Studies in Medieval Art (420-0-1)

Topic

Landscapes of Healing in the Premodern World

Instructors

Bihter Esener

Meeting Info

Kresge 4354 Art Hist. Sem. Rm.: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This graduate seminar examines how healing was conceptualized and practiced across the premodern world, with particular emphasis on the art, architecture, archaeology, and material culture of the eastern Mediterranean and the global Middle Ages. The course adopts a broad definition of "landscape," encompassing natural formations (springs, mountains, caves), built and institutional environments (baths, gardens, hospitals, infirmaries, madrasas, monasteries), sacred spaces (shrines, tombs, pilgrimage sites), and urban settings where healing occurred in daily life. We will explore how landscapes of healing were shaped and materially expressed through objects, ritual practices, and embodied experience. Seminar content investigates the multi-layered intersections between people and the built environment in pursuit of treating physical, mental, and spiritual disorders and illnesses. Graduate students will engage with critical and theoretical readings, debate methodological approaches and models, and participate actively in discussions. The seminar culminates in a substantial written paper or project that situates interdisciplinary methods and the chronologies of healing landscapes within broader premodern contexts.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Art History MA and PhD Graduate Students Only
Add Consent: Department Consent Required