Italian Art at the Dawn of the Renaissance

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1 Art History 4383 (CRN# 24501) Dr. Max Grossman Spring Semester, 2010 Department of Art, UTEP MW 3:00-4:20PM, Fox Fine Arts A458 Office Hours: W 1:00-3:00PM, Fox Fine Arts A460 Office Tel: Italian Art at the Dawn of the Renaissance Dr. Grossman earned his B.A. in Art History and English at the University of California- Berkeley, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History at Columbia University. After seven years of residence in Tuscany, he completed his dissertation on the civic architecture, urbanism and iconography of the Sienese Republic in the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance. He joined the faculty of the School of Art and Design at San Jose State University in 2006, and taught art history for Stanford University in He has presented papers at academic conferences around the United States, including at the annual meeting of the Renaissance Society of America, and will be chairing a session entitled The Italian Civic Palace in the Age of the City- Republics at the 1 st International Meeting of the European Architectural History Network in Guimarães, Portugal in June He is currently preparing the main arguments of his doctoral thesis, the first synthetic treatment of the total architectural production of an Italian city-state, for submission to various journals. At present, his research is focused on the political iconography of the Sienese commune, as manifested in painting, sculpture, architecture, coinage, seals and manuscripts. In addition, he is studying the development of the Italian civic palace, from its origins in the twelfth century through its final transformations in the Quattrocento, with the aim of challenging and revising accepted paradigms while forming a new critical apparatus for interpreting the architecture and urbanism of medieval and Renaissance city-states. COURSE DESCRIPTION The two centuries between the birth of Dante Alighieri in 1265 and the death of Cosimo de Medici in 1464 witnessed one of the greatest artistic revolutions in the history of Western civilization. The unprecedented economic expansion in major Italian cities and concomitant spread of humanistic culture and philosophy gave rise to what has come to be called the Renaissance, a complex and multifaceted movement embracing a wide range of intellectual developments. This course will treat the artistic production of the Italian city-republics in the late Duecento, Trecento and early Quattrocento, with particular emphasis on panel and fresco painting in Siena, Florence, Rome and Venice. The early Italian Renaissance will be considered within its historical, political and social context, beginning with the careers of Duccio di Buoninsegna, Giotto di Bondone and Ambrogio Lorenzetti and progressing through the generation of Gentile da Fabriano, Masaccio and Filippo Brunelleschi. 1

2 STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To acquire a deep appreciation of the artworks of the Early italian Renaissance, and an understanding of the diverse historical, cultural and socio-political conditions of their creation. 2. To master the basic art historical terminology of the Renaissance period and attain the necessary analytical and critical skills for describing, dating and interpreting Renaissance artworks. 3. To understand how Renaissance artists developed innovative methods for communicating meaning and truth, and how their visions and aims evolved over time. 4. To improve one s ability to write clearly, concisely, coherently, and with grammatical correctness. 5. To build a solid intellectual foundation on which to expand one s knowledge of art history in other specialized and 4000-level courses. COURSE PREREQUISITES Students wishing to enroll in this course need to have completed six credits of ARTH 3000-level courses and obtained departmental approval. COURSE FORMAT AND GRADING All lectures will be accompanied by digitally projected images of artworks. In addition to regular readings, students will be required to take two midterms, write a paper of at least seven pages on a topic to be assigned in class, and take a cumulative final examination. The midterms and final will consist of some combination of slide identifications, multiple choice questions, fillin-the-blanks, and short essays. Participation in classroom discussion, although not required, will be necessary in order to earn an A. The final grade will be determined as follows: Midterm #1 20% Midterm #2 20% Term paper 20% Final examination 25% Attendance/Participation 15% Make-up examinations will only be permitted following a documented emergency or illness. Papers must be submitted at the start of class on the due date or will not be accepted. Unexcused failure to submit the paper on time or to show up for an exam will automatically result in a grade of 0% (F). There will be no extra-credit assignments. All grades will be calculated as follows: % A 80-83% B % D % A % C % D 87-89% B % C 60-63% D % B 70-73% C- below 60% F 2

