11382 - History of Medieval Art

Learning outcomes

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 "reading" 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 of the 'laurea triennale'. The lessons will take place in the first semester, and will be divided in two parts (60 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 "Food and art"and "Links between medieval and contemporary art".
I - Students must know the basic facts of art history in Italy from Late Antiquity to the first two decades of XV century, include Renaissance's first generation. 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 - S. Romano, La O di Giotto, Milano 2008 o – J. Von Schlosser-Magnino, L'arte del Medioevo, ed. it. Torino 1989 p – A. Warburg, La rinascita del paganesimo antico, ed. it. Firenze 1966 and later ed. q – R. Wittkower, La scultura, ed. it. Torino 1985.
III - Students must study one of the topic chosen for the second section (B), above mentioned, whose bibliography will be published on this page ("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 have a reduced bibliography in section III ; section I is anyway to be studied (even if the exam can be oral instead of written, if you prefer), so is the IV; one of the sections II and III can be substituted with a personal research, to be discussed during the exam (or, if you prefer, written and presented as a paper).
For 5 or 6 credits the program is the same you find for Italian students.

Readings/Bibliography

Texts/Bibliography: see in "programma" for sections I, II and IV.

For section III, you must study either the problem food/art or the relations between contemporary and medieval art.

For "Art and food" you must read ONLY the parts connected with painting and other visual arts in Le arti e il cibo. Modalità ed esempi di un rapporto, a cura di S. Davidson e F. Lollini, Bologna 2014. If you have been present in the lesson, you must also study your personal notes; if you have not, you should study also F. Moly Mariotti, entry Tacuinum sanitatis, in Enciclopedia dell'arte medievale Treccani, also on line www.treccani.it, and L. Cogliati Arano, Tacuinum sanitatis, Milano 1973; OR Le formelle del Maestro dei Mesi di Ferrara. Storia, arte, cultura materiale. Problemi di conservazione e restauro, atti della giornata di studi a cura di E. Bonatti e B. Giovannucci Vigi (Ferrara, 2001), Ferrara 2002, pp. 25-52 (B. Giovannucci Vigi and P. Galetti), and Museo della cattedrale di Ferrara. Catalogo Generale, a cura di Berenice Giovannucci Vigi e Giovanni Sassu, Ferrara 2010, only the parts about the Mesi, pp. 56-89 (G. Tigler). Texts in bold are posted on AMS Campus, and are downloadable.

If you choose the relation medieval / contemporary art you must study your personal notes, and a selection of 20 entries in one of the following catalogues: Francis Bacon, catalogue of the exhibition, Milan 2008; Francis Bacon. A centenary retrospective, catalogue of the exhibition, M. Gale and C. Stevens ed., London 2009; Damien Hirst, catalogue of the exhibition, A. Gallagher ed., London 2012; Bill Viola, catalogue of the exhibition, Paris 2014; or your personal notes and two of the essays included in Do the right wall / Fai il muro giusto, a cura di F. Naldi, Bologna 2010.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons. For the general section (I), some workshops 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.
The written test is a 10 image exam: you will be asked to precise as more as you can the stylistic situation (including date and area) of every image; 18+ will be admitted to the oral section of the exam; for other info, please ask. The oral section will cover the part II, III and IV of the program, and will be based on the readings and on the topics we will consider in classes.

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