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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AH 143"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to the Visual Cultures of the Early Modern World"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2024
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Anna Tuck-Scala
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TH1:30 PM 4:15 PM
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, West Africa, and the Americas from the 1400s to c. 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.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
From World Heritage sites (eg Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal) to portable objects (eg Chinese porcelain, Persian carpets and Northern European prints), students will learn about how creative works can tell us important and insightful stories about different cultures of the Early Modern era. In this period, economic, political, scientific and religious interests propelled travel around the globe on an unprecedented scale. European exploration and colonial expansion led to dramatic cultural encounters and upheavals, which were frequently violent. Intercultural contact and the exchange of ideas also took place through far-reaching trade and the widespread dissemination of prints. As a result, local artistic productions were transformed and provide information about how the world became more interconnected and complex.
The course will use online scholarly resources available on Smarthistory.org. (co-founded by Drs. Beth Harris and Steven Zucker), such as videos and essays written by specialists with a global perspective. Importance will be given to close looking at objects, buildings and sites (some of which we will view in Rome). Focus on primary sources through the lens of indigenous peoples will make evident the varied ways people have made, used and understood art.
During the course, students are encouraged to ask questions, explore together material that is new to them, expand their horizons of knowledge, and deepen topics of personal interest.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Knowledge about the main characteristics of cultural artifacts from around the world in the Early Modern period.
An appreciation for the value of art in our lives and society and how art makes visible ideas.
The ability to describe and analyze works of art using skills from art history.
An understanding of the historical changes, colonization, power plays and cultural entanglements that occurred during the age of exploration and the birth of our modern, interconnected and globalized world.
Development of empathy by engaging with art from different cultures across the globe.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Japanese Art in Perspective: East-West Encounters | Takashina Shuji | JPIC; 2021 | XXXX | NX584.A1 T33 J37 2021 | |
| A New History of Italian Renaissance Art, 2nd ed. 2017 | Stephen Campbell and Michael W. Cole | Thames and Hudson 2017 | XXXX | N6915.C283 2017 | |
| The Art and Architecture of Islam, 1250-1800 | Sheila Blair, Jonathon Bloom, and Richard Ettinghausen | Yale University Press, 1996 | XXXX | N6260.B56 | |
| The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form | Suzanne Preston Blier | H.N. Abrahams, 1998 | XXXX | N7391.65.B58 1998 | |
| History of Japanese Art | Penelope Mason | Pearson-Prentice Hall, 1993 | XXXX | N7350.M26 1993 | |
| Seventeenth-century Art and Architecture | Ann Sutherland Harris | Prentice Hall, 2008 | XXXX | N6756.H33 | |
| The Arts of China, 5th edition | Michael Sullivan | University of California Press, 2008 | XXXX | N7340.S92 | |
| Art of the Andes: From Chavin to Inca | Rebecca Stone-Miller | Thames and Hudson, 1996 | XXXX | F2230.1.A7 S77 1996 | |
| The Art of Mesoamerica from Olmec to Aztec | Mary Ellen Miller | Thames and Hudson, 1986 | XXXX | F1219.3.A7 M55 1986 | |
| Chinese Architecture: A History | Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt | Princeton University Press, 2019 | XXXX | | |
| A World History and Its Objects | David Carrier | Penn State Press, 2008 | XXXX | | |
| Ways of Seeing | John Berger | Penguin Books, 1973 | XXXX | N7430.5.W39 | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Orientalism | Edward Said | Vintage Books Edition 1979 | XXXX | DS12.S24 1979 | |
| The Art of Allegiance: Visual Culture and Imperial Power in Baroque New Spain | Michael Schreffler | Pennsylvania State University, 2007 | XXXX | ND1460.P69 S37 2007 | |
| Bazaar to Piazza: Islamic rade and Italian Art, 1300-1600 | Rosamund E. Mack | University of California Berkeley Press, 2002 | XXXX | Nk959.M267 | |
| Art on the Jesuit Missions in Asia and Latin America | Gauvin Alexander Bailey | University of Toronto Press, 1999 | XXXX | N7972.B35 1999 | |
| Mediating Netherlandish Art and Material Culture in Asia | Thomas Da Costa Kaufmann and Michael North, eds. | Amsterdam University Press, 2014 | XXXX | | |
