11382 - History of Medieval Art

Learning outcomes

The teaching introduces to the knowledge of European and especially Italian art between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. At the end of the course the student has the tools to read the work in terms of style and iconography, with particular attention to the historical context of reference.

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 first generation of 14th-century painters from Rimini and their direct relationship with Giotto’s work in Rimini towards the end of the previous century.

This group comprises a family of painters – three brothers, Giovanni, Giuliano and Zangolo – of whom only two have been identified with certainty as the creators of a body of work of extraordinary quality.
Giotto’s career in the 13th century and the response of these extraordinary talents from Rimini will be discussed in class, highlighting the complex issues that historiography has yet to resolve.

Readings/Bibliography

For the first part of the course, the reference book (specifically the chapters regarding the period between the fourth and the fifteenth century), one of the next:

• P.L. De Vecchi – E. Cerchiari, Arte nel tempo, edito da Bompiani;

• - C. Bertelli, Storia dell’arte. Edizione verde, edito da Scolastiche Bruno Mondadori;

  - N. Frapiccini, N. Giustozzi, Le storie dell’arte, edito da Hoepli Scuola;

2) monographic part (6 CFU):

C. Volpe, La Pittura riminese del Trecento, Milano, 1965, pp. 9-21, 31-35, 62-63.

O. Delucca, I pittori riminesi nelle carte d’archivio, Rimini, 1992, pp. 45-52, 74-88, 131-138.

A. Volpe, Giotto e i riminesi, Milano, 2002.

A. Volpe, Giuliano da Rimini. Il polittico dell’Incoronazione della Vergine, Rimini, 2004, pp. 13-50

D. Benati, Il Trecento Riminese in Sant’Agostino, in Il Trecento riscoperto. Gli affreschi della chiesa di Sant’Agostino a Rimini, Milano, 2019, pp. 16-39.

D. Benati, Giovanni Rimini. Un pittore al bivio, in L’oro di Giovanni. Il restauro della Croce di Mercatello e il Trecento Riminese, cat. della mostra a cura di D. Benati e A. Giovanardi, Rimini sett.-nov- 2021, pp. 21-46.

A. Volpe, Intorno alle cornici di Giotto, Roma, 2021, pp. 55-61.

Teaching methods

Lectures will take place in class with the aid of visual materials.

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 VIRTUALE.

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