AH3505: THE TWELFTH-CENTURY RENAISSANCE (2021-2022)

The twelfth century was a period defined by upheaval and innovation, when ancient learning and new ideas combined to transform European society. Focused on Paris, there was new interest in scientific discovery, divergent ways of engaging with God and the development of the new Gothic style of architecture, which in the following centuries would dominate urban skylines around the world. The period is sometimes referred to as a renaissance, paralleling the exciting resurgence of antique learning in the better-known Italian renaissance of the fifteenth century.

The course begins by questioning the label of ‘renaissance’ and how useful it is when applied to the twelfth century. Then, it takes a broad view of the period, where a variety of sources forms the case studies, from manuscripts, architecture, stained glass, and metalwork, all of which formed the basis of visual culture at the time. The aim will be to get sense of art’s role in the lived experiences of people at the time, and how it paralleled, and some ways defined their lives. We will explore marginalised communities such as Jewish experiences and artistic production, illustrating the often complex attitudes to the Other in the Middle Ages. We will get a sense of popular religion in the form of pilgrimage accounts and the material culture of religious experiences. Aberdeen’s own collections will be used and consulted to give students the opportunity to work with the manuscripts from the Middle Ages. 

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

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There are no assessments for this course.