This course will examine the under-discussed relationship between a variety of political, social, and cultural realities identified by the umbrella term “terrorism” and the world of art. Divided into discrete sections, lectures and discussions will consider a variety of historical and contemporary examples of the meaning of the word “terrorism” such as the Reformation destruction in the Netherlands in 1566; the decapitation of the “kings” on the facade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris; the sacking of the Iraqi museums; and the destruction of icons following the restoration of religious practice in Russia. Students will evaluate the implications and realities of the so-called “terror of the image” from both global and historical frames as well as the question of iconoclasm as more than a religious phenomenon. The role of museums as public educational and cultural institutions will be considered in terms of both their pre-9/11 and post-9/11 modes of exhibiting permanent collections and special exhibitions, and the coordinated educational programming.