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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AH 143"
COURSE NAME: "World Art III: Visual Culture of the Early Modern World"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Laura Foster
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This survey course focuses on the art and architecture of Europe, South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Americas from the late 1200s to c. AD 1750. The course investigates a range of media including painting, woodcuts, sculpture, and architecture, while considering materials and methods of production. Special attention will be given to the socio-economic and political contexts in which these artifacts were commissioned and produced. The course will also assist students in cultivating basic art-historical skills, in particular description, stylistic analysis, and iconographic and iconological analysis.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The historical period was one of new cultural encounter, prompted by religious, scientific, and economic interests that resulted in travel throughout the world. Proceeding roughly according to chronology, the first half of the course will concentrate upon the world before 1492, examining developments in Western Europe, China, Japan, India and the Americas. The second half of the course focuses upon the dramatic economic and religious upheavals in the wake of European colonial expansion, studying the way art and architecture was put into service of the ideologies of empire. The course will examine cultural exchange and the modes in which art was transformed through intercultural contact. The material qualities of artworks will be a special focus of the semester, with examination of how medium and presentation affect meaning and interpretation.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•The ability to analyze and describe material artifacts and built form from different cultural and historical environments using the appropriate art-historical terminology
•Knowledge base of major works of art and architecture that have shaped an understanding of culture in the period under consideration.
•Familiarity with the historical protagonists who produced and commissioned key works of art (artists, patrons and other important figures)
•Knowledge of the stories in which many visual works were based (religious, mythological, biographical) and the ability to see differences in how those stories were represented in different times and geographical regions (iconography)
•An understanding of the historical changes in images and built form based in the matrix of religion, economy, and intellectual discovery.
•The ability to distinguish among different methodological approaches used to interpret works of art and architecture.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| The Mirror of the Artist | Craig Harbison | Prentice Hall | 9780133685497 | N6370 .H26 | |
| Baroque and Rococo: Art and Culture | Minor, Vernon Hyde. | Prentice Hall | 9781856691734 | N6410 .M56 | |
| Gardner's Art through the Ages, 16th ed. | Fred S. Kleiner and Helen Gardner | Cengage | 9781337630702 | REF N5300 .G25 2020 | |
| Art in Renaissance Italy | John Paolett and Gary Radke | Laurence King | 9781856697972 | N6915 .P26 2011 | |
| The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form. | Blier, Suzanne Preston | Harry N. Abrams | 9780810927056 | N7391.65 .B58 1998 | |
| The Arts of China. 5th edition. | Sullivan, Michael | University of California Press | 9780520255685 | N7340 .S92 | |
| History of Japanese Art. | Mason, Penelope E. | Harry N. Abrams | 9780131830592 | N7350 .M26 1993 | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| 3 Tests (15% each) | The three tests follow individual historical units and will include image identifications, questions regarding terminology and concepts discussed during lectures, and image comparisons. The works and terms to study are listed on study guides which are uploaded to Moodle. See the course schedule for individual test dates. | 45 |
| Analytical Essay: Techniques of Illusionism | This first essay will explore the modes of picturing in the Early Modern period and the ways in which culturally different pictorial systems produce a "reality" through representation. After choosing an essay to read regarding different modes of picturing and summarizing it, students will analyze an individual work according to this method of interpretation. | 15 |
| Analytical Essay: Constructing Meaning through Symbols and Narrative | In this essay, students connect the material qualities of the work to subject matter, selecting either the same work examined in the first essay or another one. The essay will describe the subject and explain aspects of its iconography. The analysis will also discuss the artist’s particular approach to the subject, especially if he/she makes significant modifications to a tradition of its representation. | 15 |
| Final Examination | The final exam will include a test of material from the last quarter of the semester as well as broader questions regarding key works and concepts covered over the entire semester through short essays. | 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.
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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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This is a provisional schedule. Students must download the full syllabus with required reading assignments and test schedule from the course Moodle page by the first day of class.
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Date
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Lecture Topic
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Reading Assignments
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Tests and Assignments
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Week 1: Jan 17-19
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Course Introduction and Overview
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Reading Images: Formal Analysis and Modes of Illusionism
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See the Moodle page for additional material, such as videos from the SmartHistory channel
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Week 2: Jan 24-26
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Art and Architecture on the Italian Peninsula, 1300-1400
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Week 3: Jan 31-Feb 2
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Art of Northern Europe, 1300-1430
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Week 4: Feb 7-9-11
Makeup day Friday
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European Art and Architecture, 1400-1500
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Week 5: Feb 14-16-18
Makeup day Friday
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Art of China: Yuan and Ming Dynasties
Art and Architecture of Japan: Muromachi, Momoyama
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Week 6: Feb 21-23
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Art of Japan: Edo Periods
Review and Discussion for Midterm exam
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Week 7: Feb 28-Mar 2
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Midterm Exam
Art and Architecture of India: Vijayanagar and Mughal Empires
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Week 8: Mar 7-9
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Art and Architecture of the Italian Peninsula, 1500-1600
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Week 9: Mar 14-16
Spring Break: Mar 21-25
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Art and Architecture of the Italian Peninsula, 1500-1600 (cont.)
Northern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, 1500-1600
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Week 10: Mar 28-30
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Northern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, 1500-1600 (cont.)
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Week 11: Apr 4-6
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Art of Central and South America: Inka, Maya and Aztec Empires
Art of Western Africa: Yoruba, Benin and Sapi Cultures
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Week 12: Apr 11-13
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Art and Architecture of Southern Europe, 1600-1700
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Week 13: Apr 20
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Art and Architecture of Europe, 1600-1700
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Week 14: Apr 27
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Exam Review and discussion
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