’s extraordinary collection of Ottoman silks, carpets and embroideries, if they reopen next fall as expected.
No prior experience with Islamic or Renaissance art is required, though students will be expected to catch up with the basics in the first few weeks of class.
ARTH 699 001 meets at the Smithsonian Ripley Center room 3031.
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Credits: 3
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.