B5132 - ICONOGRAFIA MEDIEVALE (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a methodological rigour and knowledge that will enable them to classify historical-artistic products through the analysis of illuminated, mosaic, sculptural and painted cycles from the Late Antique and Medieval periods, and to propose an articulated reading of the various decorative episodes, critically inserted in the historical phase in which the figurative objects are placed and useful for identifying all the data underlying the thematic, iconographic and stylistic choices, with a profound understanding of the relevance of such data for historical research. The reasoned examples will enable students to analyse and classify artistic artefacts and to use iconographic sources as a necessary element for an in-depth understanding of medieval culture and to assess the relations and links between historical studies and iconographic studies in order to work (also in groups) in interdisciplinary contexts, enhancing the specific contribution of historical sciences. They will be able to work consciously to produce quality content that can be used through the various channels of dissemination and diffusion of science and culture, and to evaluate the implications inherent in the various means of communication, dissemination and didactics.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students with the methodological tools necessary for the analysis and interpretation of medieval images, considered as privileged sources for the reconstruction of medieval culture, mentality, and imagination.

Through the examination of manuscript illuminations, mosaics, sculpture, and painting produced between Late Antiquity and the Late Middle Ages, the course will address the principal issues of medieval iconography: the formation and transmission of visual models, the relationship between images and texts, the migration of symbols, the construction of religious and political identities, the representation of otherness, and the role of images in communication, memory, and the transmission of knowledge.

Following an introductory section devoted to the history of iconographic and iconological studies, the course will explore a number of key themes in the medieval imagination, including representations of the afterlife, images of power, female figures, processes of constructing alterity, visual narrative, and the circulation of themes and motifs across different cultural traditions.

Particular attention will also be devoted to one or more case studies that will allow students to apply concretely the methods, sources, and analytical tools of iconographic research.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

- Lecture notes.

- C. Frugoni, Iconografia e Iconologia, in Enciclopedia dell'Arte medievale, 1996, available online.

- One topic selected from the following thematic units:

1. Methods of iconographic analysis

Kurt W. Foster, Katia Mazzucco, Introduzione ad Aby Warburg e all'Atlante della Memoria, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2002 (PDF).

or

Katia Mazzucco, Mnemosyne, il nome della memoria. Bilderdemonstration, Bilderreihen, Bilderatlas: una cronologia documentaria del progetto warburghiano, Quaderni del Centro Warburg Italia, III, 4-5-6, 2011, pp. 139–203 (PDF).

2. Images of the afterlife and the supernatural

Georges Minois, Piccola storia del diavolo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999.

or

L. Pasquini, Diavoli e inferni nel Medioevo. Origine e sviluppo delle immagini dal VI al XV secolo, Padova, Il Poligrafo, 2015, pp. 13–65.

or

L. Pasquini, Il diavolo. Storia iconografica del male, Roma, Carocci, 2024, pp. 9–151.

3. Female figures and models of behaviour

Chiara Frugoni, La donna nelle immagini, in Storia delle donne in Occidente. Il medioevo, edited by Christiane Klapisch-Zuber et al., Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1990, pp. 424–457.

or

Jacques Dalarun, La donna vista dai chierici, in Storia delle donne in Occidente. Il medioevo, edited by Christiane Klapisch-Zuber et al., Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1990, pp. 24–55.

4. Images of power and community

M.M. Donato, “Cose morali, e anche appartenenti secondo e’ luoghi”: per lo studio della pittura politica nel tardo Medioevo toscano, in Le forme della propaganda politica nel Due e nel Trecento, edited by P. Cammarosano, Roma, 1994, pp. 491–517.

or

Il bene comune: forme di governo e gerarchie sociali nel basso Medioevo, Atti del 48. Convegno storico internazionale, Todi, 9–12 October 2011, Spoleto, 2012, especially pp. 489–515.

or

Anna Laura Trombetti, Laura Pasquini, Bologna delle torri. Uomini, pietre, artisti dal Medioevo a Giorgio Morandi, Firenze, Edifir, 2013, pp. 137–229.

5. Visual narrative and the circulation of models

David M. Wilson, L'arazzo di Bayeux: tutto l'arazzo a colori, Milano, Rizzoli, 1985.

or

C. A. Willemsen, L'enigma di Otranto. Il mosaico pavimentale del presbitero Pantaleone nella Cattedrale, Galatina, Congedo, 1980, pp. 41–78 or pp. 81–139.

or

M. Fasano, L. Pasquini, G. Barba, Otranto, il mosaico, il viaggio di Seth. Ricerche per il documentario di creazione Il viaggio di Seth ad Otranto, Bologna, Sattva Films, 2009, pp. 85–173.

or

L. Pasquini, «Pigliare occhi, per aver la mente». Dante, la «Commedia» e le arti figurative, Roma, Carocci, 2020, one chapter of the student's choice.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

- C. Frugoni, Iconografia e Iconologia, in Enciclopedia dell'Arte medievale, 1996, available online.

- J. Baschet, L'iconografia medievale, Milano, Jaca Book, 2014.

- C, Frugoni, La Voce delle immagini, Pillole iconografiche dal Medioevo, Torino, Einaudi, 2010.

Teaching methods

Lectures will be delivered through classroom teaching combined with seminar-style discussions and the use of PowerPoint presentations.

Assessment methods

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment consists of an oral examination focusing on the methodological issues discussed during the course and on an in-depth study of one of the thematic topics selected by the student among those addressed during the lectures.

Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to orient themselves within the available sources and bibliographical material, identifying and critically employing the information necessary to discuss themes and problems and to establish meaningful connections among them.

Assessment will take into account:

• Knowledge and understanding of the course contents;
• Ability to analyse and synthesise themes and concepts;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and appropriately, using the specific terminology of the discipline.

 

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment consists of an oral examination based on the compulsory readings listed in the bibliography.

Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to orient themselves within the available sources and bibliographical material, identifying and critically employing the information necessary to discuss themes and problems and to establish meaningful connections among them.

Assessment will take into account:

• Knowledge and understanding of the course contents;
• Ability to analyse and synthesise themes and concepts;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and appropriately, using the specific terminology of the discipline.

Examination sessions

During the academic year 2026/2027, examination sessions are scheduled in the following months:

May, June, July, September, October, November, December, January (2028), February (2028), and March (2028),

for students with outstanding examinations and for all students.

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant University Office in advance:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it

The Office will propose any necessary accommodations. Such accommodations must be submitted to the course instructor at least fifteen days before the examination and will be evaluated in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Examinations: Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used as a support for independent study, providing opportunities for further exploration, synthesis of content, and self-assessment. However, the use of AI during in-person examinations is strictly forbidden. Any such use will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will be treated accordingly.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations provided by the instructor.

Office hours

See the website of Laura Pasquini