72171 - History and Criticism of Medieval Art

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course students should be able to deal with a medieval work of art from an esthetic, stylistic and iconographic point of view. They should be aware of both the historical discourse, which is essential to an understanding of the work of art, and their own critical and historiographical opinion on the subject.

Course contents

The course involves an overview of the basics of art history in Europe from the fourth to 1492.

Classes will be centered on the theme of mural decoration in painting and mosaic, analyzing the esthetic and cultural motivations of the changes happened in this field during the long course of the Middle Ages.

This introduction to Medieval Art will be followed by a monographic part. It will be devoted to the work of a painter whom historiography has hypothetically identified as Dalmasio degli Scannabecchi.

During the course, his works will be observed and discussed in relation to Bolognese and Florentine production in the central decades to the 14th century.

It will also address the unsolved problem concerning the possible identification of the otherwise anonymous author with the painter Dalmasio di Jacopo, documented between Bologna and Pistoia in times close to, but not overlapping with, those of the paintings.

Readings/Bibliography

Students attending the lectures should know a reference book of History of Medieval Art (recommended reading: - P.L. De Vecchi – E. Cerchiari, Arte nel tempo, edito da Bompiani).

The topic "Dalmasio" has not been studied in a monograph; historiography has dealt with it in various studies, which you will find in some cases repetitive but also discordant:

R. Longhi, La pittura del Trecento nell’Italia settentrionale (1934-1935) (1934-1935), ried. in Opere complete di Roberto Longhi, VI, Lavori in Valpadana, Firenze 1973, pp. 3-90 (in partic. pp. 33-35);

F. Filippini - G. Zucchini, Miniatori e pittori a Bologna. Documenti dei secoli XIII e XIV, Firenze 1947, pp. 57-61;

R. Longhi, Mostra della pittura bolognese del Trecento (1950), in particolare pp. 15-16; anche in Opere complete di Roberto Longhi, VI, Lavori in Valpadana, Firenze 1973, pp. 155-187 (in partic. pp. 160 s.);

G.L. Mellini, Commento a ‘Dalmasio’, in “Arte illustrata”, III (1970), pp. 40-55;

E. Neri Lusanna, La pittura in San Francesco dalle origini al Quattrocento, in S. Francesco. La chiesa e il convento in Pistoia, a cura di L. Gai, Pistoia 1993, pp. 81-164 (in partic. pp. 88-94);

D. Benati, Dalmasio di Iacopo degli Scannabecchi, in Enciclopedia dell’arte medievale, V, Roma 1994, pp. 612-614;

A. Volpe, Frammenti di un’allegoria agostiniana. Quattro ‘Filosofi’ di ‘Dalmasio’, in Paragone, LV (2004), 647, pp. 4-19;

D. Benati, Tra Giotto e il mondo gotico: la pittura a Bologna negli anni di Bertrando del Poggetto, in Giotto e le arti a Bologna al tempo di Bertrando del Poggetto (catal., Bologna), a cura di M. Medica, Cinisello Balsamo 2005, pp. 55-77 (in partic. pp. 64-70);

R. Pini, Il mondo dei pittori a Bologna 1348-1430, Bologna 2005, passim;

D. Cerutti, Assisi a Pistoia: ‘Dalmasio’ e la cappella maggiore della chiesa di San Francesco, in Il Museo e la città. Vicende artistiche pistoiesi del Trecento, Pistoia 2012, pp. 53-79;

F. Boggi - R. Gibbs, Lippo di Dalmasio «assai valente pittore», Bologna 2013, pp. 25 e ss.;

https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/dalmasio-di-iacopo-scannabecchi_(Dizionario-Biografico)/

A. Tartuferi, “Dalmasio” e Lippo di Dalmasio, tra Pistoia e Firenze, in Lippo di Dalmasio e le arti a Bologna tra Trecento e Quattrocento, A cura di M. Medica, D. Benati, F. Massaccesi, 2023, pp. 39-49.

Teaching methods

Generally, lectures will take place in class with the aid of visual materials. Occasionally lectures may take place before the original works of art.

Assessment methods

The final examination will verify the fulfillment of the following learning objectives:

• knowledge of the topics and of the critical methodology discussed in class or studied in the literature;
• ability to use critical tools when examining a given image;
• ability to understand one's own critical opinion in relation to the historiographical debate. This ability is based on the assumption that our critical opinion is inevitably conditioned by our cultural views.

The exam will be exclusively in the form of an oral examination, which is evaluated in %30. It will be based on the images discussed in the books provided in the reading list or in class. Students should identify the works of art, demonstrate an understanding of their chronological, geographical and historical context, discuss their relationship with other works of art. For this reason, students are expected to bring their own books on the day of the exam.

Following the Alma Mater's guidelines, notably:

• the demonstration of an organic vision of the themes addressed in class or in books indicated in the reading list as well as of the critical use, command of oral expression and specific vocabulary, will be assessed with marks of excellence (28-30).
• mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, scarce ability of synthesis and analysis and/or the use of a correct but not always appropriate vocabulary will lead to discrete assessments (23-27).
• training gaps and/or inappropriate vocabulary - even in conjunction with a minimal knowledge of the subject - will lead to marks that will not exceed the minimum grade (18-22).
• training gaps, inappropriate vocabulary, lack of command of the bibliography discussed within the course will lead to negative evaluations.

Teaching tools

Exam materials and further readings can be found on AMS Campus - Materiali Didattici.

Students who are affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies to compensate it, are kindly requested to contact the Teacher, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Volpe