Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer: Northern Baroque Art

This course surveys significant 17th-century paintings, prints and drawings produced in the Northern and Southern Netherlands (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). Artists whose works will be discussed include Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and other painters of scenes of daily life, landscapes, cityscapes, portraits and still-lifes. Artistic elements of individual works and their relationship to major changes in patronage and religious, political, economic and cultural contexts will be examined. Assigned readings will present a range of methodological perspectives. The course is taught at the 300 and 500 levels with additional work required at the 500 level