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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 298"
COURSE NAME: "Baroque Rome and Its Monuments (Rome City Series)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2016
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Laura Foster
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: T9:15 AM 12:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: On-site; activity fee: €25 or $33
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Rome City Series - This on-site course in Rome covers monuments of the seventeenth century (later known as the "baroque" period). Rome is the city where the baroque style originated and flourished, and it is the ideal place to study some of the most significant works of painting, sculpture, architecture, and urban planning from ca. 1580-to ca. 1750. We will critically examine major works by Annibale Carracci, Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Domenichino, Lanfranco, Pietro da Cortona, Andrea Sacchi, and especially Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. The following are some important aspects of baroque art, which we will have the opportunity to study more effectively on-site than in the classroom: style, technique, scale, collocation, urban context, effects on the viewer (for example, theatrical squares, fountains, illusionist ceiling frescoes, fake domes). We will discuss artistic theory, concerns for decorum, the "affetti", classicism vs. naturalism, parallels between poetry and painting, papal patronage, and psychological and feminist interpretations of artists. The Counter-Reformation and the Catholic Revival, papal propaganda and nepotism, the powerful new orders, such as the Jesuits, as well as Queen Christina of Sweden's life, will be investigated.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
A remarkable aspect of Rome's art and architecture is the ability to reconstruct specific historical periods by looking at works and spaces that are still intact. This semester, we will focus on the idea of a Baroque environment, a complex combination of architecture, sculpture, painting, urban space, water displays, and ephemeral objects. Churches form the core of the Baroque environment,  transformed dramatically on the interior and exterior by architects and artists like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona. We will also explore princely palaces and their art collections in order to understand the intellectual and spiritual climate that gave rise to a prolific period of art production in Rome. We will examine the grand urban spaces of Baroque spectacle completed in the 17th and 18th centuries and contrast them to less monumental constructions, such as hospitals and prisons, to see how the papacy attempted to negotiate its self-exaltation with works of charity and social governance. The site visits will proceed largely in chronological order of the works created, beginning with the ambitious renovations of early Christian churches at the end of the 16th century, and ending with more modest works of piety and charity created in the early 18th century.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will gain from this course:

•the methodological tools for interpreting painting and sculpture through formal and contextual analysis, gained through reading a variety of art historical texts and first-hand examination of art works

•a familiarity with architectural styles and vocabulary to discuss the formal quality of buildings and urban spaces

•an understanding of the Baroque period from both aesthetic and historical perspectives

•familiarity with some of the most important artists working in the period, and the means of identifying their particular style.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Bernini and the Bell Towers: Architecture and Politics at the VaticanSara McPheeYale University Press9780300089820  
Roman Baroque Sculpture: The Industry of ArtJennifer MontaguYale University Press9780300053661  
Patrons and Painters: Art and Society in Baroque ItalyFrancis HaskellYale University Press0300025408  
Baroque & Rococo: Art & CultureVernon Hyde MinorPrentice-Hall9780130856494  
The Genius of Rome, 1592-1623Beverly Louise Brown, ed.Royal Academy of Arts9780900946943  
CaravaggioCatherine PuglisiPhaidon9780714839660  
The Altars and Altarpieces of St. Peter's: Outfitting the Basilica, 1621-1666Louise RiceCambridge University Press9780521554701   

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Class ParticipationStudents will be evaluated on their engagement with the materials through class discussion. Students should demonstrate each class that they have read and understood the assigned readings and materials. 10%
2 QuizzesThe in-class quizzes will test for comprehension of art historical terms used and correct identification of individual works. See the schedule for quiz dates. 20%
Midterm ExaminationThe midterm examination will be composed of •Slide identifications: identify name of the work of art or architecture, the artist or architect, and date constructed provided on your key monuments lists. •Short answer questions regarding historical and stylistic terminology, and patronage. •Essay: You will have a choice of two essay topics that treat general themes discussed over the course. You will need to provide specific examples taken from works discussed in class in order to illustrate your argument.20%
Writing AssignmentStudents will select a specific Baroque environment and will provide a detailed analysis of it based upon first-hand examination, with special attention to materials and technique as well as to formal analysis of composition and subject matter. Some research will be required regarding the patronage of the work and the artist or architect. This assignment will take place in stages, building upon terminology and methods of analysis acquired during the course. A detailed description of the assignment will be provided by week 3. See the schedule for the due date of the final assignment.25%
Final ExaminationThe format of the final exam is identical to that of the midterm, and will cover the material from the second half of the semester, with the exception of the final essay questions which will treat themes covered over the entire semester.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 is required for all class meetings. Absences will be taken into consideration when assessing the course participation grade. Absences should be avoided as much as possible, given that the class meets only once per week and that it is very difficult to visit sites individually.
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
Tuesday, Aug 30         Course introduction and site walk: Rome in the Era of the Catholic Reformation                          

