Civilization through Art & Architecture:
Sir Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation
and the Western Imagination

Co-sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum
and the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard

13-week series

Mondays at 6 pm

Begins September 14

Dunster House, Private dining room

What can art reveal about the civilization that produces it? This semester-long viewing group explores this question through Kenneth Clark’s book Civilisation: A Personal View, one of the most influential modern accounts of the Western artistic tradition. Each week, participants will watch an episode of his landmark BBC series (and follow along in the accompanying book), exploring the art and architecture of the medieval, Renaissance, Reformation, Baroque, Enlightenment, and modern worlds.

Clark’s account is personal and provocative, placing particular emphasis on religion, political and social institutions, intellectual life, patronage, and inherited standards of beauty. Together, we will consider both the insights and limitations of his interpretation, asking what works of art reveal about the societies that produced them—and what they might teach us about how civilizations preserve, renew, and understand themselves.

Presented by John Aroutiounian Fellow Richard Rodgers

Open to Harvard-affiliated students and faculty.

PDF copies of the book will be provided to participants.

Registration greatly encouraged, but walk-ins welcome.