The course focuses on the evolution of history painting in Europe over a span of five centuries. We will start by exploring the artistic theory of the 15th century when the term “history” being applied to painting mainly referred to the “narrative” centered around religious and mythological subjects. Then we will trace the rich tradition of this highest form of painting throughout the epochs and discuss the most interesting examples. Finally, we will pay particular attention to the 19th century when artists became increasingly fascinated by history as a real past with all its temporal and national specificity and diversity. We will see how they reinvented history painting drawing inspiration from and relying on the works of historians, historical novels, historical documents, and collections of historical artifacts. We will analyze the masterpieces of Caravaggio, Poussin, Rubens, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Menzel, Degas, Manet, and others.