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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AH 354"
COURSE NAME: "Ancient Roman Portraiture"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2020
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Inge Hansen
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 8:30-9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: One previous course in Art History or Classical Studies or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
By appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Portraiture in Greece and Rome was a vital currency of social interaction and public engagement - across gender, class, location and context. As new archaeological data and research methodologies are transforming our understanding of its form and impact, the field is one of the most vibrant of ancient art. The course will discuss all aspects of what made a portrait: facial characteristics, hairstyles, body types, and clothing, as well as the inscribed base and placement. It will do so with a keen awareness of the developments and experimentations of the medium over time. The course will investigate themes like the uses of male and female portraits in public, the use of type-associations and role models, and the choices of statue types and status indicators. It will ask questions about who commissioned works, about workshop practices and distribution, and about the visual impact of techniques and form for the viewer, as well as why some portraits were destroyed or reworked.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course follows a chronological format combined with thematic investigations. The overarching aim is an investigation of the agency of public portraits and of portraits as cultural currency at the intersection between donor, honoree, and community.
The course will examine portraits as objects in context
The focus is on a detailed examination of Roman portraiture from the late Republic to the late Empire (2nd century BC to 4th century AD), across the Roman world. This is framed by discussion of honorific portrait traditions, as well as by considerations of the methods of reproduction and distribution of imperial portraiture
The course will examine portraits as performative depictions
The changing styles of portraiture over time will be considered for their ability to engage the viewer and to engage with other statue depictions. Similarly, the choice of statue body will be considered as a social and gendered statement, as well as a civic statement to activate spaces of display and processes of viewing.
The course will examine the persuasive presence portraits
The visual impact of the form of the abbreviated portrait, and the possibilities of display, texture and viewing engagement it provides, will form a point of consideration. So will examples where the agency of the portrait and the viewer appear juxtaposed: in the deliberately changed or in the damaged portrait.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
· In-depth knowledge of key artworks and monuments, and their multifaceted connotations. The aim is to develop a contextualized appreciation of the multifaceted visual and artistic culture within which portraiture is displayed.
· Familiarity with portraits across a broad range of artistic media and ability to analyze the impact of technique and material. The aim is for a nuanced understanding of the interests shaping the material culture of a complex visual world.
· Understanding of developments and traditions in honorific display of late Republican to late Imperial Rome. The aim is to develop an awareness of cultural characteristics and an ability to analyze trends and changes.
· Familiarity with the rhetoric of forms and styles, the inherent narrativity of objects, and the impact of viewing. The aim is for an awareness of portraits as dynamic intermediaries of social interaction.
· The course will present students with works of diverse patronage and consider the transmission of inspiration and influence. The aim is for an awareness of the impact of patronage and of social interaction in Rome.
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TEXTBOOK:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
Roman Portraits in Context | Fejfer, Jane | Walter de Gruyter 2008 | 978-3-11-020999-0 | eBook | The book will function as a textbook for the course; it is available as an e-book through the Frohring library | | | |
Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture | Friedland, E.A., Sobocinski, M.G. and Gazda, E.K. (eds) | Oxford University Press 2015 | - | eBook | The book will function as a textbook for the course; it is available as an e-book through the Frohring library | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
A full bibliography for the course will be provided at the start of the course | - | For core bibliographic works see below | - | - | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
Further reading suggestions for the course will be provided at the start of the course | - | - | - | - | |
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
Participation | Contribution to class discussions and reviews, sharing of ideas, collaborative behaviour | 0% |
Class presentation | Research presentation to class | 15% |
Term paper | Analytical research paper (8-10 pages) | 25% |
Mid-term exam | Image identifications and discussions, and analytical essay | 20% |
Final exam | Image identifications and discussions, analytical essays | 30% |
Research questions | Two sets of research questions based on the reading suggestions given on the syllabus (each set of questions is worth 5%) | 10% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
ASuperior work directly addresses the question or problem raised; provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information; demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory; and has an element of originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading. BGood work is highly competent; directly addresses the question or problem raised; demonstrates some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice; and discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments. CSatisfactory work provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings only; it may have some significant structural flaw, absence of information or research background, or too casual and imprecise a treatment, or contain only a minimum of interpretation. DPoor work lacks a coherent grasp of the material; fails to support its argument with sufficient evidence; indicates a hasty or unconsidered preparation, and/or fails to fulfill the assignment in some way; omits important information and includes irrelevant points. FFailure 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
• You are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Absences and late arrival will be noted and may affect your grade. Please refer to the university catalogue for the attendance and absence policy.
• You are expected to have dealt with food, drink and bathroom needs before class.
• Make-up work is not offered, except in exceptional circumstances and after consultation with the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. 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.
Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam: a major exam (midterm or final) cannot be made up without the permission of the Dean’s Office. Permission will be granted only when the absence is caused by a serious impediment or grave situation, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or funeral service for immediate family. Absences due to conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused.
Changes to / cancellation of class
• Changes, additional course information, etc will be posted on Moodle. Please check this regularly and, certainly, in advance of each class.
• In case of unavoidable cancellations of class, notification will be posted at the front desk at both Tiber and Guarini campuses. A suitable date and time for a make-up class will subsequently be established.
Textbook and revision aid
• There is no set textbook for the course. For recommended reading see the details on the class schedule.
