Writing About Florence

This course will offer a close examination of the great building projects of Medieval and Renaissance Florence -- from the Baptistery and Cathedral to the Uffizi, Laurentian Library, and Pitti Palace – with focus on their historic context, patrons (including the Medici and Rucellai), artists (including Brunelleschi, Alberti, and Michelangelo), history, and significance. In the process, we will explore various genres of art-historical writing, involving description, comparison, biography, historical narrative, and scholarly argument. This course counts as elective credit towards the History of Art & Architecture major.