S0811 The Representations of the Orient in Western Arts (1700-2000)

The course will deal with the representation of the Orient as an imaginary space and privileged topos in European arts – mainly focusing on literature and the visual arts – from the 18th to 20th centuries. It will consider different definitions of the “Orient”, which often have no recourse to any historical or geographical truth, as well as the trasformations of the theme owing to changes in sensibility and to diverse cultural and historical contexts (from exotic fashion to colonial empire-building and “orientalism” to the present global dimension of culture).

At the end of the term students will be expected to gain an in-depth understanding of the problems involved in the artistic representation of partially unknown and different cultures, from fictionalization to imitation and assimilation. They are also expected to acquire a knowledge of different European literary and artistic contexts, which will be closely analysed focusing on a widespread topic and on its trasformations through the centuries.