3 ADDING, DROPPING, PASS/FAIL, WITHDRAWALS, INCOMPLETES Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about adding and dropping, and for withdrawing from the course in a timely manner if it becomes necessary. February 12 is the last day to select the Pass/Fail option and April 2 is the last day to drop this course. See An incomplete grade (I) can be given at the discretion of the instructor and approval of the department chair; in order to be granted an Incomplete, the student must be passing the course and encountering a legitimate emergency beyond his/her control which requires additional time to complete the coursework. CLASS ATTENDANCE Attendance at all class meetings is mandatory as well as essential for success in this course, since a substantial portion of the material on the midterms and final examination will be discussed only in lectures and will not be available in the assigned readings. Role will be taken at the start of every class. Students will be expected to arrive on time and to refrain from eating, sleeping and using electronic devices. Students who arrive late must see the instructor at the end of class. Two late arrivals will be counted as an absence. Each unexcused absence will result in a 2% reduction of the final grade, and six unexcused absences will result in a failing grade (F) for the course. Any student caught texting during class will be marked as absent. LAPTOP COMPUTERS AND NOTE-TAKING The use of computers will not be permitted in class. It is extremely important that students focus their attention on the projected images and accompanying explanations and discussions without any distractions and that they take careful and detailed notes. Moreover, it is recommended that students make diagrams and sketches of the artworks, as they will serve as useful study tools for the midterms and final examination. STUDENT PREPARATION AND THE COURSE WEBSITE Attendance at all lectures, punctual completion of all assignments, and regular review and memorization of images are essential for attaining a passing grade. A study sheet with a complete list of key images will be regularly updated on the course website; this will list artworks in the order in which they appear in the course and indicate whether they may be viewed in the textbook or on the website. The latest study sheet should always be brought to class so that lectures may be followed easily. It is strongly recommended that students prepare flashcards of all images that are on the study sheet in order to maximize their preparedness, since they will be responsible for memorizing the names of artists, the titles of works, the locations of works not in museums, and the dates of execution (within a margin of error of 10 years). Students will also need to know all terms that are cited during lectures and to be broadly familiar with the major arguments, concepts, and ideas discussed. In addition to memorizing their flashcards, students are advised to review their class notes and all assigned readings thoroughly. 3

4 FORMAT FOR PAPERS Without exception, all papers must be double spaced and have standard one-inch margins, page numbers (beginning with the first page of the main text), and a title page (with the student s name, the date, the instructor s name, and the title). All text must be in twelve-point font, preferably New Times Roman. There should be no extra spaces between paragraphs, and all paragraphs should be properly indented; any textual citations of at least three sentences must be set in block quotes with single spacing. Moreover, there should be a bibliography of cited works on a separate page at the end of the paper, followed by pages with illustrations of featured artworks. It is recommended that students keep an extra printed copy of their written work. All papers must be received in hardcopy by the start of class on the due date. For all questions pertaining to grammar, syntax, footnoting and style, see the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. For a tutorial on how to document sources properly, see Diane Hacker s online guide: OFFICE HOURS AND APPOINTMENTS The instructor will be available during office hours (W 1:00-3:00PM) or by special appointment, and can best be reached via his university address: megrossman@utep.edu. He will be checking his voic every Wednesday. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK Frederick Hartt and David Wilkins, History of Italian Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, 6 th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2007). ISBN-10: ; ISBN-13: SUPPLEMENTAL READING ASSIGNMENTS The instructor will post additional required reading materials on the course website. Recommended Writing Aids: Barnet, Sylvan, A short guide to writing about art, 8 th ed. (New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005). Bernstein, Mashey and George Yatchisin, Writing for the Visual Arts (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001). Chicago Manual of Style, 15 th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003). Sayre, Henry M., Writing About Art, 5th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006). Strunk, William, Jr. and E. B. White, The elements of style, illustrated by Maira Kalman (New York: Penguin Press, 2005). Troyka, L. Quitman, Simon & Schuster handbook for writers, 6 th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2002). Turabian, Kate L., A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations: Chicago style for students and researchers, 7 th ed. (Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 2007). 4

5 THE UTEP LIBRARY AND COURSE RESERVE SHELF The university s main library is an invaluable resource and contains many relevant books and periodicals. Some of these may be placed on the course reserve shelf, located at ground level. Students are welcome to contact the library staff for assistance with research. POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY Cheating or plagiarism on any assignment or test will automatically result in a failing grade for the course and may be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students. All papers must be original to this course (with no recycling of work from another class), meet all the requirements of the assignment, and properly cite all sources, including from textbooks and the Internet. Most importantly, all direct citations of text must be set in quotations and precisely footnoted. See the university s official policy on plagiarism: STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with limitations due to disabilities, provided that they contact Disabled Students Services within the first two weeks of class: (tel: ). Any student with a documented disability should contact the instructor immediately in order to inform him of his/her special needs. COURSE SYLLABUS The textbook and supplemental readings are intended to complement the lectures. The supplemental readings will be posted on the course website along with any images that are listed on the study sheet but are not in the textbook. The instructor may announce some minor modifications to the syllabus during the semester, with fair notice. It is expected that the reading assignments will be completed each week in a timely manner (by the Monday after they are assigned) in order that students are adequately prepared for the corresponding lectures as well as the examinations. Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 1, to be read by Jan. 21. Jan. 19 Jan. 21 Course Introduction The Age of the of he City-Republics Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 2. Waley, Daniel, Introduction, The Legacy of Power, The Population, Government, in The Italian city-republics, 3rd ed. (London, New York, 1988), xiii-xvii, pp

