Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 297"
COURSE NAME: "Baroque Art and Architecture"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2019

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Laura Foster
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30-2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An investigation of the major artistic trends in Western Europe during the 17th century. In Italy (excluding Rome, which is covered in a separate course), southern centers such as Sicily, Naples and Lecce will be examined, along with such major northern centers as Turin and Venice, and specific artists such as Guarini, Juvarra and Tiepolo. Major “national” schools of painting will be analyzed: the Dutch and Flemish, as embodied by Rembrandt and Rubens; the Spanish, with Velazquez; the French, with Poussin and Claude. Attention is also paid to architectural and sculptural monuments in each country.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
European art and architecture of the 17^thcentury was often monumental and extravagant, heroic but nostalgic, expansive while also self-reflective. Art commissions and collection no longer belonged solely to the wealthiest élites, especially with advances in printmaking techniques and increasing interest in smaller format easel painting. Regional interests and styles were transformed in this period of constant exchange. Themes that will be treated in readings and class discussion include the rise of absolutism; European global exploration and colonization; the formalization of art and architectural professions through academies; scientific investigation and the understanding of vision in this period; and gendered spaces of art, both in representation and for practitioners, with special focus upon women artists like Artemisia Gentileschi, Elisabetta Sirani, Clara Peeters, and Judith Leyster. A trip may be planned to see a special exhibit opening mid-October at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam on the works of Velázquez and Rembrandt.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will gain from this course:

•familiarity with a broad range of artists and art media in this period of European art.

•the methodological tools for interpreting painting and sculpture through contextual analysis, gained through reading a variety of art historical texts and in-depth discussion of individual works

•research skills for examining works of art first-hand

•the ability to apply critical and theoretical perspectives in a coherent analysis of works of art and architecture.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
The Art of Describing: Dutch Art in the Seventeenth Century	Svetlana Alpers	University of Chicago Press	9780719540639
Painting in Spain: 1500-1700	Jonathan Brown	Yale University Press	9780300064742
Seventeenth-Century Art & Architecture	Ann Sutherland Harris	Pearson/Prentice Hall	9780136033721
Baroque and Rococo: Art and Culture	Vernon Hyde Minor	Laurence King	9781856691734
Art and Architecture in Italy, 1600-1750. 3 Vols.	Rudolf Wittkower	Yale University Press	9780300079999

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
2 Reading Summaries and Analyses	Several of the assigned readings this semester will offer ways of thinking about visual representation drawn from critical theory and from contemporary challenges to traditional narratives. In the reading summaries, you will provide a close analysis of the text and apply the ideas contained within them to a work of art. The summaries should be a minimum of 2 typed, double-spaced pages and will be uploaded to Moodle for evaluation.	20%
Paper: Foreign Artists in Rome: Collection and Reception	In this paper, students will take advantage of the collections of French, Spanish, and Flemish Baroque art in Rome, examining one work in particular. The paper will provide a full formal analysis of the work and discuss how the work came into the collection in which it is displayed. The topic will involve some research; students will provide adequate bibliography and demonstrate an understanding of the provenance of artworks.	20%
Paper: Critical Issues in Baroque Art and Architecture	Students will select one of the themes discussed in class and in the readings and write a critical analysis of one or more works of art and architecture based upon that theme. The paper will be approximately 5-6 pages in length and will include substantial bibliography and appropriate use of illustrations.	20%
Midterm Examination	Students should be able to identify works of art and architecture by artist, title, and date, and should be prepared to discuss them at some length. The format of the exam includes: •Short answer questions regarding individual monuments: their appearance, construction, urban context and patronage. •Image comparisons: A discussion of two works in order to draw out key elements of affinity or difference, indicating an important theme in 17th-art and architecture.	15%
Final Examination	The format of the exam will be similar to the midterm, treating material from the second half of the semester, with the addition of final essay questions that will be cumulative in their scope.	25%

-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 course.
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 REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.

While no grade is assessed for attendance and participation, both are required and will be recorded. 5 or more absences without an official excuse are considered insufficient presence for a passing grade and will be reported to the Dean’s office.

