This course is a general survey of the arts, including the history of painting and architecture from the classical Greco-Roman world, Buddhist and Islamic traditions, to medieval and Renaissance 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: Imagery of God, Christ and Madonna in Medieval and Renaissance art; 6) Mysticism of the Light and Gothic Cathedrals. After completing the course, students can 1) Appreciate art & architecture through the lens of social and art history, 2) Enhance cross-cultural competence and aesthetic literacy, 3) Enhance communicative and presentation skills.

Teacher's materials (slides) and online 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/