The Byzantine World - The Arts in the East Roman Empire from the Fourth to the Fifteenth Centuries

Overview

What you will study

• From the transformation of the Roman Empire in the late third century CE to the European discovery of the Americas in the fifteenth century, Byzantium mattered, and its legacy still matters today. 
• The socio-political entity that developed from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 by Constantine the Great and ended with Constantine XI in 1453, is central to the history of the Eurasian and African continents and determined their societies, religions and cultures. 

• After introducing the timeline of the Byzantine Empire, this course will examine the visual and material culture pertaining to diverse social and religious agents linked to the East Roman Empire. 

• The Byzantine World - The Arts in the East Roman Empire from the Fourth to the Fifteenth Centuries course offered by The Courtauld Institute of Art will address Byzantine visual culture in relation to eastern and western polities and will also consider the agency of known historical agents and less regarded individuals, with a particular focus on women in Byzantine society. 
• The course will include visits to the British Museum, the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum.