FROM TEXT TO FRESCO: SUMMER 2016 THE GREAT AGE OF NARRATIVE PAINTING IN ITALY SYLLABUS

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "FROM TEXT TO FRESCO: SUMMER 2016 THE GREAT AGE OF NARRATIVE PAINTING IN ITALY SYLLABUS"

Kristin Griffith
6 years ago
Views:

1 ENGLISH 3370 DR MARGARITIS FROM TEXT TO FRESCO: SUMMER 2016 THE GREAT AGE OF NARRATIVE PAINTING IN ITALY SYLLABUS This is a comparative study of the great Italian fresco cycles from the late Gothic (13c.-14c. Giotto) to the high Renaissance (the 16c. Michelangelo) and the religious texts on which those cycles were based: the charming Apocrypha and the hagiographical tradition that popularized the lives of the saints. Especially from the time of Giotto, devotional art attained its greatest form not in individual panel paintings (altarpieces, etc.), but in the fresco cycles that adorned whole walls of basilicas and churches, where this art was meant to be read by the public in the way that the book of Nature or the sacred book of the Bible was read for spiritual edification. Having traveled extensively, I know from experience that tourists usually stare at these marvelous achievements with glazed incomprehension, unable to guess what story is being represented and what its significance is. This course aims to unlock and make accessible this rich world to you. You should, in time, be able to recognize the identifying details and iconography of particular scenes, the identifying details of the artistic period, even the painter, and, very importantly, be able to evaluate the painter s originality, his incorporation of traditional iconography, his creative transmutation of it, and his own personal adjustments and contributions both to the craft of fresco painting and to the interpretation of the major legends. The indisputable advantage of this study abroad is that it allows you to see what you cannot see anywhere else, even in the greatest American museums that boast excellent collections of paintings: entire walls and chapels of magnificent interrelated fresco scenes (in the spaces intended for them) that simply cannot be transported from their location for even the most extravagantly costly exhibit. We will naturally devote much attention to the transposition of narrative from text to fresco and the questions this transposition involves: principles of selection from the story, the criteria of inclusion and exclusion, compositional design, iconographic motifs, and so on, as well as technical matters dealing with the preparation of wall surfaces and application of pigments. The main focus of the course will be the Christian art of the late Gothic to the high Renaissance, where the material of study is most plentiful and reaches its highest point of sophistication and accomplishment. You will read the primary texts that the artists themselves used: the apocryphal gospel (Protevangelium) of St James (for Giotto s frescoes in the Arena Chapel of Padova, the unrivalled masterpiece of Gothic painting); St Bonaventure s Major Life of St Francis (for the famous Francis-cycle in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi and Giotto s Bardi Chapel in the church of S. Croce, Florence); selected saints lives from Jacobus de Voragine s seminal Golden Legend (e.g. the life of St Martin for Simone Martini s Montefiore Chapel in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi; the lives of St Stephen and St Lawrence for the Chapel of Nicholas V by Fra Angelico and Benozzo Gozzoli in the Vatican), and, from the same collection, certain famous narratives (e.g. the Invention of the Cross and the Exaltation of the Cross for the fantastic frescoes of Piero della Francesca in the apse of San Francesco in Arezzo); and passages in the Old and New Testaments (Genesis 1-9, Acts of the Apostles) for Michelangelo s great frescoes in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Topics will include the significance of major Christian doctrines and events in Christian history and their depiction in art; the ongoing evolution of representational art during these centuries, from the stylized Byzantine formalism that Giotto broke away from in his revolutionary work to the almost, at times, surrealistic impressionism of the very late Renaissance, harbinger of the Baroque. The

2 MARGARITIS: 2 shapely design and coherence of this comparative study make for an ideally interdisciplinary course that is relevant to students in the fields of literature, history, art, and art history. This course combines these matters in the most opportune way by allowing you to see the incorporation of these cultural narratives in the flesh, so to speak, in what should prove to be a fine educational experience. TEXTS: (1) Primary Works: - Protevangelium of St James (online) - St Bonaventure. The Major Life of St Francis (tr. Benen Fahy) in St Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies: English Omnibus of the Sources (Franciscan Herald Press, 1983), Jacobus de Voragine. The Golden Legend (tr. Granger Ryan and Helmut Ripperger. Arno Press, 1969). Selections: St John the Evangelist (58-64) The Conversion of St Paul ( ) The Invention of the Cross ( ) St Peter ( ) St John the Baptist ( ) The Exaltation of the Cross ( ) St Martin ( ) - The Bible: Genesis (Ch. 1-9) Luke (Ch.1) Acts of the Apostles (Ch. 1-12) (2) Secondary Critical Works (recommended reading): - Michael Alpatoff. The Parallelism of Giotto s Paduan Frescoes in Giotto: The Arena Chapel Frescoes (ed. James Stubblebine. Norton, 1969), Bruce Cole. The Renaissance Artist at Work: From Pisano to Titian (John Murray, 1983). Chapter 2: The Materials of Renaissance Art, Bruce Cole. Piero della Francesca: Tradition and Innovation in Renaissance Art (Icon, 1991). Chapter 3: The Frescoes, Sydney J. Freedberg, Michelangelo: The Sistine Ceiling in Michelangelo: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (ed. Charles Seymour, Jr. Norton, 1972) - Emile Mâle. The Gothic Image (tr. Dora Nussey). Preface, Introduction, and selections from Books Sven Sandstrom, The Sistine Ceiling in Seymour, Heinrich Wolfflin, from Die klassische Kunst in Seymour,

