In this course, we will question the relationship between art and economics in Europe during the rise and establishment of capitalism. Why and how did monetization, commodification, and the ideal of profit influence aesthetics, artistic labor, pleasure, and consumption? Why and how have artists participated in, critiqued, shaped, and been shaped by emergent market structures? Our class will be organized thematically so as to mirror the means of production—land, labor, and capital—and we will analyze art and economics both in theory and practice from the Renaissance through the Industrial Revolution within each theme. As the second course in the Reading and Composition series, this class will also focus on developing research, writing, and revision skills, which will include (among other assignments) each student writing a ten-to-twelve-paged research essay.