Fridays, April 3 – April 24, 1 – 3pm
The Limbourg Brothers. “Saint Catherine Refuses to Worship the Idol,” folio 15v from The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry (detail), 1405–8. The Cloisters Collection, 1954. The Met Cloisters, New York
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
In an age before printing, handmade decorated books occupied a special category of artistic production. Treasured by patrons and collectors, illuminated manuscripts are some of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most celebrated masterpieces, with their ornamented pages bringing the medieval world to life. And because these remarkable books were made for close inspection, they are ideally suited for exploration online; as we zoom in on the smallest of details, these illuminations will surprise and delight.
This course offers a focused look at some of the great Western medieval manuscripts in the museum’s collections, with a special emphasis on the holdings of the Met Cloisters. We will also look at related material in other collections, bringing the sumptuous arts of the late medieval book into a larger cultural and historic context.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
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Barnes classes will:
- Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Instructor
C. Griffith Mann
Mann has served as the Metropolitan Museum’s Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters since 2013. He received his BA in art history and history from Williams College and his PhD in medieval art from Johns Hopkins University.
What Our Students Say
“The instructor is a gifted individual who is able to [engage] with all different kinds of learners and motivate us to want to learn more, see more, and experience more. I would highly recommend any course by this instructor.” —Collection Concentration: Medieval Modern with Kaelin Jewell
“Martha Lucy knows how to balance her lecture with fact, excellent painting selections, and inclusion of the students.” —The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec with Martha Lucy
“The best class to understand the elements of art. The instructor’s expertise and warmth, along with the excellent discussions with my classmates, made it a truly wonderful experience.” —The Elements of Art with William Perthes
“This class offered rich insight into Picasso and his contemporaries—the gallery scene, turn-of-the-century politics, Catalan culture, along with Picasso’s approach to composition and contemporary European culture. It was so informative.” —Picasso in Focus: New Discoveries at the Barnes with Christine Romano and Naina Saligram
“Caterina loves the material she presents and infuses all her classes—of which I have taken many—with that infectious enthusiasm.” —Rendez-vous au Café: Café Culture in 19th-Century Art with Caterina Pierre
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