30136 - History of Modern Art (LM)

Learning outcomes

The class is intended to deepen the knowledge of themes, protagonists and events of European painting from the fifteenth to the end of the eighteenth centuries. By the end of the class, the students should have improved their abilities to read an artwork in formal, stylistic, iconographic and technical terms, and to understand its relationship with the historical, religious and cultural context.

Course contents

This course will treat the Modern painting. It consists of two modules: one, taught by Prof. Daniele Benati, will examine the painting in the Age of the Counter-Reformation in Rome, the other one, taught by Dr. Irene Graziani, will analyse the painting in the Age of the Counter-Reformation in Bologna.

Course beginning: January 31, 2018 (second module: March 5, 2018)

Course timetable

First module (Prof. Daniele Benati)

Wednesday, 15-17, Thursday, 15-17, Friday, 15-17

Second module (Dott. Irene Graziani)

Monday, 9-11, Tuesday, 9-11, Wednesday, 9-11

The program of the course Women painters in Western History of Arts of GEMMA Master can be found on the teacher’s web site, in the section useful contents.

Readings/Bibliography

A) Institutional part (for both 12 and 6 credits)

Students are required to know the chapters of the course book from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries (from Late Gothic to Neoclassicism). The following textbooks are recommended:

• Giuliano Briganti, Carlo Bertelli, and Antonio Giuliano, Storia dell'arte italiana, Milan, Electa, 1986 (and reprints)
• P. De Vecchi, E. Cerchiari, Arte nel tempo, Milan, Bompiani, 1991 (and reprints)

Students who whish to use other textbooks, shall contact the teacher.

For 12 credits: in addition to A), students shall prepare two books for each module (B1 and B2: two books and three essays).

B) Monographic part:

B1) «Painting in the Age of the Counter-Reformation in Rome» (two books).

The following books:

• Paolo Prodi, Arte e pietà nella Chiesa tridentina, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014;
• Federico Zeri, Pittura e Controriforma. L’“arte senza tempo” di Scipione da Gaeta, Torino, Einaudi, 1957 (reprint); or L'Eterno e il tempo tra Michelangelo e Caravaggio, catalogo della mostra (Forlì, Musei di San Domenico, 10 febbraio - 17 giugno 2018), Cinisello Balsamo (Milano), Silvana Editoriale, 2018

B2) «Painting in the Age of the Counter-Reformation in Bologna» (one book and three essays).

The following:

• Paolo Prodi, Arte e pietà nella Chiesa tridentina, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014;
• Three essays: Vera Fortunati, La metamorfosi della pala d’altare nel dibattito religioso del Cinquecento: il cantiere di San Giacomo, in Un’avventura artistica tra natura e idea, (collana “La pittura in Emilia e in Romagna. Il Cinquecento”), vol. I, Bologna, Nuova Alfa Editoriale, 1994, pp. 218-243; Vera Fortunati, Arte come “contemplazione visiva” (Ignazio da Loyola), Bartolomeo Cesi nell’età della Controriforma, in Bartolomeo Cesi e l’affresco dei Canonici Lateranensi, a cura di Vera Fortunati e Vincenzo Musumeci, Firenze, Nardini, 1997, pp. 31-57; Daniele Benati, Annibale Carracci e il vero, in Annibale Carracci, catalogo della mostra (Bologna; Roma), a cura di Daniele Benati e Eugenio Riccòmini, Milano, Electa, 2006, pp. 18-37.

For 6 credits: in addition to A), students shall choose only one module from B1 and B2.

Teaching methods

Lectures and tours guided by the teacher.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of two parts: a written part and an interview:

- the written part will concern the institutional part of the syllabus to verify the students’ knowledge of the socio-artistic context of the XV and XVIII centuries (coursebook). During this part, ten images of art works will be projected. Each image will be screened for 5 minutes, and during this time candidates shall fill a form indicating the work's historical context and, if possible, the name of the artist. Candidates may repeat this written part, if they whish, but a negative result will not prevent admission to the interview, although it will be considered in the final grade.

- the interview in which candidates are required to carry out a critical discussion based on the recommended readings.

Evaluation

The written part will be marked as follows:

- Correct image recognition (artist, subject, date, place of storage, short critical reading of its iconographic aspects, historical context and stylistic characteristics): on a scale of 1 to 3 points;

- no identification or incorrect identification of the image: zero points.

The pass mark is 18/30.

Evaluation of the interview will follow the usual principle of deeming as excellence the performance of those students with a solid artistic and historical grounding and a mature critical awareness.

The written part counts for a third of the final mark (10/30).

To pass the oral examination, students are required to demonstrate the acquisition of a critical understanding of the topics discussed during the course and a critical knowledge of the recommended bibliography.

By the end of this course students will:
• know the features of artwork in early modern period
• identify and analyse the most significant works
• develop personal reflections
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the various issues discussed
• use correct terminology

It will be assessed as excellent the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as the familiarity with the tolls for analyzing the art works of the moderna age.

It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the topics of the course. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the recommended bibliography. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse the discipline.

Students may take the written part of the examination on each exam date.

The assessment methods are the same for attending and non-attending students.

Teaching tools

Lectures with digital slides, which will be made available for students.

Office hours

See the website of Irene Graziani