Meeting Place             Classroom GK 1.1
Itinerary                      Palazzo Farnese, Jewish Ghetto, Campidoglio, Il Gesù

Reading Assignment  •Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo: Art and Culture, Chapter 1 and pp.
                                    41-56 of Ch. 2. Library Reserves N6410 .M56

Tuesday, Sept 6          Renewal and Revelation: Transformation of the Early Christian Basilica
Meeting Place             Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore (see directions)
Itinerary                      Basilica of S. Giovanni in Laterano and Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore

Reading Assignment •Jack Freiburg, The Lateran in 1600: Christian Concord in Counter-Reformation Rome,
                                    Introduction (pp. 1-4) and Ch. 4 (pp. 81-129). Library Reserves NA5620.S4 F74

Tuesday, Sept 13        Painting in Early Baroque Churches and the Function of Rivalry:  Caravaggio, Domenichino, Lanfranco
Meeting Place             In front of the Church of S. Andrea della Valle, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Itinerary                     Churches of S. Andrea della Valle; S. Agostino, S. Luigi dei Francesi, Chiesa Nuova and Oratory

Reading Assignment •Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, Ch. 5, pp. 157-177
                                    •Catherine Puglisi, Caravaggio, Ch. 4 (pp. 143-199). Library Reserves ND623.C28 P84

Tuesday, Sept 20        Art Collecting and Entertainments in the Baroque Villa

                                    *Quiz 1

Meeting Place             In front of the Galleria Borghese, 8:45 a.m.
Itinerary                      Galleria Borghese and S. Maria del Popolo

Reading Assignment  •Howard Hibbard, Bernini, Ch. 1 (pp. 23-67). Library Reserves NB623.B5 H5
                                     •Jennifer Montagu, Roman Baroque Sculpture, Ch. 7 “The Influence of the Baroque on Classical Antiquity.”
                                     Library Reserves NB600.M45

Friday Sept 23            *MANDATORY UNIVERSITY MAKE UP DAY

                                     The Completion and Decoration of St. Peter’s, 1590-1644
Meeting Place             Piazza S. Pietro, center of the piazza near the obelisk
Itinerary                      Exterior and Interior of St. Peter’s 

Reading Assignment  •Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, pp. 75-83 of Ch. 3
                                     •Sarah McPhee, “Paul V, Carlo Maderno, and the Bell Towers of St. Peter’s” in Bernini and the Bell Towers, pp. 5-35
                                     •Louise Rice, The Altars and Altarpieces of the New St. Peter’s, Introduction (pp. 1-3) and Ch. 3 “Gregory XV and
                                     the St. Petronilla Altarpiece”. Library Reserves N7952.57 A1R5       

Tuesday Sept 27         Iconographies of Faith and Power: Guercino, Reni, Pietro da Cortona
Meeting Place             Piazza del Campidoglio near the entrance of the museum
Itinerary                      The Capitoline Museums: Pinacoteca; The Conservators’ Apartment, and Collection of ancient sculpture

Reading Assignment  •Richard Spear, The “Divine” Guido: Religion, Sex, Money and Art in the World of Guido Reni, Chapters 5 and 6.
                                     Library Reserves ND623 .R6 S66.

Tuesday, Oct 4        *Midterm Examination
Meeting Place          Classroom GK 1.1
Itinerary                   Written examination followed by seminar on doing art historical research

Tuesday, Oct 11         The Architecture of Self Promotion: Palazzo Barberini
Meeting Place            Piazza Barberini in front of the Triton Fountain
Itinerary                    Palazzo Barberini

Reading Assignment  •Patricia Waddy, Seventeenth-Century Roman Palaces:  Use and Art ofthe Plan, Chapter 1 (pp. 3-13),
                                     Chapters 6 & 7 (pp. 54-66). Library Reserves DG797.9 .W33
                                     •John Beldon Scott, Images of Nepotism: The Painted Ceilings of Palazzo Barberini, Chs. X-XI (pp. 125-159)

Tuesday, Oct 18         Mystical Experience and the Art of Reformed Religious Orders
Meeting Place            Piazza Barberini, in front of the Triton Fountain
Itinerary                     Churches of S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, S. Andrea al Quirinale, and S. Maria della Vittoria

Reading Assignment  •Irving Lavin, Bernini and the Unity of the Visual Arts, photocopied chapter on the Cornaro Chapel.
                                     Library Reserves N6923 .B5 L38 Vol 1.2

Tuesday, Oct 25         The City as Theater: Architecture, Sculpture and the Transformation of Urban Space
Meeting Place             Piazza Navona, at the center near the Four Rivers Fountain
Itinerary                     Piazza Navona, Churches of S. Ivo and S. Maria della Pace