3 MARGARITIS: 3 The readings are available on the WWU Canvas site for the course, under Files. Click on the Folder that says Early Christian Texts. (The folders are organized by Canvas alphabetically.) The individual texts are listed in this folder according to the order of reading assignments, beginning with our first reading, the Protevangelium of St James. Most of the readings are short and manageable. However, St Bonaventure s Life of Francis is very long, and that is why I am giving you the benefit of a whole weekend to get it read. Several readings are from the Fordham website; be careful to read only the assigned sections (separated by titles), because the website lists passages continuously, so that you need not keep reading into sections that we are not studying. The pictures of the frescoes we will be studying and seeing are also available on the WWU Canvas site for the course, under Files. Click on the Appropriate Folder for the day in question. The pics are numbered (by place and artist) and labeled in the following order: City- Church-Artist-Chapel/Work. Familiarize yourselves with the pics for each day in advance of our class meeting; we will discuss them in detail in class, day by day. There are a total 284 pics here. Pre-Departure WWU On-Campus Meetings: Tues June 21: Introduction to the course: the nature of the study; background to the literary genres and to fresco art; terms and techniques [slides] Wed June 22: Discussion: Protevangelium of St James Pics: # Padova: Scrovegni Chapel. Giotto Pics: # Padova: Oratorio di S. Giorgio. Altichierro: Stories of Saints George & Catherine Pics: # Padova: Basilica di S. Antonio Thur June 23: Discussion: Jacobus de Voragine: The Golden Legend. John the Baptist (Birth,Death) Jacobus de Voragine: The Golden Legend. John the Evangelist Pics: # Florence: S. Croce. Giotto: Peruzzi Chapel Fri June 24-: Discussion: Jacobus de Voragine: The Golden Legend. St Peter Acts of the Apostles Pics: # Florence: S. Maria del Carmine. Masaccio et al: Brancacci Chapel Mon June 27: Discussion: Bonaventure s Life of St Francis of Assisi Pics: # Florence: S. Croce. Giotto: Bardi Chapel. Pics: # Assisi: Basilica di S. Francesco: Upper Church. Tues June 28: Discussion: Jacobus de Voragine: The Golden Legend. St Martin Pics: # Assisi: Basilica. Lower Church & Simone Martini: Montefiore Chapel

4 MARGARITIS: 4 Wed June 29: Discussion: Jacobus de Voragine: The Golden Legend. Invention of the Cross & Exaltation of the Cross Pics: # Arezzo: S. Francesco. Piero della Francesca: Legend Of the Holy Cross Thur June 30: Discussion: Pics: # Rome: Vatican. Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel: Last Judgment Wall Fri July 1: Study Day Tues July 5: Discussion: Genesis (Ch. 1-9) Pics: # Rome: Vatican. Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel: Ceiling Wed July 6: Discussion: Pics of extracurricular artistic sites on the trip (special folder) Thur July 7: Basic Language & Travel Prep

