AHIS232

This course explores the art and architecture of Northern Europe from the 12th-16th centuries, a period marked by dramatic cultural, religious, and social change. Beginning with the rise of Gothic cathedrals and the flourishing of manuscript illumination, stained glass, and sculpture, the course examines how artistic practices shaped and reflected spiritual devotion, civic identity, and political authority. We consider innovations in painting, printmaking, and domestic architecture over time, to flesh out the impact of a shifting art market, changes in patronage and the Protestant Reformation. Students will engage with a wide range of media and materials-from monumental architecture to intimate devotional objects and the emerging technology of print-in order to understand how artists responded to a changing world.