Details of further reading suggestions as well as a relevant bibliography for the course will be provided at the start of the semester
Core bibliographic works for the course:
Aldred, C. (1980) Egyptian Art in the Days of the Pharaohs.
Borg, B. (ed.) (2015) A Companion to Roman Art.
Clarke, J. (1991) The Houses of Roman Italy, 100 BC – AD 250.
Ewald, B.C. and Noreña, C.F. (2010) (eds) The Emperor and Rome.
Galinsky, K. (1996) Augustan Culture, an Interpretative Introduction.
Haynes, S. (2000) Etruscan Civilization: A Cultural History.
Hurwitt, J.M. (1999) The Athenian Acropolis.
Kleiner, D.E.E. (1992) Roman Sculpture.
Liverani, M. (2014) The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy.
Osborne, R. (1998) Archaic and Classical Art.
Podany, A. (2014) The Ancient Near East: A very Short Introduction.
Reade, J. (1998) Assyrian Sculpture.
Riggs, C. (2014) Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: a very short introduction.
Robins, G. (1997) The Art of Ancient Egypt.
Smith, C. (2014) The Etruscans. A very Short Introduction.
Spivey, N. (1997) Etruscan Art.
Stewart, P. (2008) The Social History of Roman Art.
Textbook
Three different books will act as textbooks to ensure up-to-day information on material across the course
Barringer, J. (2014) The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece. CUP. [N5630.B27 / eBook]
Bourke, S. (ed.) (2008) The Middle East. The Cradle of Civilization Revealed. Thames and Hudson. [DS62.2 .M53 2008]
Tuck, S. (2005) A History of Roman Art. Wiley-Blackwell [eBook]
COURSE SCHEDULE
1. Introduction to the course
Themes/works Course requirements & logistics.
2. Studying art as primary evidence
Themes/works Far East: Zhang and Zhou (China); Jomon (Japan); Harappa, Indus civilization. Describing art
3. Writing and city-states
Themes/works Near East: Mesopotamia. Standard of Ur, Ziggurat of Uruk, tomb of Puabi, cuneiform writing, harps and figurines
reading: Bourke 2008: 58-59, 62-77, 96-97, 102-3
4. Cities and rulers
Themes/works Egypt: pre/early dynastic and old kingdom; Europe: Cyclades. Funerary architecture: pyramids and sphinx at Gizeh, sculpture, reliefs and painting; Cycladic figurines
Reading : Aldred 1980: 32-40
5. Visual Analysis
How to describe analytically; what are the aspects (tools) for this;
thinking about how an artwork conveys ‘meaning’ rather than
what it is or symbolizes
6. Palace and city
Themes/works Egypt and Europe: Middle Kingdom; Minoans. The human figure and the natural world: wall painting and pottery; Knossos, Thera
Reading: Barringer 2014: 18-39
7. Royalty – leadership and administration
Themes/works Egypt and Europe: New Kingdom, Myceneans. Hatshepsut funerary temple; Amarna Period; painted scenes
Reading: Barringer 2014: 39-61
8. Image and narrative
Themes/works Europe: Geometric and Orientalizing Greece. Writing and technologies, depicting myth. Dipylon krater/amphora; votive figurines; Lefkandi heroon; Near East and Far East: Babylonia and Assyria. Palace of Ashurnasirpal; royal ideals: palace structure and decoration
Reading: Barringer 2014: 62-76, 89-97, 104-19;: Bourke 2008: 168-77, 186-89, 192-93
9. International mobility
Themes/works Europe: Orientalizing and Archaic Magna Graecia and Greece. Pithekoussai (settlement); Poseidonia/Paestum (city and temples); Temple of Artemis, Corcyra, temple plans
Reading: Barringer 2014: 128-40
11. Aristocratic and mercantile elites
Themes/works Europe: Archaic and Classical Etruria, Latium and Magna Graecia. Painted tombs, Tarquinia; rock-cut tombs, Caere; Couple sarcophagi, Caere
Reading: Tuck 2005: 27-44, 49-59
12. New styles of government: tyranny and democracy
Themes/works Europe: Archaic Greece. Kouros and kore figures, experimentation with movement; Black-figure and Red-figure pottery; ‘hekatompedon temple’
Reading: Barringer 2014: 97-104, 149-59
13. Civic and Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries
Themes/works Europe: Archaic and Classical Greece. Heraion (Perachora, Argos), Epidauros, Delphi, Olympia
Reading: Barringer 2014: 143-9, 204-14
14.
