COML 1137 - FWS: Wonderful Things: Orientalism in Art, Literature and Culture

Fall, Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

First-Year Writing Seminar.

K. Hussein.

On the eve of his discovery of the treasures of Pharaoh Tutankhamen in the Egyptian desert, archaeologist Howard Carter famously described his findings as ‘wonderful things’. This idea of wonder, amazement – and fantasy – defines moments of encounter between travelers from Europe and America, on the one hand, and the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, on the other. In this course, we will study examples of ‘wonderful’ artistic production emerging from such moments of cross-cultural contact, across literature, art, architecture, fashion, and opera. Through the practice of composing conceptually and structurally compelling essays, this course invites us to explore case studies of cross-cultural artistic production, while gaining a background in global history, postcolonial theory, and politics.