6 Jan. 26 Jan. 28 Duecento Art in Tuscany and Rome Duecento Art in Tuscany and Rome Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 3. Larner, John, Government and Patronage, in Culture and society in Italy, (New York, 1971), pp (Art and Architecture Library, NX552.A1 L3 1971). Giorgio Vasari, Preface to the Lives, Cimabue, Giotto, in Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects. See the website (pass the cursor over the preceding url, hold down the ctrl key and click) and navigate to the appropriate links (located near the top of the webpage). Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Florentine Art of the Early Trecento Florentine Art of the Early Trecento Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 4. Norman, Diana, A Noble Panel : Duccio s Maestà, in Diana Norman, ed., Siena, Florence and Padua: Art, Society, and Religion , Volume II: Case Studies (New Haven/London, 1995), pp Cennino Cennini, The Craftsman s Handbook, A Documentary History of Art, vol. 1, The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, ed. Elizabeth G. Holt, (Princeton, NJ, 1981), pp Feb. 9 Feb. 11 Sienese Art of the Early Trecento Sienese Art of the Early Trecento Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 5. Meiss, Millard, Introduction and The Two Cities at Mid-Century, in Painting in Florence and Siena after the Black Death (Princeton, 1951), pp. 3-8, Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Later Gothic Art in Tuscany and Northern Italy Later Gothic Art in Tuscany and Northern Italy Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 6. Larner, John, Italy in Crisis, , in Culture and society, op. cit., pp

7 Feb. 23 MIDTERM #1 Feb. 25 The Beginnings of Renaissance Architecture Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 7. Baxandall, Michael, Humanist opinions and humanist points of view and Petrarch: painting as the model of art, in Giotto and the orators: humanist observers of painting in Italy and the discovery of pictorial composition, (Oxford, 1971), pp Mar. 2 Mar. 4 Gothic and Renaissance in Tuscan Sculpture Gothic and Renaissance in Tuscan Sculpture Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 8. Larner, John, Italian Culture and Society in Transition (c c. 1420), in Culture and society, op. cit., pp Mar. 9 Mar. 11 Gothic and Renaissance in Florentine Painting Gothic and Renaissance in Florentine Painting PAPER ASSIGNED Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 9. Hood, William, Introduction: San Marco Problems, Fra Angelico at San Marco (New Haven, 1993), pp Mar. 23 Mar. 25 The Heritage of Masaccio and the Second Renaissance Style The Heritage of Masaccio and the Second Renaissance Style Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 10. Goffen, Rona, Introduction: Masaccio s Trinity and the Early Renaissance, and Gene Brucker, The Florentine Elite in the Early Fifteenth Century, in Rona Goffen, ed., Masaccio s Trinity (Cambridge, U.K., 1998), pp. 1-26, Mar. 30 MIDTERM #2 Apr. 1 The Second Renaissance Style in Architecture and Sculpture Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 11. Martin Kemp, Perspective from Brunelleschi to Leonardo, in The science of art: optical themes in western art from Brunelleschi to Seurat (New Haven, 1990), pp

8 Apr. 6 Apr. 8 Absolute and Perfect Painting: The Second Renaissance Style Absolute and Perfect Painting: The Second Renaissance Style Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 12. Goldthwaite, Richard A., Urban Foundations of New Consumption Habits: The Civic World of Architecture. Concepts of Nobility. Attitudes Towards Wealth, in Wealth and the Demand for Art in Italy: (Baltimore, 1993), pp Apr. 13 Apr. 15 Crisis and Crosscurrents Crisis and Crosscurrents Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 13. Lavin, Marilyn Aronberg, Piero della Francesca: The flagellation (New York, 1972). Apr. 20 Apr. 22 Science, Poetry and Prose Science, Poetry and Prose PAPER DUE Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 14. Cardini, Franco, with preface by Cristina Acidini Luchinat and an essay by Lucia Ricciardi, The Chapel of the Magi in Palazzo Medici (rev. ed. Florence, 2001). Apr. 27 Apr. 29 The Renaissance in Central Italy The Renaissance in Central Italy Hartt and Wilkins, chap. 15. Spencer, John R., Introduction: The Artists and the Works, and Sant Apollonia, in Andrea del Castagno and his Patrons (Durham, NC, 1991), pp. 1-6, May 4 May 6 TBA Gothic and Renaissance in Venice and Northern Italy Gothic and Renaissance in Venice and Northern Italy FINAL EXAM 8