Polis and palace
Themes/works Europe: Archaic and Classical Greece; Near East: Persia. Athens: agora and theatres; Persepolis palace and apadana
Reading: Bourke 2008: 216-19, 228-33, 236-7
15. Review
Discussion of course material in relation to the midterm exam
16. Mid-term Exam
Details will uploaded to Moodle
Week 9 – Visual experience – viewers and sculpture (400-300 BC)
17. Acropolis, Athens
Themes/works Europe: Classical Greece. Parthenon temple and decoration; Erechtheion; Temple of Nike
Reading: Barringer 2014: 225-48
18. Sculpture
Themes/works Europe: Classical Greece. Doryphoros (Polykleitos); Aphrodite of Knidos (Praxiteles); Apoxyomenos (Lysippos); bronze- and stone working technique
Barringer 2014: 220-5
19. Hellenistic Greece and ruler representation
Themes/works Europe: Hellenistic world. Depicting kings, making a new ‘world’ city. Portrait of Alexander the Great; mausoleum of Mausolos; Pergamon
Reading: Barringer 2014: 349-64
20. Hellenistic Italy
Themes/works Europe: Hellenistic Italy, Egypt 2nd-1st century BC. Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, Praeneste; House of the Faun, Pompeii, Sarcophagus of Lars Pulena, statue of Aule Metele; Theatre of Pompey, Rome; Paris-Munich relief
Reading: Tuck 2005: 80-81, 86-88, 95-97
20. Rome: world city and political competition
Themes/works Europe: 1st-century BC Rome. Portico of Metellus, Theatre of Pompey, Forum of Caesar, Paris-Munich relief, statue of general, Tivoli
Reading: Tuck 2005: 91-94, 108-9
21. Rome: new style of government
Themes/works Europe: 1st-century BC/AD Rome. Veristic and Augustan portraiture (Tivoli general, Prima Porta Augustus); Ara Pacis Augustae; Forum of Augustus
Reading: Tuck 2005: 108-11, 114-127
22. Emperor and Rome
Themes/works Roman Empire: defining a Roman world, depictions of non-Romans, depictions of warfare and victories, 1st-2nd century AD. Colosseum, Arch of Titus, Column of Trajan, Column of Marcus Aurelius (Rome)
Reading: Tuck 2005: 180-85, 201-2, 213, 215-16, 229-30, 257-8
23. Case study: Pompeii
Themes/works Europe: Pompeii: atrium house, peristyle house, 1st century BC-2nd century AD. Building of Eumachia; House of the Menander, House Sallust, Villa of the Mysteries (Pompeii)
Reading: Tuck 2005: 190-94
24. Case study: Ostia
Themes/works Europe: Ostia. Trade as civic identity; the medianum house. Piazzale delle Coporazione (2.7.4); House of the Yellow Walls (3.9.12), Domus of Fortuna Annonaria (5.2.8)
Reading: Tuck 2005: 72, 260-63
25. Civic benefaction and gift-exchange
Themes/works Roman Empire: 1st-2nd century AD. Colosseum, Arch of Titus, Arch of the Argentarii, Severan arch Leptis Magna
Reading: Tuck 2005: 180-85, 201-2, 287, 341-46
26. Cosmopolitan world
Themes/works Roman Empire: cosmopolitan styles, international influences. 2nd century AD. Temple of Venus and Roma (Rome), Olympeion (Athens), mummy portraits (Fayum Egypt), portraiture of Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius
Reading: Tuck 2005: 214-16, 222, 247-51
27. Review
Discussion of course themes
28. Review
Discussion of course themes
29/30. Final exam
Date, time and place to be announced