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	Required Readings	Assignments & special instructions
Sept 3	Course Introduction: In and Out of Rome	Readings for each lecture should be completed before the lecture •For background and review, read Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo: Art and Culture, Chapters 1 & 2. On library reserve
Sept 5	The Act of Picturing and the Beginning of the Baroque	•Rudolf Wittkower, Art and Architecture in Italy, 1600-1750, Vol. 1, Ch. 3.
Sept 10	The School of the Carracci and Caravaggisti on the Italian Peninsula	•Wittkower, Art and Architecture in Italy, Vol. 1, Ch. 4 “Caravaggio’s Followers and the Carracci School in Rome”
Sept 12	Artemisia Gentileschi and “Exceptional” Women Painters	•Mary Garrard, Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art, Introduction and Ch. 5 “Judith” •Jesse Locker, Artemisia Gentileschi: The Language of Painting, Ch. 5. “L’immagine dell’autrice” Artemisia’s Self-Portraits Revisited”
Sept 17	Imperial Representation and Architecture in Spain, 1590-1625	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 3 pp. 199-207.
Sept 19	Mysticism and Verism in Early Baroque Spanish Painting	•Jonathan Brown, Painting in Spain: 1500-1700, Ch. 5 “Naturalism in Castile and Valencia 1598-1621”
Sept 20 Makeup	Research workshop and Palazzo Corsini visit	Preparation for paper on foreign artists in Rome: discussion of art historical sources
Sept 24	Rubens, Van Dyck and Aristocratic Self-Representation	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 2 “Flanders”	TEST 1
Sept 26	Flemish Painting and the Expansion of Art Collecting	•Continued from previous lecture
Oct 1	The Rise of Portraiture in Dutch Painting	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 5 to p. 373
Oct 3	Rembrandt and the Practice of Painting	•Continued from previous lecture
Oct 8	Architecture and Urban Space: Comparative Practices, 1600-1640	•Wittkower, Art and Architecture, Vol. 1, Ch. 6 and Vol. 2, Ch. 6, pp. 110-120 (on Venice, Florence and Naples)
Oct 10	Midterm review	•Go back through readings and come prepared with questions for discussion
oct 15	Midterm Exam		MIDTERM EXAM
Oct 17	Spanish Art under Philip IV	•Jonathan Brown, Painting in Spain: 1500-1700, Ch. 7
Oct 22	Special Lecture: Velazquez’ Las Meninas	•See special handout with bibliography on this painting: choose 2 readings to discuss in class and for paper
Oct 24	Spanish and Italian Connections and Exchange (Ribera, Murillo)	•Jonathan Brown, Painting in Spain: 1500-1700, Ch. 9 “Jusepe de Ribera: A Spaniard in Italy”	Paper 1 Due: Upload to Moodle by 5:00 p.m.
Oct 29	Dutch Painting and Colonial Visions	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 5, pp. 373-399
Oct 31	Interior Spaces and the Act of Looking in Dutch Painting	•Martha Hollander, An Entrance for the Eyes, Ch. 3 “Nicolaes Maes: Space as Domestic Territory”
Nov 5	France: Building the Modern State	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 4, pp. 252-270	TEST 2
Nov 7	Versailles and Its Impact	•continued from last class
nov 12	Claude Lorrain and Poussin: Imaging a Golden Age	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 4, pp. 270-321
nov 14	Printmaking and Its Uses: Democratizing Art	•Arthur M. Hind, A History of Engraving and Etching, Ch. 5 and Ch. 6
nov 19	Printmaking and Its Uses: Politicizing Art	*Reading TBA
nov 21	Italianizing England	•Ann Sutherland Harris, 17^th-Century Art and Architecture, Ch. 6, pp. 403-415
nov 26	Northern Italy: Torino and Venice	• Wittkower, Art and Architecture in Italy, Vol. II, pp. 110-120; Vol. III, Ch. 3	Paper 2 Due: Upload to Moodle by 5:00 p.m.
nov 28	Thanksgiving – No class meeting
dec 3	Southern Italy: Naples, Lecce and Sicily	•continued from last week
dec 5	Review for Final Exam
FINAL EXAM DATE AND LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED