AHT 225T Naples and the Sea
Founded as a Greek colony on the fertile yet dangerous flanks of a volcano bordering the sea, Naples in the southern part of the Italian Peninsula has a history rich in upheavals, crossings and transformations that have shaped its unique cultural identity over the years. During varied political regimes, from the Romans to the Angevins, the crown of Aragon to the Kingdom of the two Sicily’s, the Mediterranean Sea nurtured the fortunes of the port city and its inhabitants. Commerce and politics long arrived by sea; migrating people, objects and ideas similarly converged on ships to one of the largest metropolises on the European continent. Palaces and churches, painting and sculpture, along with music, poetry and a bustling city life expressed the tumultuous inner spirit and aspirations of the maritime city. This course looks at the relation between Naples and the sea through different visual art forms from Antiquity to the present. In particular, it considers the modes through which aesthetic practices could help channel, negotiate, and construct the Neapolitan imagination at the crossroads of maritime cultural routes. The course includes an academic travel to Naples where students will get first-hand experience of the city and its arts. (Recommended prerequisite:
AHT 102 or
AHT 103 or
AHT 280.)