02290 - History of Modern Art

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will: - know the main events and crucial issues of the Art especially Italian art from the fifteenth to the late eighteenth century; - acquire the methodological tools for reading the work of art from a formal, stylistic, iconographic and technical point of view; - connect artworks to the context of historical, social and cultural production; - move in the main issues and research lines of the Art; - recognize and comment on the works of the most representative artists of the various movements.

Course contents

The course is composed by two parts of six CFU each, taught by teachers, Irene Graziani and Daniele Benati. Students enrolled in DAMS are required to prepare both modules (12 credits). Students enrolled in other courses are required to prepare the first module (6 credits) or both the modules (9 credits) N.B. The syllabus is the same for attending and non-attending students.

First part (6 CFU) - Institutional part

History of art in Italy from the Renaissance to the Neoclassicism (teacher, prof. Irene Graziani)

Second part (6 CFU) - Insights and reading exercises of the work of art 

 (teacher, prof. Daniele Benati)

Attending lectures is highly recommended.

Readings/Bibliography

1) First part (6 CFU):

1/a. It is requested to know the chapters of the textbook with reference to the period from the Renaissance to the Neoclassicism. The recommended texts are:

- Giuliano Briganti, Carlo Bertelli e Antonio Giuliano, Storia dell'arte italiana, Electa, Milano, 1986 (and later editions);

- Pierluigi De Vecchi, Elda Cerchiari, Arte nel tempo, Bompiani, Milano, 1991 (and later editions);

- Salvatore Settis, Tomaso Montanari, Arte. Una storia naturale e civile, Mondadori, Milano, 2019.

The choice of other textbooks should be arranged with Prof. Irene Graziani.

1/b. Furthermore, it is requested to know from life two important artworks / monuments / museums / churches / palaces from the period the exam concerns directly and deeply with the aid of related readings.

2) Second part (6 CFU):

A book chosen among the following:

- Federico Zeri, La percezione visiva dell'Italia e degli italiani, Einaudi, Torino, 1976;

- Roberto Longhi, Fatti di Masolino e di Masaccio, 1948; new ed. Abscondita, Milano, 2014;

- Roberto Longhi, Officina ferrarese, 1934; new ed. Abscondita, Milano, 2019, with a text by Daniele Benati;

- Michael Baxandall, Pittura esperienze sociali nell'Italia del Quattrocento, Einaudi, Torino, 1978;

- Giovanni Romano, Verso la maniera moderna. Da Mantegna a Raffaello, in Storia dell’arte italiana, II, Dal Medioevo al Novecento, 6, Dal Cinquecento all’Ottocento, I. Cinquecento e Seicento, a cura di Federico Zeri, Einaudi, Torino, 1981 (cf. Teaching material); 

- André Chastel, Il Sacco di Roma (1527), Einaudi, Torino, 1983;

- Giuliano Briganti, La maniera italiana, Editori Riuniti, Roma, 1961; new ed. Sansoni, Firenze 1985;

- Antonio Pinelli, La bella maniera. Artisti del Cinquecento tra regola e licenza, Einaudi, Torino, 1993;

- Federico Zeri, Pittura e Controriforma. L'arte ‘senza tempo' di Scipione da Gaeta, Einaudi, Torino, 1957 (and more recent editions);

- Silvia Ginzburg Carignani, La Galleria Farnese. Gli affreschi dei Carracci, Electa, Milano, 2008;

- Roberto Longhi, Studi caravaggeschi, 1935; new ed. Abscondita, Milano, 2017, with a premise by Mina Gregori;

- Francesco Arcangeli, Corpo, azione, sentimento, fantasia. Naturalismo ed espressionismo nella cultura artistica emiliano-bolognese: lezioni 1967-1970, ed. by Vanessa Pietrantonio, with an introduction by Vera Fortunati, Il mulino, Bologna 2015, 2 voll. (in part. vol. II, pp. 9-154);

- Cesare Gnudi, introductory essay to the exhibition catalog L'ideale classico del Seicento in Italia e la pittura di paesaggio, Alfa, Bologna, 1962, pp. 3-37 (new ed. in Cesare Gnudi, L'ideale classico, Nuova Alfa Ed., Bologna, 1986, pp. 55-85);

- Giuliano Briganti, Pietro da Cortona, Sansoni, Firenze, 1962 (cf. Teaching material);

- Tomaso Montanari, Il Barocco, Einaudi, Torino, 2012;

- Francis Haskell, Mecenati e pittori. L'arte e la società italiane nell'età barocca, 3.a ed., Allemandi, Torino, 2000.

Other books, in relation to the particular interests of the candidates, may be agreed with prof. Daniele Benati.

This Bibliography is the same for students who attend or do not attend lectures. Some of the cited texts will be available in the "Teaching material" of the course.

Teaching methods

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, this teaching activity will be carried out in the following manner:

Blended 1: the teacher will carry out part of the course remotely (max 50% of the hours). For a second part of the course, the students will alternate their presence in the classroom according to a schedule of shifts (more detailed information regarding the shifts and about the modalities to get access to the classroom lessons will be provided soon). It will always be possible to connect remotely and follow live lessons held in the classroom via the online platform TEAMS.

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed by means of an oral examination in which the candidate is required to engage in critical analysis based on the course reading.

Evaluation

Evaluation of the oral examination will follow the usual principle of judging excellence to mean evidence of a solid artistic and historical grounding and of a mature critical awareness.

During the oral examination, students must demonstrate to have acquired a critical understanding of the topics discussed during the course and a critical knowledge of the recommended bibliography.

After completing the course the student will be able:

• To know the features of artwork in early modern period

• Identify and analyze the most significant works

• Develop personal reflections

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the various issues discussed

• Use correct terminology

The achievement of a comprehensive vision of the issues, the possession of a specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as familiarity with artwork analysis tools will be evaluated with marks of excellence. Knowledge mostly mechanical or mnemonic of matter, a capacity of synthesis and analysis articulated or not, a use of proper language but not always appropriate, as well as a school domain of the arguments of the course will lead to fair valuations. Training gaps or use inappropriate language, as well as a lack of knowledge of the arguments will lead to votes that will amount on the sufficiency threshold. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliography and inability to analyze will be evaluated negatively.

The assessment procedure is the same for students who attend or do not attend lectures.

Teaching tools

Ppt images, which will be made available to the student at the end of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Benati