Explores the transformations evident in the art of the global medieval period spanning from the age of Constantine to the late Gothic period. Special areas of interest include Early Christian attempts to visualize a new religion in the varied images of Jesus and the saints, and through mysticism and the world of symbols; Byzantine elegance and gradeur; the melding of Roman style with Christian thought in the Romanesque; chivalry and love in the courtly society of the Gothic and the cult of the Virgin Mary; the advent of Islam as a global power; the great cathedrals of the Gothic, viewed as immense prayers in stone; the late medieval return to the humanism of antiquity with the school of Giotto; and the role of women, and ways women are represented in medieval art. Fulfills the general education requirement in fine arts and intercultural knowledge. [ 3 credits ]