History of Urban Form: Locating Capitalism: Producing Early Modern Cities and Objects

The Piazza Salimbeni in Sienna, Italy at night, showing the facade of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena,Tito Sarrocchi’s statue of Sallustio Bandini, and several people, including a child on a bicycle.

The Piazza Salimbeni in Sienna, Italy is home to the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest continuously operating bank in the world, and Tito Sarrocchi’s statue of the economist and politician Archdeacon Sallustio Bandini. The intersections of capital, architecture, public space, and works of art is the subject of this course. (Original photograph by Pablo Saludes Rodil on flickr. Original photograph of the Badini sculpture used in the thumbnail by Paolo Perini on flickr.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

4.663

As Taught In

Spring 2014

Level

Graduate

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Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

What was the early modern economy like, and how did monetization impact artistic production, consumption, and the afterlife of objects? This seminar-format class explores major topics and themes concerning interconnections between early modern artistic and architectural creation and the economy. We will approach capitalism not as an inevitable system, but rather as a particular historical formation. Core course themes: commodification, production, and consumption, using case studies of the impact of the mercantile economy on chapels; palaces; prints and paintings, and their replication; and other material objects, including coins.

Related Content

Lauren Jacobi. 4.663 History of Urban Form: Locating Capitalism: Producing Early Modern Cities and Objects. Spring 2014. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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