GERMN-211 The Tyranny of Greece: Aesthetics and Classicism in Modern Germany
When Germans began traveling to Greece in the 18th century, they returned with a new appreciation of the arts and invented art history of the ancient world. What is “Classicism,” though? Is it a style, historical period, philosophy of life or political ideal? Is it pure form or a mythological motif? We take a multimedia approach to these questions, finding examples of Classicism in literature, architecture, film, music, and painting to probe the ideas behind them. By putting themes and techniques into conversation with their Greek origins, we discover the significance of reinventions. We look for answers in Goethe’s Faust, Berlin’s Museum Island, Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy, Iphigenia’s appropriation for the migrant crisis, Jelinek’s post-dramatic theater and more.
Standard Course (40)
Credits
1
Cross Listed Courses
CLASC-211