Purposeful image-destruction, or iconoclasm, has occurred many times in the history of art. This undergraduate seminar examines the causes and the theorization of such iconoclasms through a number of case studies, starting with Mesopotamian assault and abduction of statues, and including the mysterious case of the vandalized Athenian statues of Hermes, Roman erasure of imperial names and portraits, Christian destruction of pagan temples, Byzantine Icon-bashing, Protestant-led purging of Christian religious images, French Revolutionary backlash against religious symbolism and icons, the more recent attacks of ancient monuments and sites by the Taliban  and ISIS, among others.

This course fulfills the following Major requirements: Geographical area (E) and Chronological period (I), (II), or (III), based on the topic of the final research paper or project.