08776 - Psychology of Art (A-L)

Learning outcomes

Through the study of Freudian Psychology of Art we intend to supply the necessary instruments to analize the psychic mechanisms behind the creation, fruition and critical analysis of works of art through a methodological and theoretical approach.

Course contents

First module (5/6 cfu)

Art, literature and writing in the light of freudian psychoanalysis: creativity as a modality of psychic elaboration and a process of recovering.

During the course, we will provide the students with a detailed reference bibliography.
The oral examination will be about the following books:


1. S. Freud, Saggi sull'arte, la letteratura e il linguaggio, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1990;
2. S. Ferrari, Lineamenti di una psicologia dell'arte. A partire da Freud, CLUEB, Bologna 1999;
3. S. Ferrari, La scrittura infinita. Saggi su letteratura, psicoanalisi e riparazione, Nicomp, Firenze 2007.,

Second module (5/6 cfu)

The dynamics of portrait and self-portrait in the light of psychology and psychoanalisis.

During the course, we will provide the students with a detailed reference bibliography.
The oral examination will be about the following books:

1. S. Freud, Saggi sull'arte, la letteratura e il linguaggio, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1990;
2. S. Ferrari, Lo specchio dell'Io. Autoritratto e psicologia, Laterza, Bari-Roma 2002;
3. S. Ugolini, Nel segno del corpo. Origini e forme del “ritratto ferito”, Liguori, Napoli 2009; oppure, a scelta, S. Ferrari (a cura di), Il corpo adolescente e le sue rappresentazioni: percorsi interdisciplinari tra arte e psicologia, Bologna, CLUEB, marzo 2007..

Readings/Bibliography

See Course contents

Teaching methods

The course consists of 30+30 hours of frontal lessons with digital slides. It is possible the presence of experts in Psychology of art.

Assessment methods

Student's Evaluation Procedure: oral examination. It is possible to agree on teacher the compilation of a brief dissertation.

Teaching tools

Digital slides and power point projections. You can find them in http://campus.cib.unibo.it/cgi/lista?;codMateria=08776;annoAccademico=2007;codiceDocente=015178

Links to further information

http://www.psicoart.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Ferrari

See the website of Chiara Tartarini