ART OF THE APOCALYPSE (RA-2060)
(01/30/2023-05/19/2023)
Course Memo
Structured around a series of vividly articulated visions, the Book of Revelation has inspired countless works of art including frescoes, altarpieces, icons, manuscript illuminations, printed illustrations, and works of literature, music, and film. Each of these aesthetic manifestations has encouraged new interpretations of John’s Apocalypse, making this first century text perennially relevant for subsequent generations. Taking a global, diachronic perspective, this course examines the rich reception history of Revelation through the many artistic expressions this strange and evocative text has inspired. Students will examine works of art, watch films, read fiction, and listen to music that creatively engages with the text and themes of Revelation. Through weekly discussions of these primary source materials, as well as secondary texts that place them in context, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the profound influence of this book on global culture over the past twenty centuries. Recommended for graduate students, artists, writers, ministers, and historians. This course is taught by PhD student Emily Pothast with a Newhall Award, under the supervision of Devin Zuber.