| The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo | Jerry Brotton | Oxford University Press, 2002 | XXXX | | |
| Engraving the Savage: The New World and Techniques of Civilization | Michael Gaudio | University of Minnesota Press, 2008 | XXXX | | |
| American Baroque: Pearls and the Nature of Empire, 1492-1700 | Molly Warsh | University of North Carolina Press, 2018 | XXXX | | |
| Art and Architecture of Viceregal Latin America, 1521-1821 | Kelly Donahue-Wallace | University of New Mexico Press, 2008 | XXXX | | |
| China and Maritime Europe, 1500-1800: Trade, Settlement, Diplomacy and Missions | John E. Williams | Cambridge University Press, 2011 | XXXX | | |
| The Azetec World | Elizabeth Baquedano and Gary M. Feinman, eds. | Abrams in association with the Field Museum, 2008 | XXXX | | |
| Northern Renaissance Art: 1400-1600. Sources and Documents | Wolfgang Stechow | Northwestern University Press, 1989 | XXXX | | |
| Images of Other Cultures | Ken Yoshida and Jack Mack, eds. | National Museum of Ethnology, 1997 | XXXX | | |
| Ethnos: Vatican Museums Ethnological Collection | Nicola Mapelli, Katherine Aigner, Nadia Fiussello | Edizioni Musei Vaticani, 2012 | XXXX | | |
| Empire of Great Brightness: Visual and Material Culture of MIng China, 1368-1644 | Craig Clunas | University of Hawai'i Press, 2007 | XXXX | | |
| The Global Lives of Things: The Material Culture of Connections in the Early Modern World | Anne Gerritsen and Giorgio Riello, eds. | Routledge, 2015 | XXXX | | |
| Baroque New Worlds: Representation, Transculturation, Counterconquest | Lois Parkinson Zamora and Monika Kaup, eds. | Duke University Press, 2010 | XXXX | | |
| A Vision Betrayed: The Jesuits in Japan and China, 1542-1742 | Andrew C. Ross | Orbic Books, 1994 | XXXX | | |
| From Flanders to Florence: The Impact of Netherlandish Painting, 1400-1500 | Paula Nuttall | Yale University Press, 2004 | XXXX | | |
| Global Interests: Renaissance Art between East and West | Lisa Jardine and Jerry Brotton | Reaktion, 2000 | XXXX | | |
| The Print Before Photography: An Introduction to European Printmaking, 1550-1820 | Anthony Griffths | The British Museum, 2016 | XXXX | | |
| India: Art and Culture 1300-1900 | Stuart Cary Welch | Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985 | XXXX | | |
| What is Islamic Art? Between Religion and Perception | Wendy M. K. Shaw | Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2019 | XXXX | | |
| Reading Zen in the Rocks, the Japanese Dry Landscape Garden | Francois Berthier and Graham Parkes | University of Chicago Press, 2000 | XXXX | | |
| History of Art in Japan | Nobuo Tsuji | University of Tokyo Press, 2019 | XXXX | | |
| The Aztecs, 3rd ed. | Richard Townsend | Thames and Hudson, 2009 | XXXX | | |
| A Culture of Stone: Inka Perspectives on Rock | Carolyn Dean | Duke University Press, 2010 | XXXX | | |
| Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas | Richard L. Burger and Lucy C. Salazar | Yale University Press, 2004 | XXXX | | |
| To Weave for the Sun: Ancient Andean Textiles | Rebecca Stone-Miller | Thames and Hudson, 1992 | XXXX | | |
| Converging Cultures: Art and Identity in Spanish America | Diane Fane, ed. | Harry N, Abrahams, 1996 | XXXX | | |
| The Art of Benin | Paula Girschick Ben-Amos | The British Museum Press, 1995 | XXXX | | |
| Global Objects: Toward a Connected Art History | Edward S. Cooke, Jr. | Princeton University Press, 2022 | XXXX | | |
| Amerasia | Elizabeth Horodowich and Alexander Nagel | Zone Books, 2023 | XXXX | | |
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Visual analysis and reflection (weekly submission) | Students will write one page reflections on the topic of each week. | 30% |
| PowerPoint presentation on art in a part of the world not covered in the course | A 15 minute Powerpoint presentation will be given in class. Topics must be approved by instructor. | 30% |
| Midterm and final exams | The exams are open book. Essays will be written based on lectures, readings,videos and discussions. The questions are general and involve visual analysis and the comparison of works of art from different cultures around the world. | 15% + 15% |
| Class participation | Punctual class attendance is mandatory. Absences are excused only with documented illness or emergency. Timely submission of assignments is expected. Late work will be accepted only with a documented excuse. Class discussion and improvement will be evaluated. | 10% |
-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. The final exam period runs until ____________
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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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| Session | Session Focus | Reading Assignment | Other Assignment | Meeting Place/Exam Dates |
| Thursday, Sept 5 (Meet in classroom G.K.1.2) | Introduction to course. What is art and art history? How to approach world art? | "Introduction: Learning to look and think critically" by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank | "What is art history and where is it going?" by Robert Glass,
