Florence, Italy - Course Descriptions - Art History: The Quattrocento

Course Information

Contact Hours and Credits

Availability

Summary

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce students to Early Renaissance Italian Art,focusing mainly on Florence and Venice. The course is designed to explore the relationship between art history and history, between art objects and important episodes in political , social and intellectual history. Students will learn a new way to see a work of art as a product and a producer of its time. Beginning with the competition for Baptistery doors we will follow the evolution of the discovery of perspective, the rediscovery of classical elements in architecture, painting and sculpture. While the contribution of artists such as Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio, Ghiberti, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo will be discussed in detail, the course will also cover lesser known artists such as Lippi, Pollaiolo, Verrocchio, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Luca della Robbia, Beato Angelico, Andrea del Castagno, Rossellino.

METHODOLOGY
The course will meet twice a week for approximately 1 1/2 hours, plus two full day lessons for a total of 45 hours. The city of Florence is an open-air museum, therefore class times will alternate between in-class slides lecture and on-site walking tours around Florence, its museums, squares and churches.
Although class discussion is strongly encouraged, this is primarily a lecture course based upon the visual content of works of art presented by way of projected slides and museum visits.

There will be one full day lesson out of the city to visit Renaissance gardens and villas and a mandatory trip to Siena and San Gimignano. The optional Venice trip is highly raccomended.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The course will analyze:
1)The influence of the Classics on Florentine culture
2)the change of the role of the artist in the Quattrocento society
3)the position of lay patrons in the artistical life
4)the reaction of the Christian Church during the rebirth of pagan art.

All these argument will allow students to understand why the Florentine Quattrocento is still considered a unique period in art history, and why the town was called “new Athen”. We will emphasize critical thinking making comparisons among artists works and different schools of art: Venice, Padova, Flemish countries.
Museums fees I will be collecting all the fees for museum entrances at the beginning of the course. There will be non reimbursements for absences. These fees must be paid within the third lesson.

CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE
Attendance at and partIcipation in class meetings and trips are required. More than two unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your grade. Students with more than 20% of absence will get an F. Required readings should be completed before each class meeting so that students may partecipate in class discussion.

LOOKING ASSIGNMENTS (min.2 pages each 15% of your grade)
Students will be given two looking assignments. Students will be expected to go on-site to visit a particular art work and turn in a written paper. Handouts will be given on each assignment explaining requirements. Written looking assignments must be returned by the deadline. Only typed papers will be accepted.

PAPER (4pages min.15% of your grade)
In addition to written looking assignments students will present a research paper at the end of the semester. Students may choose to write on a particular work, artist, or artistic movement. Paper topics should be discussed with the instructor. Students are advised to begin to research for their papers well in advance of the final exam.

MID-TERM EXAM (30% of your grade)
Slide identification and written commentary.

FINAL EXAM (40% of your grade)
Slide identification and written commentary

REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS
R.Turner, "Renaissance Florence: Invention of a new art."
Hibbert Christopher, ”The House of the Medici;its Rise and Fall”, Quill Publishing Co.,NY 1999
G.Vasari, ”Lives of the Artists”, Penguin Classics,1987