The course will survey the history of art in various media, from early Renaissance, through the mannerism, baroque, finishing with contemporary art on the verge of the 21th century. The perspective will be as large as possible and encounters will include lectures dedicated to Asian art and Islamic art.

Lectures will introduce major monuments in the history of art in the field of architecture, painting, illuminated manuscripts, and sculpture, with special focus on their communicative, social, political and religious roles. These will provide the students with the evolutionary knowledge, basic concepts, and terminology required for the core and advanced courses and will enable them to discuss the formal qualities of the artworks, their subject-matters, and significances within their historical perspective. 

The panoramic introduction will be accompanied by a reading section that will be mandatory for the students of Art History, and elective for students from other departments. Classes will be given by several lecturers, each an expert in the specific field.