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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 399H"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Art History: Illuminated Manuscripts of the Middle Ages and Renaissance (This is an honors course and carries 4 semester hours of credit; NB: Minimum 3.5 CUM GPA required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2014
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Lila Yawn
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: One previous course in Art History or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 To study, ponder, discuss, and write new scholarly literature about:

·      The materials and human-cultural-economic processes involved in making illuminated books in Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and Early Renaissance

·      How medieval scribes and illuminators transmitted ancient literature and imagery to the present

·      The precedents for our own information revolution in the forms and history of the book

·      How writing changed over time, and what it can tell us about cultures

 

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course considers the history of the illuminated book in Europe and the Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to the introduction of movable-type printing in the Early Renaissance. Until the 1450s all books were necessarily written and decorated by human hands (i.e. manu [by hand] + scripta [written]). Many were also lavishly ornamented – literally ‘lit up’, or ‘illuminated’ – with paintings in gold and precious pigments applied to the carefully worked animal skins that constituted the pages. As luxury objects available to the few, such books were both astoundingly costly and profoundly prestigious, especially in premodern cultures dominated by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the great religions of the book.

For historians of all kinds – of art, classical literature, religion, politics, communications, etc. – manuscripts are a goldmine of information, one of the richest of all time capsules. In this course, we will consider them both as repositories of art (often breathtakingly well preserved, since their pages were normally kept closed) and as complex human artifacts deeply entwined with Late Ancient, Medieval, and Early Renaissance cultures and economies.  Topics to be considered include:

·      Masterworks of calligraphy, illustration, and illumination in the Latin tradition, including the Vatican Virgil (4th century); the Book of Kells (8th cent.); the Morgan Beatus (10th cent.); the Très Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry (15th cent.); and many more. Also illuminated books and rotuli (rolls, or scrolls) in the Jewish, Byzantine, and Islamic worlds.

·      Scribes, illuminators, and their methods of work: the parchment industry and trade; the cutting of pens; the preparation of pigments, gold leaf, glues, and inks; workshop organization; page layout; holding and guiding the pen; fixing mistakes. Although this is not a studio art course, we will try some of these methods as a form of research.

·      The transmission of ancient literature through late ancient, medieval and renaissance copies, without which practically no ancient literature would have survived:  no Homer, Cicero, or Virgil; no Bible or Qur’an.

·      Revolutions in the form of the book, including our own ongoing digital revolution, and the resulting leaps in the speed of communication. Also, new technologies for the study of ancient books, including genetics and non-invasive materials analysis.

The course includes an introduction to the science of palaeography, the study of ancient writing. No knowledge of Latin or Greek are required. Students will learn to recognize the major categories of late ancient and medieval writing, study their development, and consider their great value in dating undated documents, recovering lost texts, and understanding pre-modern societies. For students wishing to do advanced work in classical studies, history, religion, or art history, this element of the course is especially valuable

Further highlights include a visit to a book-restoration lab and direct work with Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in Roman libraries.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the course students will be able to:

·      Recognize important illuminated manuscripts from premodern Europe and the Mediterranean and analyze their histories and graphic-pictorial contents;

·      Describe the materials and processes (economic, cultural, artistic) involved in making illuminated manuscripts, as well as the role of scribes, illuminators, and manuscripts in the transmission of ancient literature and imagery;

·      Identify the major bookhands (scripts) used in Western Europe between 300 and 1450;

·      Know how to order manuscripts in Roman libraries and how to study them as objects, both indirectly (using digital copies and non-invasive methods) and directly (handling for minimum impact, etc.).

 

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Introduction to Manuscript StudiesRaymond Clemens and Timothy GrahamCornell University Press0801487080     
A History of Illuminated ManuscriptsChristopher de HamelPhaidon0714834521     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Research projectA manuscript biography, tracing the history of a Medieval or Early Renaissance illuminated book from the procuring and working of the materials to its place in a library or museum today. Phases: analytic bibliography; catalog entry; paper; presentation to the class. Honors students will write an article-length paper and prepare it for submission to a scholarly student journal or internet publication.40
Morning essays / midterm and final quiz and essayMorning essays = short writings at the beginning of each class period summing up and analysing the contents of assigned readings. Students who successfully write the morning essays will be exempt from the take-home essay portion of the midterm and final exams. The midterm and final quizzes are closed-book/short-answer and cover technical terminology, script recognition, and identifying and historical information about specific manuscripts. The midterm and final components are weighted evenly, at 15% each.30
   
Research, teaching, or curatorial assistantshipEach honors student will choose and complete one of the following projects: (a) assisting the professor in the creation of a palaeographic database; (b) guiding the discussion of readings in multiple class meeings - includes preparation of powerpoints and devising of writing questions for the morning essays; (c) co-curating a virtual exhibition or writing substantial blog entry of class projects for the JCU website and/or for display in the JCU library.30

-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 cour
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 at all class meetings is mandatory.
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 1

Introduction to manuscripts

Read and discuss:  Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham, Introduction to Manuscript Studies, Cornell University Press, 2007:  preface

 

Week 2

Materials and processes:  writing supports, text, decoration, correction

Read and discuss:  Clements and Graham, Chs. 1-3

 

Week 3:

Materials and processes:  assembling, binding; working with manuscripts

Read and discuss:  Clements and Graham, Chs. 4-6

 

Week 4

Assessing a manuscript’s origin and provenance

Read and discuss:  Clements and Graham, Chs. 7-8

 

Week 5

Decoration and calligraphy

Read and discuss:  Clements and Graham, Chs. 8-9

Larry Nees, Early Medieval Art, Oxford University Press, 2002:  Word and Image

 

Midterm quiz

 

Week 6

Friday field trip (equals two class meetings – no class on Tuesday or Thursday).  Note that the date of this field trip is to be confirmed.  The field trip will include a morning working with manuscripts at the Biblioteca Angelica and (pending confirmation) a visit to a book restoration laboratory.

 

Week 7

Books in Antiquity, to 600

Read and discuss:

Carl Nordenfalk, Book Illumination: Early Middle Ages, Skira, 1995, pp. 7-23

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on Old and New Roman scripts

 

Bibliographies due

 

Week 8

Hiberno-Saxon Manuscripts:  Ireland, England, and Scotland, 600-800

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Ch. 1.

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on Hiberno-Saxon scripts

 

Week 9

Carolingian and Ottonian manuscripts:  France, Germany, Italy, 750-1000

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Ch. 2.

Larry Nees, Early Medieval Art, Oxford University Press, 2002:  Ch. 11

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on pre-Caroline and Caroline minuscules

 

Week 10

Monastic books:  England, Spain, Italy, 1000-1200; Islamic and Jewish Books

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Ch. 3.

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on early Gothic scripts

Further readings TBA

 

Week 11

Books for Students:  France, England Italy, Germany, 1200-1400

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Ch. 4

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on early Gothic scripts

 

Week 12

Artistocratic and Private Prayer Books, 1300-1500

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Chs. 5-6.

Michelle Brown, A Historical Guide to Western Medieval Scripts to 1600, University of Toronto Press, 1993:  sections on later Gothic scripts

 

Final papers due

 

Week 13

Liturgical Books and Collecting

Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Phaidon Press, 1994:  Chs. 7-8.

Clements and Graham, Chs. 7-8.

 

Final quiz

 

Week 14

New methods in manuscript studies:  genetics and more

Readings will include:  Bruce Holsinger, “Of Pigs and Parchment:  Medieval Studies and the Coming of the Animal,” PMLA, 124/2 (2009), pp. 616-623.

 

Final exam period

Student presentations