81723 - History of Indian Art (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student will have acquired a thorough knowledge of the main art-historical topics regarding South Asia. He will be able to discuss them effectively orally and/or in writing, using the appropriate terminology and with suitable bibliographic references. He will be in possession of the skills required to place artworks from the area in question in their proper context.

Course contents

Stereotypes, Prejudices, Errors and Corrections: the Art of Ancient India through the History of its Interpretations

The course will examine the main themes in Indian art history from the Maurya period to the early medieval period through a selection of characteristic works. The aim of the lectures will be to provide students with an understanding of the formal, iconographic and cultural and historical aspects of the artworks of ancient India, identifying both shared features and regional variations. The lectures will concentrate on analysing the works in relation to the cultural context that generated them and on the stereotypes, prejudices and errors of interpretation that have accompanied over a century of historical debate. The course will include an introductory lecture on the methods and approach of the discipline, while the final lecture will summarize the main themes and problems discussed during the course and prepare students for the final examination. The syllabus will be provided at the first lecture and will be included among the material available on the 'Insegnamenti OnLine' platform.

Course timetable:

From MONDAY 24th September 2018

MONDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

TUESDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

THURSDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

Readings/Bibliography

- S. Huntington, The Art of Ancient India, New York–Tokyo, Weatherhill, 1985, pp. 41-74; pp. 90-100; pp. 109-162; pp. 187-213; pp. 239-260; pp. 265-319; pp. 322-337; pp. 341-350; pp. 421-443; pp. 466-480.

- P.P. Dhar (a cura di), Indian Art History. Changing Perspectives, New Delhi, D.K.Printworld, 2011, pp. 1-32 (scaricabile online: https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/indian-art-history.pdf)

- F. Asher, "On Maurya Art", in R.M. Brown e D.S. Hutton (a cura di), A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture, Chichester, Wiley, 2011, pp. 421-443.

- S. Abe, "Inside the Wonder House: Buddhist Art and the West", in D.S. Lopez (a cura di), Curators of the Buddha, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1995, pp. 63-106.

The PDF course tools made available to students are required reading for the exam. They will be put on the 'Insegnamenti OnLine' platform at the beginning of each week (every three lessons).

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson: presentation, reading and analysis of selected works

Assessment methods

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The student will be asked to provide a commentary on images selected from among those found in the course texts and will be judged on his ability to summarise and critically discuss topics raised in the course, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

The assessment will thus consider the student's:
- competence in commenting on the images, i.e. in identifying, dating and contextualizing the works illustrated;
- knowledge and understanding of the topics covered;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an ability to provide a full description of the images and an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations available on the 'Insegnamenti OnLine' platform.

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Celli