Recent studies in a variety of fields have confirmed that what people wear in visual representation (painting, sculpture, photography, prints, film) is not to be taken lightly.  Costume--whether it is invented for the occasion or culled from what the depicted society "really" wore--can be used to signify an enormous range of meanings, not only about a figure's economic or social status, but about their gender identity, sexuality and  even political affiliation.  This course will not be a connoisseur's survey of the history of costume, but will be an attempt to grapple with how costume intersects with, and changes, visual culture.  We will concentrate on the modern era (1760-present), but will explore some important precedents in antiquity, the middle ages, and the Renaissance.

We will plan trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York, and also to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Costume Collection.