In this course we will sail around the Medieval Mediterranean. Along the way we will encounter ten fascinating works of art from the period c.1000 - 1200. The selected objects are made of silk, marble, ivory, crystal, bronze and wood and they come from across the region, from Jerusalem to Mallorca and from Constantinople to Cairo. They belong to the Romanesque, Byzantine and Islamic styles.
One of the defining features of Mediterranean art in this period is its hybridity. Together we will explore questions about hybridity, connectivity and cosmopolitanism. How did artists, objects, designs and materials move around the Mediterranean region? How did Islamic, Byzantine and Romanesque artists work in dialogue with each other? How did artists and patrons wrestle with religious and cultural differences?