aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

city to the age of Constantine, with an emphasis on significant
examples of Roman monumental buildings and works of art,
crucial archaeological sites, and newly excavated areas. In
addition to introducing students to analysis and interpretation
of styles, this course addresses a variety of current themes and
topics such as public and private architectural spaces, urban
planning, traditions, innovations, patronage, past and current
meaning of Roman art. The emphasis is on investigating Roman
art and architecture in relation to cultural, political, social, and
economic developments and through an interdisciplinary
approach. To facilitate the understanding of the multifaceted
aspects of Ancient Rome, conventional classroom lectures are
supplemented with field trips to museums, archaeological sites,
and excavations in progress.
Prerequisites: ART 180 Art History I, or ART 186 Art History II,
or equivalents
Roma: Archaeology of Power
CLA 345 R; Dual listed: HIS 345 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This comprehensive introduction to the archaeology of Rome
from its origins to the collapse of the Roman Empire focuses
on archaeological discoveries old and new in the urban area
of Rome. This approach affords new perspectives on the
evolution of Roman history. By “power” may be understood
the ability to join people through a specific social, political and
economical system, the ability to conquer other territories and
other people through military force, culture or religion, and
also the ability to reorganize a space with constructions and
environmental adaptations. In exploring the “archaeology of
power” we will refer to a set of key types of space or structure
(domus, forum, templum etc.) where people lived, worked,
and met with others to organize political, economic and social
life. The main sources of the course are archaeological, but
literary, epigraphic, iconographical evidence is also addressed.
Students will discover multidisciplinary approaches, and
specific methods and techniques, used by archaeologists to
understand and reconstruct our common past. In order to
stimulate students’ critical approach to historical phenomena,
the course incorporates study of objects and practices from
material culture, and direct contact with the topography of
Rome through site and museum visits.
Prerequisites: HIS 130 Western Civilization, or equivalent
is given to the interpretation of subjects and symbols, to the
different techniques and styles used by artists, and to the role
of public and private patrons. On-site teaching provides the
incomparable experience of studying important works of art
and architecture first-hand. The material is approached as an
introduction to the discipline of art history, with the aim of
fostering appreciation and the desire to further investigate this
field.
Art History II: High Renaissance to the Present
ART 186 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course is a survey of the visual arts in Western Europe,
covering the early 16th century through the present. Throughout
this course students encounter the principal monuments,
artists and themes in painting, sculpture and architecture,
and discover the changes in styles and taste in this period.
The course explores the historical, philosophical and cultural
contexts essential to understanding the visual arts and the
impact they have had through the ages. Great importance is
given to the interpretation of subjects and symbols, to the
different techniques and styles used by artists, and to the
role of public and private patrons. On-site teaching provides
the incomparable experience of studying important works of
art and architecture first-hand. The material is approached as
an introduction to the discipline of art history, with the aim of
fostering appreciation and the desire to further investigate this
field.
Introduction to Renaissance and Baroque Art
ART 195 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course introduces students to the peculiar language of
some of the most fascinating artistic periods in Italian art:
the Renaissance, the Mannerism and the Baroque (14th-18th
centuries). It will cover the main monuments and themes in
painting, sculpture, minor arts and architecture and it will be
focused on personalities such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci,
Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, Borromini
and many others. Particular emphasis will be placed on
Rome as the center of the production and commission of
masterpieces of art. Visits to museums, galleries and churches
are a fundamental part of the course.
School of Arts & Sciences ROME
Art History
History of Architecture
ART 165 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course surveys the major periods and key monuments
in the history of architecture from antiquity to the present,
focusing on the Western world. Emphasis is on the historical
periods from classical antiquity through the Middle Ages,
Renaissance, Modern Age, and contemporary developments.
It examines representative monuments and architects from
ancient Greece (the Parthenon in Athens) to the present day.
The architect’s pursuit of changing ideas of beauty is a leitmotif
that links the development of architecture with such masters as
Iktinos, Brunelleschi, Borromini, and Le Corbusier. Typologies,
materials and construction technology, theory, urbanism, and
cultural context, are addressed. The course also explores the
great variety of architectural traditions, orders, styles and
movements. By experiencing actual buildings of various periods
in the urban context, students learn how to critically analyze a
work of architecture.
Art History I: Antiquity to Early Renaissance
ART 180 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course is a survey of the visual arts in Western Europe,
from ancient Greece to the Early Renaissance. Throughout
this course students encounter the principal monuments,
artists and themes in painting, sculpture and architecture,
and discover the changes in styles and taste in this period.
The course explores the historical, philosophical and cultural
contexts essential to understanding the visual arts and the
impact they have had through the ages. Great importance
Lost Symbolisms: Secret Codes in Western
Art
ART 255 R; Dual listed: PHR 255 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course focuses on the links between artworks and
astrology, alchemy, geometry, numerology, and selected
philosophical themes in Western art between 1300 and 1800.
Art has served various functional and aesthetic purposes
in different cultures and periods. In some eras art has also
embodied a symbolic language, mysterious to the majority
but highly significant to the minority able to read or decode it.
For example, what we may call the secret messages of certain
paintings and sculptures of past centuries can be interpreted in
terms of astrology. A specific field of art history, iconography,
studies subject matter, symbolism, and signification in works
of art. Students use elements of this approach to examine the
fascinating and complex range of meanings that some artworks
were intended to transmit and which can still be recovered.
The Genius of Michelangelo
ART 270 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course focuses on Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)
and offers students the opportunity to explore in depth the life
and work of one of the most gifted and revolutionary artists
of the sixteenth century. It will look on his long artistic career
as a painter, sculptor, architect and poet. The artist’s personal
and artistic relations with other outstanding artists of his time,
in particular to Leonardo and Raphael, whom Michelangelo
perceived as great rivals, will also be a central theme of the
course. The course will be based on recent literature, sources
of the time and Michelangelo’s own writings (mainly his letters
and poetry). It will also explore artistic questions like the
hidden meanings in his works and Michelangelo’s influence on
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