War and violence permeate modern media, from cinema to on-line games. But war and its materializations in artistic realms have deep cultural histories the world over. Just as technologies and strategies of war constitute forms of art, so has warfare and its social surroundings produced a broad array of artistic materials. This course will discuss an array of accoutrements and visual narratives of war through comparative case studies across the globe. Students will delve into ancient worlds and progress through medieval and modern ones engrossed in warfare, exploring a variety of material arts, including weapons, household items, machines, paintings, sculptures, posters, and buildings.

Course Readings: all readings are posted on the course Canvas site.

HISTART Concentration Distributions: A. The MIddle East, C. Asia, 1. Ancient, 2. Medieval