This course is a general survey of arts, including the history of painting and architecture from the classical Greco-Roman world, Buddhist and Islamic tradition to early and medieval Christian art. We will examine representative artworks from these cultural traditions through the lens of Semiotics, and focus on the following themes: 1) The Elgin Marbles Controversy; 2) Hitler’s 1936 Summer Olympics; 3) Staging Power & Violence: Rome’s Entertainment Industry; 4) Symbolism in Buddha’s Body; 5) Divinity in the Flesh: Images of God, Christ and Madonna in Medieval and Renaissance art; 6) Mysticism of the Light and Gothic Cathedrals. By studying and comparing the artistic works and achievements of various periods and cultures, student will have the opportunity to increase their visual literary and make their aesthetic judgments in a cross-cultural context. After completing the course, students will be able to 1) Appreciate cultural values from the perspectives of social and art history, 2) Enhance cross-cultural competence and aesthetic literacy, 3) Enhance communicative skills.

Teacher's materials and internet resources
1. Strickland, Carol. 1992. The Annotated Mona Lisa: a crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern. Kansas: Andrews McMeel Publishing.
2. Oxford Art Online (via THU library database)
3. Khan Academy
4. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works/