This course is an introductory survey of art and visual culture from the prehistoric era to the fourteenth century and explores a broad range of artwork including, but not limited to, sculpture, painting, ceramics and architecture. The course begins by studying prehistoric art such as the cave paintings of Lascaux, and continues with examinations of other European visual arts including Greek vase painting and Roman sculpture. It will also investigate non-European arts such as African sculpture, Islamic architecture, and Mesoamerican painting. The major themes of this course include how art communicates within particular cultural and historical contexts as well as how art reflects the values, ideals, desires, beliefs, and politics of a society.