Visualizing Race, Power, and Colonialism in Premodern Europe

Racism and colonialism are often discussed as modern phenomena, but where do the origins of these issues lie? In this class we’ll study the premodern histories of these topics by examining medieval and Renaissance ideas about race and representation, empire building, pilgrimage, and crusade. We will also look closely at the premodern histories of contested sites such as Sicily, Istanbul, and Jerusalem, and more. We will focus on studying sources that emerged out of cross-cultural encounters including but not limited to manuscripts, architectural sites, sculptures, and textual sources. Prereq: one 400- or 500-level art history course or permission of the instructor.