Undergraduate Course: Aztec Imperial Art (HIAR10195)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to the artwork of the Aztec and related Indigenous societies of Mexico during the late prehispanic period (1200-1521), examining political and religious imagery produced in a wide variety of different materials. |
| Course description |
On the eve of the arrival of Spanish colonists, the Aztec were the most powerful Indigenous society of North America, as their empire extended throughout what is now Mexico. This course will provide an intensive look at artworks produced by the Aztec and their imperial subjects predominantly during the last several centuries prior to contact with Europe (1200-1521), with consideration also given to various colonial works produced later in the sixteenth century. We will examine works produced in a wide range of materials, including monumental architecture and sculpture, lapidary mosaic work, ceramics, precious metals, textiles, and painted manuscripts. These works provide powerful windows into the ideologies and worldviews of this ancient society, and students will gain a firm understanding of Aztec religion and politics as a result. The course will pay special attention to some of the most famous works of Aztec art housed here in the UK, and will conclude with critical considerations of current issues surrounding globalisation and heritage.
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Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a selection of the art and culture of Aztec and late prehispanic Mexico in the period 1200-1521;
- Show a critical understanding of relevant theories and concepts for interpreting this material;
- Develop a broader global perspective on the discipline of art history through engagement with non-Western cultures;
- Critically review and consolidate knowledge, skills, practices and thinking in history of art and visual and material culture;
- Clearly present and convey information on the history of art in written and oral forms.
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Reading List
Townsend, Richard. 2010. The Aztecs. Third edition. Thames and Hudson: London.
Pasztory, Esther. 1998. Aztec Art. University of Oklahoma Press: Norman.
Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo and Felipe Solis Solguin. 2003. Aztecs. Royal Academy Publications: London.
Boone, Elizabeth Hill. 2007. Cycles of Time and Meaning in the Mexican Books of Fate. University of Texas: Austin.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Visual and critical analysis; Clear thinking and the development of an argument; Independent research; Presentation and communication skills; Organisation and planning. |
| Keywords | Aztec,prehispanic Mexico,colonialism,fine and applied arts,Latin America,architecture,museums |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jamie Forde
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mx Hannah Pennie Morrison
Tel: (0131 6)51 5763
Email: |
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