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Impacts of Empire: the arts of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages - HOA00083I

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  • Department: History of Art
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Jane Hawkes
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module summary

The module examines the inter-dependence of the art and architecture of early Christian and Islamic societies on that of the late Roman empire.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

The art and architecture that visually defined the public domains of the late Roman empire would prove to have a lasting effect on developments in the public arts of subsequent societies in both Western Europe and the Levant. Its impacts were such that it transcended cultural and religious boundaries. It was invoked as an integral part of the prestigious early Christian campaigns of public art in both the eastern and western spheres of the late Roman empire. In the Levant, the results of such activities proved a fruitful source of inspiration for the early Islamic cultures that moved into the region in the seventh century, while in the northern areas of Europe, in Britannia and Gaul, the visual culture identified as 'Roman' was called upon by both ecclesiastical and secular elites as expressions of their social status and identity. By studying the public arts of the Roman empire and the manner in which they were articulated by these various cultures, we will explore the complexities involved in the transmission of identifiable visual languages and the manner in which they could be invoked and adapted to express the changing needs and expectations of quite distinct and different societies.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students should have acquired:

  • a firm grasp of the main forms and developments of the public arts of the late Roman empire

  • a clear knowledge of some of the major monuments of the period and their historical contexts

  • an understanding of some of the complexities involved in the transmission, adoption and adaptation of visual languages across different cultures

  • an awareness of the issues of patronage and religious ideals and rituals as articulated by the public and private arts

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Intermediate Assignment		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Intermediate Assignment		 N/A 100

Module feedback

You will receive feedback on assessed work within the timeframes set out by the University - please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.

The purpose of feedback is to help you to improve your future work. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further, you are warmly encouraged to meet your Supervisor during their Office Hours.

Indicative reading

  • Armstrong, Karen. A History of Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths. London: HarperCollins, 1996.
  • Bede, the Venerable, Saint. Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Edited and translated by Bertram Colgrave. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.
  • Bloom, Jonathan, and Sheila Blair. Islamic Arts. London: Phaidon Press, 1997.
  • Bowersock G. W., Peter Brown, and Oleg Grabar, eds. Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Post-classical World. London, Harvard University Press, 1999.
  • Campbell, James, Eric John, and Patrick Wormald. The Anglo-Saxons. London: Penguin Books, 1991.
  • Delius, Peter. Islam: Art and Architecture. Cologne: Konemann, 2000.
  • Ferguson, Everett. The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1997.
  • Lowden, John. Early Christian and Byzantine Art. London: Phaidon, 1997.
  • Murray, Peter, and Linda Murray. The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press,1996.
  • Museum With No Frontiers. The Umayyads: The Rise of Islamic Art. Amman: Arab Institute for Research and Pub, 2000.
  • Youngs, Susan, ed. The Work of Angels. London: British Museum Publication, 1989.
  • Webster, Leslie. Anglo-Saxon Art. London: British Museum Press, 2012.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.