Y02

The aim of the course is to introduce students to -or refresh their knowledge of- the main milestones in the history of Greek art as well as Western art in general, and improve their understanding and awareness of basic concepts of theory and aesthetics.

Students will become familiar with matters concerning the history of art and the evolution and variety of aesthetic theories, thereby contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the richness of monuments on which their postgraduate studies focus. No monument can exist in isolation from the social or general context of the era in which it was built, or from the times that followed and perceived the monuments based on their own context.

Classes include: approaches of works of prehistoric, classical, byzantine and post-byzantine art; historical-critical interpretations of architecture and art; lectures on philosophy in general, and the philosophy of art.

More specifically, the following topics will be covered:

• Milestones in the History of Art from Prehistory to Byzantium:
  Approaches to art from the Neolithic period to byzantine
  and post-byzantine times (Visual Arts, Vase Painting, Painting, Mosaic, Architecture).
• How aesthetics and criticism contributed to the appreciation of art (late 18th to early 19th century).
• The formation of the term “cultural monument”, and the efforts for its conservation and enhancement (mid to late 19th century).
• The art conservator as a “contemporary” of the builders of every historical monument. The distinct interest for architectural “heritage” (between the 19th and 20th centuries).
• Architectural heritage and art in times of mass reproduction and constant reinterpretation (interwar and early post-war period).
• Art in the Information Age (“cultural pluralism” and postmodernism).
• The shifting “perceptions” of artifacts of international prestige.