5 MARGARITIS: 5 Sessions in Italy: Thursday, Sep. 1: Students arrive in Padova (via Venice or Rome): Check-in + orientation Friday, Sep. 2: A.M: Visit: Scrovegni Chapel (Giotto frescoes) P.M: Visit Oratorio di S. Giorgio (Altichiero frescoes + Basilica di S. Antonio (Donatello bronzes, various chapels, & relics of St Anthony) Saturday, Sep. 3: A.M: Train to Florence. Check-in. Tour of city (Duomo, Baptistry, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio P.M: After lunch, walk to Piazzale Michelangelo & romanesque church of S. Miniato al Monte (view of Florence) Sunday, Sep. 4: A.M: Visit Uffizi Gallery (the greatest collection of Italian painting in the world) P.M: Visit Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo statues) Monday, Sep. 5: A.M: Visit Santa Croce (Giotto frescoes) & Santa Maria del Carmine (Masaccio frescoes) P.M: Visit Baptistry interior. Duomo Museum (statues by Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti s Doors of Paradise, etc.) Tuesday, Sep. 6: Free day in Florence or optional trip to nearby medieval city of Siena Wednesday, Sep. 7: A.M: Train to Arezzo + Check-in Visit: S. Francesco (Piero della Francesca cycle) P.M: Visit Duomo (Piero s Mary Magdalen) Free afternoon Thursday, Sep. 8: A.M: Train to Assisi + Check-in Visit: Basilica di S. Francesco (Upper Basilica: Cimabue & Assisi Master; Lower Basilica: Simone Martini s Montefiore Chapel & Lorenzetti Brothers) Friday, Sep. 9: A.M: Visit the Portiuncula Church Excursion to the nearby medieval town of Spello: visit the Baglioni Chapel P.M: Return to Assisi. Free afternoon

6 MARGARITIS: 6 Saturday, Sep. 10: A.M: Train to Rome + Check-in P.M: Leisurely walking tour of city: Forum, Via dei Fori Imperiali, Campidoglio, Colosseum, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Trastevere Sunday, Sep. 11: A.M: Visit Borghese Gallery (Bernini statues; painting gallery) Monday, Sep. 12: A.M: Visit: Vatican (Greco-Roman Antiquities, Pinturrichio s Borgia Apartments; Raphael rooms; Pinacoteca; Sistine Chapel w/ frescoes by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Pinturrichio, etc.) Tuesday, Sep. 13: A.M: Visit Circus Maximus, Parco Savelli, and S. Sabina church Wednesday, Sep.14: A.M: Free day. Optional day-trip to Tarquinia (famous & beautiful Etruscan tombs with frescoes) P.M: Farewell Dinner Goals of the Course: As a result of taking the course, students will gain a knowledge of the following: 1. Major doctrines of Christianity & the importance of churches as places of devotional worship disseminating these doctrines to the public 2. Major events of Christian history and legends of Christianity 3. How these concepts and narratives were incorporated in the Italian fresco cycles covering the greatest period of fresco painting, the late Gothic to the high Renaissance: iconography, symbolism 4. Evolution of style during this period: break with Byzantine past; new aims of representational realism; perspective; changes in the application of pigment, changes from true fresco to secco or dry fresco; technical procedures 5. Corollary knowledge of art and culture beyond the focus on the above: e.g. other forms of art (Donatello s bronze and marble sculptures, Michelangelo s and Bernini s sculptures; architecture); the way modern Italy has incorporated into its daily life the relics of its past in a kind of architectural and cultural palimpsest

7 MARGARITIS: 7 Methods of Evaluation: 1. Pre-U.S. departure comprehensive examination on the readings and pics (online): (20%). Date to be announced short papers, each 2-3 pages printed, each a comparative treatment of the literary narrative and its artistic depiction. Students will each select a specific scene of the cycle in question to discuss in detail. This could be the way the artist has used iconographic motifs to convey important meanings of the text, or the way the compositional design within the scene, or between two scenes, conveys important meanings explicit or implicit in the text. Due dates: September 5 (on Giotto); September 10 (on the Assisi Master, Simone Martini, or Piero della Francesca); September 14 (on Michelangelo). (Each paper = 20%) 3. Field Journal (on local and out-of-town excursions). Students will record their impression of the experience as a whole (correspondence of the actuality to their forevision and anticipation of it), as well as focus on those particular aspects (specific scenes, compositional arrangements, color harmonies, etc.) that impress them, and why, as especially noteworthy. Approximately 1-page discussion of their general impression + 1-page discussion of a particular scene. The journal will be useful as preparatory material for writing the three short papers. (20%) Students are encouraged to arrive in Venice, a quick train ride away from Padova (the start of our program) and, if they are able to, to do so a few days in advance, so that on their own they might have a chance to see the dreamlike Venice and also the very beautiful city of Verona. These are all very close to each other. At the end of the program the students will have the opportunity to remain in Italy (or go to some other spot in Europe) if they wish and are able to, since over a week will remain before the resumption of classes at Western.

FROM TEXT TO FRESCO: SUMMER 2018 THE GREAT AGE OF NARRATIVE PAINTING IN ITALY SYLLABUS

ENGLISH 337 DR MARGARITIS FROM TEXT TO FRESCO: SUMMER 2018 THE GREAT AGE OF NARRATIVE PAINTING IN ITALY SYLLABUS We will study the great Italian fresco cycles from the late Gothic (13c.-14c. Giotto) to