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This course will explore the various connections between architecture and early modern science in France, Italy, and England. The course will include segments on the architectural settings of science, including observatories, curiosity collections, libraries, and laboratories. Thematic discussions will touch on the status of the mechanical arts, developments in engineering and construction, theories of proportion, and the architectural use of mathematical instruments. The course will culminate in an attempt to reassess the work of three important architects of the period: Christopher Wren, Claude Perrault, and Guarino Guarini. Each of these figures saw architecture as an essential part of a comprehensive and multifaceted scholarly culture. We will examine their intellectual careers, how they defined science, and how they understood architecture to be a part of science. We will explore their intellectual contacts, the circles and academies to which they belonged, and how they furthered their careers through patronage.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ART Grading Mode: Student Option
Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-30-2006
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