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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 298"
COURSE NAME: "Baroque Rome and Its Monuments (Rome City Series)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2018
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Laura Foster
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: T 9:15-12:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: On-site; activity fee: €25 or $33
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Rome City Series - Rome is the city where the baroque style originated and flourished, and this on-site course focuses on some of the most significant works of art, architecture, and urban planning of the 17th-18th centuries. The course will discuss the works of artists and architects like Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini, and Pietro da Cortona. From Villa Borghese to the Trevi Fountain the artworks and urban spaces will provide an opportunity to discuss aspects like Baroque illusionism, artistic techniques, influential art theories, and the religious and political contexts of art production and collection in this dynamic and vibrant period.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Students will be immersed in the cultural environment of Baroque Rome through direct engagement with painting, sculpture and architecture. The course will introduce core art-historical concepts and terminology, including many Italian ones, through readings and on-site discussion of works. Major themes treated in lectures include the relationship between artists and their patrons; experimentation with media to produce new visual effects; and the increasing interrelation of different media within single spaces to produce a new experiential quality to the works.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will gain from this course:

•the methodological tools for interpreting painting and sculpture through formal and contextual analysis, gained through reading a variety of art historical texts and first-hand examination of art works

•a familiarity with architectural styles and vocabulary to discuss the formal quality of buildings and urban spaces

•an understanding of the Baroque period from both aesthetic and historical perspectives

•familiarity with some of the most important artists working in the period, and the means of identifying their particular style.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Art and Architecture in Italy, 1600-1750, 3 vols. Rudolf WittkowerYale University Press0-300-07939-7   
Baroque & Rococo. Art & CultureVernon Hyde MinorLaurence King9781856691734   
Patrons and Painters. Art and Society in Baroque ItalyFrancis HaskellYale University Press0-300-02540-8  

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
2 Testscomprehension of art historical terms, correct identification of individual works and an understanding of their significance. See the schedule for test dates.20%
Midterm ExaminationSlide identifications; short answer questions regarding historical and stylistic terminology, and patronage; essay topic treating major themes treated in class and readings. 20%
Writing AssignmentPaper (approximately 5 pages in length with bibliography and illustrations) assessing the context for a specific work of art or architecture. Further details of the assignment will be provided after the midterm exam. 20%
Final ExaminationThe format of the final exam is identical to that of the midterm, and will cover the material from the second half of the semester, with the exception of the final essay questions which will treat themes covered over the entire semester.20%
3 Short Presentations: Content and Meaning in Baroque Art and ArchitectureIn 3 different class meetings, students will be assigned a specific topic on which to report to the class in front of a work of art or architecture. The topic may be to explain a mythological story, an aspect of biblical narrative, the life of a saint, or a specific historical event that bears upon the creation of a monument. Specific instructions on how to approach the topics will be provided. The overall grade will be assessed after all 3 presentations have been made.20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is required for all class meetings. Absences will be taken into consideration when assessing the course participation grade. Absences should be avoided as much as possible, given that the class meets only once per week and that it is very difficult to visit sites individually.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

 

Week

Topic

Meeting Place

Required Readings

Assignments & special instructions

Jan 16

Course Introduction: Rome in the era of the Catholic Reformation

 

Classroom

Tiber Campus 2nd floor, Room 4 (T.2.4)

Readings for each lecture should be completed before the lecture

 

Jan 23

Renewal and Revelation: Transformation of the Early Christian Basilica

Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore (see directions)

 

•Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo: Art and Culture, Chapter 1 and pp. 41-56 of Ch. 2. Library Reserves N6410 .M56

•Wittkower, Vol. 1 Ch. 1 “Rome: Sixtus V to Paul V (1585-1621)”

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

Jan 30

Vision(s) and Apparitions: Rethinking the Church Interior

In front of the Chiesa Nuova, Corso Vittorio Emanuele

 

•Wittkower, Vol. 1, Ch. 2 and Ch. 4

•Robert Enggass and Jonathan Brown, eds. Italy and Spain, 1600-1750: Sources and Documents, pp. 69-85 (Lives of Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio)

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

Feb 6

Art collecting and entertainments in the Baroque villa

In front of the Galleria Borghese

•Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, pp. 157-177 of Ch. 5

•Wittkower, Vol. II, Ch. 2, pp. 5-22

 

Class starts at 8:45 a.m.

 

Test 1 after gallery visit

Feb 13

The completion and decoration of St. Peter’s, Part 1 (1590-1644)

Piazza of St. Peter’s, at the center near the obelisk

•Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, Ch. 3 pp. 75-83 and Ch. 4 pp. 119-124

•Wittkower, Vol. I, Ch. 6 pp. 75-79

CHURCH DRESS CODE

feb 20

Iconographies of Faith and Power: Palazzo dei Conservatori and Paintings of the Capitoline Museums

Piazza del Campidoglio

•Wittkower, Vol. II, Ch. 4 pp. 74-81 (on Pietro da Cortona)

•Sources and Documents, on Reni, pp. 86-91, and Guercino, pp. 96-100

 

 

Feb 27

MIDTERM EXAM

Classroom

T.2.4

•Exam will last 90 mins, followed by library seminar on art historical research

 

CLASS BEGINS AT 8:45 A.M.

mar 6

The architecture of self-promotion: Palazzo Barberini

Piazza Barberini in front of the Triton Fountain

•Haskell, Patrons and Painters, pp. 40-62

•Patricia Waddy, Seventeenth-Century Roman Palaces:  Use and Art of the Plan, Chapter 1 (pp. 3-13), Chapters 6 & 7 (pp. 54-66). DG797.9 .W33

•Sources and Documents, on Pietro da Cortona, pp. 104-108

 

 

Mar 13

Mystical experience and the reformed religious orders

In front of Acqua Felice (Moses Fountain) on via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando

 

•Wittkower, Vol. II, Ch. 2 pp. 23-38 and Ch. 3

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

mar 20

Pope Innocent X and the imperial Church

Piazza Navona, at the center near the Four Rivers Fountain

•Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, pp. 84-93 of Ch. 3

•Jennifer Montagu, Roman Baroque Sculpture, Ch. 2

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

mar 27

St. Peter’s, Part 2 (1645-1740s): Papal ceremony and ritual in art and architecture

Classroom

T.2.4

•Make sure readings are completed in preparation for test

Test 2

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

April 2-6

SPRING BREAK

 

APR 10

Illusion and Spectacle in the Late Baroque

In front of the church of S. Andrea della Valle

•Wittkower, Vol. II, Ch. 8 pp. 134-145

•Jennifer Montagu, Roman Baroque Sculpture, Ch. 8 “Festivals and Feasts”

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

APR 17

Picturesque Rome: Between architecture and image

Piazza del Popolo, at the center near the obelisk

 

•Wittkower, Vol. III, Ch. 1 pp. 7-17

 

Research paper must be uploaded to Moodle by 5:00 p.m.

 

APR 24

Enlightenment Rome: Patronage and Politics of Popes Clement XI and Benedict XIV

Classroom

•Wittkower, Vol. III, Ch. 5 pp. 73-78

•Christopher Johns, Papal Art and Cultural Politics: Rome in the Age of Clement XI, Ch. 6 (pp. 132-158) and Ch. 8 (pp. 171-194). N6920.J63 1993

 

CHURCH DRESS CODE

 

FINAL EXAM DATE AND TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED