11382 - History of Medieval Art

Learning outcomes

The classes will try to offer a general approach to history of medieval art from 5th to 15th century. Students are hoped to acquire on one side the abilities which are necessary for the knowledge of the artistic production of the period - attribution, and skill in the "readind" of the work - and on the other a conscious methodology. The last lessons will offer a more specific topic, as a research example.

Course contents

The course can be taken by the students of the different curricula. The lessons will take place in the first semester, and will be divided in two parts (30+30 hours). The first section (A) will examine general problems connected with the subject, so to offer a help to organize better the personal study. It will based on two different topics. On one side we will face some methodological problems: the chronological definition of "Middle Age"; the difference between historical geography and art-historical geography; the materials; the relationships with Antiquity; the workshops of Medieval artists; and so on. On the other side we will consider the most important aspects of the artistic stream in Middle Age, from a more chronological point of view. The second section (B) will offer a more specific example of research; the title for this academic year will be "Illumination in Bologna XII-XV centuries".
I - Students must know the basic facts of art history in Italy from Late Antiquity to the last decade of XV century. The text book(s) can be chosen by the student from the handbooks ("manuali") in use in Italy, covering the period above mentioned; there is not one specific compulsory text.
II - Students are expected to read one of the following texts (or group of texts), here quoted in the italian editions: a – three studies from the volumes Arte e storia nel Medioevo, Torino 2002-05 b – J.J.G. Alexander, I miniatori medioevali e il loro metodo di lavoro, Modena 2004 c – M. Baxandall, Pittura ed esperienze sociali nell'Italia del Quattrocento, ed. it. Torino 1978 and later ed. d – M. Baxandall, Giotto e gli umanisti, ed. it. Milano 1994 e – M. Baxandall, Forme dell'intenzione, ed. it. Torino 2000 f – E. Castelnuovo (curator), Artifex bonus. Il mondo dell'artista medioevale, Bari 2004 g – H. Focillon, Vita delle forme, ed. it. Torino 1990 and previous ed. h – C. Ginzburg, Indagini su Piero, ed. Torino 1994 (only THIS edition) i – E. Panofsky, La prospettiva come “forma simbolica” e altri scritti, ed. it. Milano 1961 and later ed. l – E. Panofsky, Rinascimento e rinascenze nell'arte occidentale, ed. it. Milano 1971 and later ed. m – O. Pächt, La miniatura medioevale, ed. it. Torino 1987 n – J. Von Schlosser-Magnino, L'arte del Medioevo, ed. it. Torino 1989 n – A. Warburg, La rinascita del paganesimo antico, ed. it. Firenze 1966 and later ed. o – R. Wittkower, La scultura, ed. it. Torino 1985.
III - Students must study one book for the second section (B), dedicated to the more specific topic of local illumination. See here 'testi'.
IV - Students are also invited to know directly - that is, not through books or the net but FROM LIFE - at least one Medieval artwork: a church, a palace, a painting, a sculpture.
For more detailed infos about the lessons and the texts, and for all the problems connected with the different "value" of the course (12, 10, 6 or 5 credits) or with the system of assessment methods, you can contact the teacher by mail or in office hours. Erasmus and Overseas students can anyway obtain a personal bibliography, with a reduced (and-or different) list of texts; both 5-6 and 10-12 credits foreign students can substitute one of the parts II and III of the program with a personal research, to be discussed during the exam. 

Readings/Bibliography

See in the section 'programma'. You must read:
- F. Lollini, S. Nicolini, C. Quattrini e F. Tasso, entries from section 'Miniatura', in Arti minori, Enciclopedia tematica Jaca Book, Milano 2000 (pp. 186-249)
- Alexander and Pächt books already mentioned in the II section of 'programma'
- from the catalogue Duecento. Forme e colori del Medioevo a Bologna, a cura di M. Medica, Venezia 2000, the article by M. Medica, La città dei libri e dei miniatori, and 20 entries (only illuminated manuscripts)
- from the catalogue Haec sunt statuta. Le corporazioni medievali nelle miniature bolognesi, Modena 1999, the article by M. Medica, Miniatura e committenza: il caso delle corporazioni, and 20 entries
- from Il libro d'ore di Bonaparte Ghislieri, commento, Modena 2008, only the two articles by M. Medica
Students attending the five specific lesson will study their own notes, together with the encyclopedic entries, either Alexander's or Pächt's book, and one of the specific topics.
Students NOT attending the five specific lesson will study the encyclopedic entries, either Alexander's or Pächt's book, and two of the specific topics.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons. For the general section (I), some workshops and outdoor visits in museums and monuments will be also scheduled.

Assessment methods

Written test for (I), oral exam for (II), (III) and (IV) - see here "course contents". Students coming from other countries, and/or not of Italian mother-tongue (Erasmus, Overseas, and other exchanges) CAN (not MUST)  have an oral exam for all the sections.

Teaching tools

Slide projection or ppt during lessons.

Links to further information

http://www.dav.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Fabrizio Lollini