Introductory description

Much of the world's visual culture is faith-based: buildings and their decoration (painterly, sculptural, large and small scale), and the production of countless artefacts still on site or preserved in museums owe their existence (and sometimes destruction) to religious beliefs. The world is also becoming more religious; however, art history students are increasingly unfamiliar with the basic beliefs and narratives of the major world religions, the practices and rituals of believers, and the roles that sacred art and architecture play. This module aims to de-mystify ‘sacred art/architecture’ and introduce students to the characteristics and functions of religious imagery predominantly in the medieval and early modern periods, but not exclusively.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

From Pagan to Christian Art
Jesus: From Symbol to Crucified Man
Holy Persons/Principal Deities (Saints, Moses, Muhammad, the Buddha, Vishnu)
Relics and Reliquaries
Pilgrimages (Buildings)
Art & Death
Field Trip (Religious art on site)
Sacred Books
Iconoclasm

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• show understanding of diverse viewpoints
• find, select, organize and synthesize evidence
• formulate a sustained argument
• think conceptually and independently at an appropriate level
• gain proficiency in visual analysis
• demonstrate bibliographical skills at an appropriate level
• demonstrate critical analysis of cultural artefacts in their context
• demonstrate an awareness of various manifestations of religious art
• discuss critically the tensions between devotional imagery/objects and concepts of art
• explain why faith often leads to the systematic destruction of imagery
• present an argument, initiate and sustain group discussion through intelligent questioning and debate at an appropriate level
• undertake research and to write up the results in the form of a well-structured argument at an appropriate level
• become familiar with basic ICT skills
• able to collaborate effectively with others

Indicative reading list

Kalman P. Bland, The Artless Jew: Medieval and Modern Affirmations and Denials of the Visual (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001), introduction.
Cynthia Hahn, ‘The Voices of the Saints: Speaking Reliquaries’, Gesta, 36 (1997), 20-31.
Wu Hung, “The Invisible Miniature: Framing the Soul in Chinese Art and Architecture,” Art History, 38, 2 (2015): 286-303.
R.M. Jensen, The cross: history, art, and controversy (Cambridge Ma.: Harvard University Press, 2017)
Aviad Kleinberg, The sensual God: how the Senses make the almighty senseless (Columbia University Press, 2015), Chapter 4
Richard McClary, Rum Selijuk Architecture, 1170 – 1220. The Patronage of Sultans (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017), Chapter 2
George Michell, The Hindu Temple. An Introduction to Its Meaning and Form (Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1988)

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

• demonstrate an awareness of the principal genres of religious art: icons, altarpieces, crucifixes etc.
• discuss critically the tensions between devotional imagery/objects and concepts of art
• explain why faith often leads to the systematic destruction of imagery
• Demonstrate sophisticated visual analysis
• Demonstrate critical analysis of cultural artefacts in their context

Transferable skills

• present an argument, initiate and sustain group discussion through intelligent questioning and debate at an appropriate level
• ability to undertake research and to write up the results in the form of a well-structured argument at an appropriate level
• familiarity with essential ICT skills
• ability to collaborate effectively with others
• show understanding of diverse viewpoints
• ability to find, select, organize and synthesize evidence
• ability to formulate a sustained argument
• think conceptually and independently at an appropriate level
• Demonstrate bibliographical skills at an appropriate level