Reading Assignment  •Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, pp. 84-93 of Ch. 3

Tuesday, Nov 8           Papal Ceremony and Ritual in Art and Architecture

                                    *Quiz 2
Meeting Place             Piazza S. Pietro near the obelisk
Itinerary                      St. Peter’s II: Piazza and Scala Regia, Cathedra Petri, Altars and Tombs 

Reading Assignment  •Dorothy Metzger Habel, The Urban Development of Rome in the Age of  Alexander VII, Ch. 6 (pp. 257-285)
                                     •Jennifer Montagu, Roman Baroque Sculpture, Ch. V “The Sculptor as Designer.”

Tuesday Nov 15          New Faces of the Urban Church
Meeting Place             In front of the Church of S. Andrea della Valle, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Itinerary                      S. Andrea della Valle (façade); il Gesù interior; S. Maria in Campitelli; S. Maria in Via Lata, S. Marcello al Corso,
                                     S. Ignazio.

Reading Assignment  •Francis Haskell, Patrons and Painters: Art and Society in Baroque Italy, Ch. 3 “The Religious Orders”.
                                     Library Reserves N6916 .H37

Tuesday Nov 22          Picturesque Rome: Between Architecture and Image
                                     *Due Date for Writing Assignment   
Meeting Place             Piazza del Popolo, at the center near the obelisk
Itinerary                      Piazza del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Palazzo Chigi, Trevi Fountain

Reading Assignment  •Dorothy Metzger Habel, The Urban Development of Rome in the Age of Alexander VII, Ch. 2
                                     •Jennifer Montagu, Roman Baroque Sculpture, Ch. VIII “Festivals and Feasts"

Tuesday Nov 29          Restoration, Social and Spiritual: Works of the Early 18th Century
Meeting Place             Entrance of JCU Guarini Campus
Itinerary                     Galleria Corsini; Churches of S. Maria in Trastevere, S. Cecilia, S. Francesco a Ripa; Ospedale di S. Gallicano
                                     and Apostolic Hospice of St. Michael

Reading Assignment  •Christopher Johns, Papal Art and Cultural Politics: Rome in the Age of Clement XI, Ch. 6 (pp. 132-158) and
                                     Ch. 8 (pp. 171-194). Library Reserves N6920.J63 1993 

Final Examination Date, Time and Location To Be Announced

Directions to Meeting Places: 

Tuesday, Sept. 6         Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore
Directions: From Trastevere, express bus H on viale Trastevere goes to Termini Train Station. Alternately, take Tram 8 to Largo Argentina, then take bus 70 (direction Giolitti) which will put you very close to the church, stopping at via Gioberti.  From the side of Termini along via Giovanni Giolitti, take via Gioberti and walk approximately 3 blocks.  You will be right in front of the church. BE CAREFUL: If you are on Piazza dell’Esquilino near via Cavour, you are on the wrong side of the church.

Tuesday, Sept. 13       In front of Church of S. Andrea della Valle, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Directions: From Trastevere, take bus or tram to Largo di Torre Argentina. Turn left on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and walk approximately 2 blocks. Church is on the left side of the street.

Tuesday, Sept. 20       In front of the Galleria Borghese, within the Villa Borghese Park
Directions: From Trastevere, take bus 63 from via Arenula 9 stops to the Veneto/Emilia stop. Walk up via Veneto to the end, pass through the arches of the city walls and you will see the Villa Borghese in front of you. Cross the street to Viale S. Paolo del Brasile, then take an immediate right into the park on Viale del Museo Borghese. The Galleria Borghese is at the end of the path. Alternately, get to Piazzale Flaminio (on the opposite side from Piazza del Popolo) and take any bus going up the street into the park for 3 stops. Cross the street and enter the park on Viale del Museo Borghese.

Friday, Sept. 23          Piazza S. Pietro, near left-side colonnade
Directions: From Trastevere, take bus 23 (direction Piazzale Clodio). Get off at the first stop after the bus crosses the river. Walk up Via della Conciliazione to the piazza.

Tuesday, Sept. 27       Piazza del Campidoglio, near the statue of Marcus Aurelius
Directions: From Trastevere, take tram 8 to the last stop at Piazza Venezia. Go to the right on via del Teatro di Marcello. Immediately cross the street and walk up the ramp to Piazza del Campidoglio

Tuesday, Oct. 11        Piazza Barberini, in front of the Triton Fountain
Directions: From Largo Argentina take either bus 62 or 492 (both in direction Staz.ne Tiburtina), and get off at Tritone/Barberini stop. Alternately Metro A line, Barberini stop.