This course provides an introduction to art history from prehistoric to medieval times, emphasizing analyses of masterpieces in painting, sculpture, and architecture. It begins with the rise of Christianity and the challenges it posed to the Roman Empire, and then examines the Byzantine Empire and the lands of Islam. Medieval visual and material culture will be examined within the framework of socio-political developments, rapid urban growth, the flowering of monastic culture, and the rise of universities, and changes in devotional practices. This course also discusses monuments of Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages, with a survey of Egyptian and Near Eastern art.