"Introduction to art historical analysis" by Robert Glass | |
| Thursday, Sept 12 | Art History skills: How to do visual (formal) analysis. How to identify iconography. What is iconology? | "Introduction: Close looking and approaches to art" by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank | "An introduction to iconography and iconographic analysis" by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
View and analyze Pietro Cavallini's mosaics in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in terms of Byzantine and Eastern influence | |
| Thursday, Sept 19 | The Mexica and the makings of empire: c. 1325-1550 (focus on Post-Classic period and Aztecs (Mexica) | "Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, 900-16th century" by Caitlin Earley and Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank (focus on Mexica/Aztecs) | "Mesoamerica, an introduction", "Introduction to the Aztecs (Mexica)", "The Templo Mayor and the Coyolxauhqui Stone", "Coatlicue" by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank | |
| ***Friday, Sept 20 (Make-up day for Nov 28 holiday) | Walking tour of art and architecture of the Early Modern era in Rome (Trastevere) | | Focus on Bramante's Tempietto and patronage of the Spanish Monarchy | |
| Thursday, Sept 26 | The Inka and their imperial reach, c. 1438-1532 | "Late South America (c. 800 C.E.-16th century C.E." by Sarahh Scher (focus on Inka) | "The Inka, an introduction", "City of Cusco", "Machu Picchu", "All-T'oqapu Tunic" by Sarahh Scher
Recommended reading: "The Inka khipu: an introduction" by Kylie E. Quave | |
| Thursday, Oct 3 | The Renaissances of 15th century Europe | "Portuguese contacts and exchanges, c. 1400-1800" by Rachel Zimmerman; "Art in the Italian Renaissance Republics, c. 1400-1600" by Heather Graham | Confirm presentation topics on art in parts of the world not covered in class.
Recommended sites to see in Florence on your own given in class. | |
| Thursday, Oct 10 | The legacy of Europe in the 16th century | "Art in Sovereign States of the Italian Renaissance, c. 1400-1600" by Heather Graham; "Printing and painting in Northern Renaissance art" by Bonnie Noble | Recommended Renaissance monuments to see in Rome given in class. | |
| Thursday, Oct 17 | | | Visit Museo delle Civiltà (Museum of Civilizations)---currently closed for reorganization. Why? | Midterm exam |
| Thursday, Oct 24 | Renaissances of the Islamic World: the art of the Safavids and the Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th century | "Framing Islamic Art" by Radha Dalal; "Arts of the Islamic World" and "About chronological periods in the Islamic World" by Elizabeth Macaulay (focus on late period); "Introduction to mosque architecture" by Kendra Weisbin; view "The Court of Gayumars" videos; "The Taj Mahal" by Roshna Kapadia | STUDENT PRESENTATIONS BEGIN
Suggested reading: essays on Islam | |
| Thursday, Oct 31 | The Ming Dynasty (China) 15th-17th century | "Art in Ming dynasty China" by Kristen Loring Brennan | "Ming dynasty (1368-1644), an introduction" and "Shakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius" by National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution"; "Chinese scholar-painters, an introduction" by The British Museum; "Shen Zhou, A Spring Gathering" and "Canteen" by National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution | |
| Thursday, Nov 7 | The Muromachi period (Japan), 15th-17th century | "The four seasons in the arts of Japan" by Sonia Coman | "Ryoanji (Peaceful Dragon Temple)" by Yoonjung Seo.
Visit the Japanese Garden in the Orto Botanico. Write about how it relates to Chinese and Japanese attittudes toward nature and art. How is it different from a Zen garden? | |
| Thursday, Nov 14 | Empires and transculturalism in western and eastern Africa, 15th-17th centuries (focus on Benin art) | "Historical overview to 1600 and from the 1600s to the present" by Christa Clarke,
"African art and the effects of European contact and civilization" by Peri Klemm,
"Benin art: patrons, artists and current controversies" by Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch | | |
| Thursday, Nov 21 | What is Unesco? Guest speaker from Unesco will give a lecture in classroom | "What is cultural heritage?" by Elena Franchi; "Cultural heritage 'in crisis'" by Stephanie Mulder and Debora Trein | | |
| ***Thursday, Nov 28 NO CLASS/HOLIDAY | | Recommended reading: ch. 9 "Europe invades the Americas" | Recommended: Read about "Virgin of Guadalupe" by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and visit Church of San Ildefonso e Santo Tomas de Villanueva, which houses the first image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Rome | |
| Thursday, Dec 5 | Collecting World art: Vatican Museums Ethnological Collection | "How museums shape meaning" by Allen Farber; "Art Museums and (Art) Objects" by Elizabeth Rodini | Visit Vatican Museums | |
| FINAL exam TBA | | | | |
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