• Revision aids: An overview of works studied, as well as themed questions to help you organise your notes and gain an overview of the material, will be posted on Moodle in advance of each exam.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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Details of further reading suggestions as well as a relevant bibliography for the course will be provided at the start of term
Essential bibliography includes:
Bartman, E. (1999) Portraits of Livia. Imaging the imperial woman in Augustan Rome. CUP.
Borg, Barbara (ed.) (2015) A Companion to Roman Art. Wiley-Blackwell
Fejfer, J. (2008) Roman Portraits in Context. De Gruyter.
Flower, H. (1996) Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Culture. Clarendon Press.
Flower, H.I. (2006) The Art of Forgetting: Disgrace and Oblivion in Roman Political Culture. University of North Carolina Press.
Friedland, E.A., Sobocinski, M.G. and Gazda, E.K. (eds) (2015) Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture.
Galinsky, K. (1996) Augustan Culture. PUP.
Hallett, C. (2005) The Roman Nude. OUP.
James, S.L. and S. Dillon (2012) (eds), A Companion to Women in the Ancient World. Wiley-Balckwell.
Kleiner, D.E.E. (1992) Roman Sculpture. YUP.
Rose, C.B. (1997a) Dynastic Commemoration and Imperial Portraiture in the Julio-Claudian Period. CUP.
Varner, E. (2000) (ed.) From Caligula to Constantine: Tyranny and Transformation in Roman Portraiture. Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Stewart, P. (2003) Statues in Roman Society. Representation and Response. OUP.
Wood, S. (1999) Imperial Women. A Study in Public Images, 40 B.C. - A.D. 68. Brill.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Introduction
1. Introduction to the course and to portrait studies
Themes/works Course requirements and logistics. Reading portraits in context
2. Contexts of viewing, and materials and techniques
Themes/works Where are statues set up? public space, house, tomb; honorific and commemorative aspects; expectations and audience response; Choices of materials and techniques; motives of cost or impact of technique?
3. The honorific statue habit in the ancient world
Themes/works Tradition of statue awards; recipients of honorific statues; bases and inscriptions; access to statue awards in Rome/Italian towns; patronage/statue gift exchange and competition
Hellenistic and Republican portraits
4. Portraiture in the Greek East
Themes/works Classical and Hellenistic works (5th-2nd century BC); public roles, virtues and individuality
5. Portraiture in the Latin West
Themes/works Second- and first-century BC works; origins of the veristic style; public roles, virtues and individuality
6. Statue body types
Themes/works Second- and first-century BC, and first-century AD works. Himation, toga, and nude body types
The early imperial period portrait
7. Augustus and the formation of an imperial portrait
Themes/works Formation of an imperial style; the male portrait; individuality, idealization, and typologies
8. Creation of imperial female portraits
Themes/works First century BC-first century AD; creating public images for women; individuality, idealization, and typologies
9. Julio-Claudian and Flavian portraiture
Themes/works Formation of an imperial style; dynastic/family identity; portraiture and politics
10. Commissions and prototypes
Themes/works Portraits as gift exchange (loyalty and euergetism); methods of commissioning works; approved models
11. The togate and himation statue formats
Themes/works The Republican and early imperial toga; national and cosmopolitan identities; configuration and visual impact of toga; access and exclusivity in style
12. The cuirassed and nude statue formats
Themes/works Male statuary body types; context and popularity/use; imperial/private, Greece/Rome
13. Mid-term exam
Metropolitan Rome and provincial portraiture
14. Second/third-century AD experimentation: Bearded emperors
Themes/works Second and third century AD; beards and paideia; the styled image; images of learning, urbanity, cosmopolitan empire?
15. Second/third-century AD experimentation: The Roman empress
Themes/works Second and third century AD; public imaging of women; gendered roles and statue types; relationship between empress and elite
16. ‘Period faces’ and portrait typologies
Themes/works The Zeitgesicht: impact, possibilities and limitations; cultural choices and approaches
17. Female adornment and hair: presence and social agency
Themes/works Female hairstyles and statue wigs; hair as cultural marker and as physiognomic aspect; hairstyles of imperial and non-imperial persons
18. Female statue types and ‘not-portrait’ portraits in public displays
Themes/works Female non-individualized portraits; replicated statue types as markers of identity and exemplary femininity
19. Agency of viewing and display
Themes/works Rhetoric of dedication, setting and form; code-switching
20. Bust portraits and abbreviated formats
Themes/works Abbreviated statuary formats; the freestanding bust; display, development, iconography
21. Third/fourth-century imperial portrait
Themes/works Third and fourth century AD; a style of abstraction and formalization?
22. The late Roman / late antique portrait
Themes/works The agency of portraits and the impact of statues; late antique statue dedications
Engaging with the agency of images
23. Damnatio memoriae: portraiture as absence
Themes/works Memory and memory sanctions: cultural memory, expectation and rhetoric; headless bodies and blank spaces
24. Recut and re-used portraits: portraiture and change
Themes/works New and former identities: choices and motivations; redefinition as sympathetic magic, emulation, transfer or practicality? Prospective, retrospective and deferred re-use.
25. Agency of viewing and display
Themes/works Viewing, setting and form; code-switching and framing
26. The end of the statue habit
Themes/works Fifth- and sixth-century statue approaches
27. Review
Themes/works Overview and discussion of course content
28. Review
Themes/works Overview and discussion of course content
29/30. Final exam
Date, time and place to be announced
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