Art History: Age of Empires
Over 2,000 years ago, the Chinese and Roman empires dominated almost a third of the world’s land mass. The Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) known as China’s “Golden Age” saw its emperors lay the country’s framework for the institutional, intellectual, economic, religious, literary, and cultural transformations that would largely remain unchanged for the next two-thousand years. In the west, the Roman Empire (100 BCE–395 CE) consolidated political authority around the Mediterranean world and defined a more expansive identity—a new concept of “citizen” that eventually included all subjects of the Roman emperor. During this time, both country’s visual and material cultures flourished and reached an apex. Through a discussion of works in the MSU Broad Collection, we will explore their individual stories, and how their technical innovations and artistic achievements shaped their cultural legacies. The Art History series offers up-close time with works of art in an educational setting.
This event will be held at the Art Lab, located directly across the street from the museum at 565 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823.
