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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 144"
COURSE NAME: "World Art IV: Visual Culture of the Modern and Contemporary World"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2015
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Erick Wilberding
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 6:00 PM 7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This survey focuses upon the development of art from the 18th Century until today. While the emphasis is on Western art, important examples of Asian, native American, African, and Oceanic art will be included. Where cross-cultural influences are evident, they will be noted. The most recent art is connected to globalization and to new technologies. In this broad context, students will come to understand new aesthetic languages, traditional cultural sources, and philosophical background of contemporary art. The course begins by reviewing artists associated with the Enlightenment, neoclassicism, romanticism, realism, impressionism, and post-impressionism, and continues with the myriad of movements of the twentieth century, up until today. All media are considered, including photography. The course will also assist students in cultivating basic art-historical skills, in particular description, stylistic analysis, and iconographic and iconological analysis.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Our comparative survey of the arts begins with Neoclassicism (c.1750 CE) and ends with the Present.  It is an exciting swath of history to survey.  We pass through the French Revolution as well as the Industrial Revolution, the two portals to modernity.  We look at Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.  We examine the whirlwind of styles that sweeps through the 20th Century.  We also explore the art and architecture from South and South East Asia, China, Japan, Korea, as well as from the Americas, Oceania, and Africa.  Our main goal is to understand how art and architecture function in each of these specific historical and cultural contexts. The different media, aesthetics, functions, and subjects chosen for representation will be studied in terms of the particular social, religious, political and geographical contexts of which they are a product. 

This course will blend lecture and discussion.  The goal is not only to impart information concerning the art and architecture of different historical periods, but much more to think critically and creatively about the art and architecture of the past.  Students are encouraged to deepen their understanding, to apply, to analyze, to synthesize, and to evaluate.  Inductive Questioning will be used to teach the principles of analysis and evaluation. 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will have an understanding of the development of art from the Neoclassical Period to the Present.  They will recognize basic works and learn basic facts concerning their cultural and political contexts.

Students will learn the questions that art historians pose of the visual culture of the past.  They will learn more about the difficulties of interpretation as well as the basic subject matter and iconography, the purpose and function of the work of art, and issues touching on patronage.

Students will develop their skills of visual analysis and learn how to place a work of art within its historical period by its formal characteristics.

Students will develop an awareness of the different attitudes towards the artist and the artwork in different cultures of the world.

Students will understand better the unique resources of the city of Rome which has art from several of the periods that we study.

Students will learn how to speak and write about visual culture.  In particular students will deepen their understanding of historical writing that largely is directed to questions of cause and effect as well as significance.   They will understand better the basic structure of historical writing (point, explanation, justification).
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History. Volume 2 (14th edition)Fred S. KleinerCengageISBN-13: 978-1111771522     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Paper5-6 page paper on work of art in Rome from periods under study20%
Midterm 20%
Journal20 entry journal examining works of art in city from periods under study20%
Quizzes and participation 20%
Final examination 20%

-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 form December 5 - 11.
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
SessionSession FocusReading AssignmentOther AssignmentMeeting Place/Exam Dates
August 31Introduction to course. The EnlightenmentGardner, 14th edition, Chapter 26, pages 736-752; Gardner, 13th edition, Chapter 29, pp.757-765  
September 2NeoclassicismGardner, 14th edition, Chapter 27, pages 755-775; Gardner, 13th edition, Chapter 29, pages 766 - 774.Other works in Rome: Houdon, St. Bruno (S. M degli Angeli); Tomb of A. Kauffmann (Sant'Andrea delle Fratte); A. & M. Asprucci, monuments in Villa Borghese 
September 7Art under Napoleon; Romanticism (Fuseli, Blake, Goya)Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 777-789Canova in Rome (topic); A. Canova, Pauline Borghese as Venus Victrix (Galleria Borghese);  
September 9Romanticism (Géricault, Delacroix, Rude, Friedrich, Constable, Turner, Cole, Bierstadt, Church)Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 788-798Géricault's Visit to Rome; Thomas Cole's Visits to Rome 
September 14Realism; Pre-Raphaelite BrotherhoodGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 798-810Edward Burne-Jones, George Breck, Mosaics in St. Paul within the Walls 
September 16Architecture; Photography; Impressionism (begin)Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 810-831  
September 21Impressionism; Post-Impressionism; SymbolismGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 831-843Van Gogh, Il Giardiniere, 1889, Galleria nazionale d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Roma; Van Gogh, Pietà (after Delacroix), c.1890, Vatican, Galleria d'arte religiosa moderna (Sala 16). 
September 23Sculpture; Architecture; Fauvism; German ExpressionismGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 843-850, 909-917  
September 28Primitivism & Cubism; Synthetic Cubism; CollageGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 918-926  
September 30Futurism; DadaGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 926-932Boccioni, Carrà in the Galleria nazionale di arte moderna 
October 5America: 1900 to 1930; Europe 1920 - 1945 (Picasso in 1930s; Neue Sachlichkeit)Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 932-943  
October 7Surrealism; Suprematism; Constructivism; De Stijl; SculptureGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 943-953  
October 12America 1930-1945Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, 953-960  
October 14ArchitectureGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 960-966  
October 19Midterm  Midterm
October 21Postwar Expressionism in Europe; Abstract Expressionism; Post-Painterly AbstractionGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, 970-977  
October 26Sculpture; Pop ArtGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 978-985  
October 28Superrealism; Neo-ExpressionismGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 985-989  
November 2Feminist ArtGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 989-993  
November 4Other Social and Political ArtGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 994-1002  
November 9Architecture: Modernism, Postmodernism, DeconstructivismGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 1003-1013  
November 11Environmental and Site-Specific Art; Performance and Conceptual Art and New MediaGardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 1014-1024  
November 16South and Southeast Asia after 1200Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 705-716  
November 18China and Korea after 1279Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 719-732  
November 23Japan after 1336Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 735-748  
November 25Native Arts of the Americas 1300 - 1980Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 853-868.  
November 30Oceania before 1980Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, 871-886Paper & Journal Due 
December 2Africa 1800 - 1980Gardner, 14th edition; Gardner, 13th edition, pages 890-906  
Week of December 5 - 11Final ExaminationFinal ExaminationFinal ExaminationWeek of December 5 - 11