Middlebury

HARC 0322

Humor in the Visual Arts

Humor in the Visual Arts
Comedy, wit, and satire appear frequently, and sometimes unexpectedly, throughout the arts of Europe and America from antiquity to the present. In this course we will selectively examine aspects of visual humor, ranging from the hilarious to the scathing. We will begin with essays by Baudelaire and Freud, attempting to isolate the essence of humor. After a broad survey of visual manifestations, we will study in depth absurd behavior by gods and mythological characters in Renaissance art, the birth and flowering of caricature and satire beginning with the age of reason, and the appearance of comics in the modern era. 3 hrs. lect.
Subject:
History of Art & Architecture
Department:
History of Art & Architecture
Division:
Humanities
Requirements Fulfilled:
ART EUR

Sections in Fall 2007

Fall 2007

HARC0322A-F07 Lecture (Hunisak)