Location:
Tuition:
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) was both a beloved and rejected painter of the Baroque era. His paintings, which often included realistic figures, theatrical lighting, and dark, obscure settings activated a deep sense of spiritual contemplation for many. Yet he was also critiqued for depicting shocking subjects and eschewing traditional painting standards. Much has been made of his dramatic biography, which includes a lengthy arrest record, a murder, and a death in exile. Throughout this course we will examine Caravaggio’s development and working methods in the context of his own time, exploring his influences, innovations, and commissions. We will also consider his biography and think critically about the way it has been retold over the years in relation to his artwork. The course will end with an examination of his legacy and the ways his methods impacted other artists’ works.
Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award
— 2021 Award-Winning Course —
The teaching excellence displayed in this course earned this professor the highest honor that the Humanities Seminars Program has to bestow: the Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award. This award is given annually by the Humanities Seminars Program. It is based entirely on student evaluations and seeks to honor the pedagogical skill, depth of expertise, and commitment to students demonstrated by the most outstanding faculty who teach for the Humanities Seminars Program.
We are delighted to re-release this award-winning course
during the Summer 2023 season.
- This course is offered as a recording. No live class sessions or meetings are scheduled with the professor or fellow students. Enrolled students will have the opportunity to connect with fellow students via an online discussion board if desired; however, participation is entirely voluntary.
- Access - enrolled students have complete access to course materials via the HSP Learning Portal online from the day of their registration until August 31, 2023. On September 1, 2023, the class video recordings will be removed; however, students will retain access to all other course materials online.
- Price - has been reduced from our regular course tuition rates. Enrollment provides access to all course materials, including the original syllabus, reading materials, and video recordings of all class sessions for a limited time.
- 2021 Superior Teaching Award Course Package - four courses were awarded in 2021 and all four are being re-released for a limited time during the Summer 2023 season. Students who desire to purchase the complete set of four award-winning courses will receive an additional $50 registration discount (applied automatically during registration). This represents a $330 total discount or almost 60% in savings compared to our regular tuition price for these courses.
Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, April 10, 2023, at 8 AM (AZ Time)
Required Reading:
- No textbook is required. All readings will be distributed to students electronically.
Recommended Reading:
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Baxandall, Michael. “The Period Eye.” Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy: A Primer in the Social History of Pictorial Style. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974.
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Mahon, Denis. "Caravaggio's Death: A New Document," Burlington Magazine 93 (1951): 202.
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Moffitt, John F. Caravaggio in Context: Learned Naturalism and Renaissance Humanism. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, 2004.
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Pericolo, Lorenzo and David M. Stone. Caravaggio: Reflections and Refractions: Visual Culture in Early Modernity. Burlington: Ashgate, 2014.
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Posner, Donald. “Caravaggio’s Homo-Erotic Early Works.” Art Quarterly. 34 (1971): 301-324.
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Puglisi, Catherine. Caravaggio. London: Phaidon, 1998.
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Sohm, Philip. “Caravaggio’s Deaths.” The Art Bulletin. 84 (2002): 449-468.
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Warwick, Genevieve. Caravaggio: Realism, Rebellion, Reception. Newark: University of Delaware, 2006.
