95815 - Artistic Literature (1) (Lm)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to deepen the knowledge of the history of art through the written form, the bring-up of direct and indirect historical sources that have emerged during the centuries of the handwritten transmission up to the printing, in the cultural and social environment to which the artist is based. He/she is initiated to the understanding of the indispensable methodology to critically combine every example of artistic literature, being the result of a complex process of reflection filtered by the dominant currents of thought. The student so achieves a good level of knowledge of the fundamental texts produced by artists, literary authors, scholars and philosophers; he/she acquires the indispensable tools for the classification of artistic production over time and in different places for research in every area of historical and artistic investigation.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts.
The first, institutional, will investigate the written sources of the history of art, both theoretical and historical, through the works of the most representative writers from the antiquity.
In the second one, monographic, the texts will be discussed relating to sacred and profane images and the pictorial results resulting from the debate.

Readings/Bibliography

1. For attending students:

O. ROSSI PINELLI, edited by, La storia delle storie dell’arte, Piccola Biblioteca Einaudi, Turin 2014.

D. BIAGI MAINO, La via cristiana alla pittura dei Frati Minori Cappuccini, in Arte e carità. Il complesso storico e museale dei Frati Minori cappuccini di Bologna, Bologna University Press, Bologna 2022, pp. 11- 56.

B. TOSCANO, Le opere d'arte: qualcosa rinasce con il restauro, in Scritti brevi sulla storia dell'arte e la conservazione, Libri Co.Italia, Città di Castello 2006, pp. 275-284.

2. For non-attending students: 
In addition to the texts in point 1., knowledge is required of

P. PRODI, Il cardinale Gabriele Paleotti (1522-1597), il Mulino, Bologna 2022. 

Teaching methods

Lessons will be held with the help of power point presentations, which will be made available to the students at the end of the course.

Visits to art galleries and museums are planned.

Assessment methods

Verification of learning takes place only through the oral exam, aimed at ascertaining the knowledge and critical skills acquired by the student in the training course.

The interview will focus on what was discussed in class (for those attending) and on learning and understanding the texts indicated in the bibliography.

The candidate will be led to demonstrate the acquired awareness of the use of written sources for the study of art history by examining the texts and images addressed and discussed during the course and indicated in the bibliography, so as to certify the acquired awareness of the importance of the correct use of writings of writers as well as indirect sources, inventories, wills, etc.

The mastery of the contents, the adequate expression and the appropriate language for the subject will be evaluated as well as the ability to synthesize and analyze the concepts discussed in class.

The understanding of the problems connected to the correct use of ancient sources, of the protagonists of the history of art literature and their main writings, the mastery of the specific language of the discipline and, obviously, the in-depth knowledge of the texts of the program will be evaluated with marks of excellence.

The only mnemonic knowledge of the subject, the capacity for synthesis and analysis not correctly developed in an adequate language will lead to discrete evaluations.

Training gaps or lack of the appropriate vocabulary, poor knowledge of the analysis tools and issues related to the use of the texts examined during the course and indicated in the specific bibliography will only lead to sufficiency.

Poor knowledge of the texts in the program, inadequate vocabulary, lack of understanding of the criticality of the topic and of the conservation problem will be evaluated negatively.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Donatella Biagi