KUN4306E – Art and visual culture of the Middle Ages

Course content

In this course, we work on artworks produced in Europe from approximately 1000 to the 1400 from the perspective of visual culture. We will investigate the way in which objects made sense to their original beholders by virtue of their visual and material qualities.

We will review medieval theories of vision, visuality and materiality. Moreover, we will discuss the perception, reception, and use of images in various religious settings, from Norwegian stave churches to convents on the European continent. The discussions concern art works in various media, with special emphasis on wall paintings and polychrome sculpture.

The course is taught as a combination of lectures and seminars, taking place either at campus or in museum collections.?

Learning outcome

When you have completed this course, you:

• understand some concepts of vision and visuality as they were perceived in the Middle Ages, and you have learnt to apply them in the interpretation of medieval images.
• are trained in recognizing and analyzing the various dimensions of signification that medieval images communicated to their beholders, not merely as illustrations of textual sources, but primarily as objects that carry meaning through their inherent visuality and/or materiality.
• understand how contemporary theoretical thinking related to visual culture and material culture is relevant to the study of medieval images.
• have improved your skills in oral and written academic English.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

To gain admission to this course, you must be a student of Kunsthistorie og visuelle studier (master). Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Overlapping courses

• 10 credits overlap with KUN2306E – Art and visual culture of the later Middle Ages.

Teaching

The course is taught in 2-hour sessions twice a week during two periods (24 hours in all).

Four of these sessions will be fieldtrips / excursions.?

We expect students to meet prepared for classes and to participate actively.?

Mandatory activities:

1. Minimum 60% attendance is required for the lectures/seminars

2. Oral presentation, individual, topic to be assigned.?

Examination

Portfolio, consisting of 3 shorter essays.

You submit your assignment in the digital examination system Inspera.?Read about how to submit assignments?in Inspera.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail.?Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• How to use AI as a student
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.