aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

FLORENCE
School of Arts & Sciences
The Nude in Modern Art
ART 225 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Since the beginning of art history, the human body has fascinated
countless generations of artists, becoming since ancient times
the supreme form of artistic expression. The nude became a
genre in itself, used to represent religious and mythological
figures, gods and goddesses, legendary heroes and even ideas,
despite the negative reaction that sometimes followed the
unveiling of the work. But if for the more conservative the nude
was scandalous and sinful, for the artist it was an expression
of freedom and human beauty and sensuality, of the pureness
of being. The nude in the history of art is thus a subject both
traditional and transgressive, with broad implications for our
understanding of art and humanity. This course explores these
themes with special attention to the period from the late 18th
century to the late 20th century.
The World of Museums: Museology
ART 230 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The aim of this course is to provide an integrated approach to
museum theory and practice in Italy. It will consider museum
definitions and classification, and the century-long history of
art collecting, examining the various forms and meanings of
gathering beautiful, precious or even curious objects in various
places, including the creation of world-famous museums such
as the Uffizi or the Louvre. The concept of cultural heritage will
be analyzed, considering its increasing value for society, as well
as the legal and ethical issues involved. The course will also
provide the student with the basic knowledge of the main issues
in museum curatorship: research, methods of documentation,
cataloguing systems, display, basic communication techniques,
the importance of education in museums, preventive and
remedial conservation of collections, environmental monitoring
and control, safety plans and storage systems.
Mysteries and Sacred Knowledge in
Architecture
ART 243 F; Dual listed: PHR 243 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course explores the architecture of various past cultures
relative to their belief systems, and links this to contemporary
practice. It reads buildings and spaces as the products of
diverse forms of special sacred knowledge or wisdom, whose
language can be reconstructed, understood, and enjoyed. Key
themes include: esoterism; concepts of harmony, proportion
and geometry; numerology; astrology and cosmology; the
architect as creator; symbolism; ornament. Cultures examined
include ancient Egypt, classical antiquity (Greece and Rome),
ancient India (vaastu), ancient and modern China (feng shui),
medieval, Renaissance and Enlightenment Europe. From the
proportions of a pyramid to a freemason’s lodge, from the
capitals of a cathedral to the planning of a residence or square
in ancient or Renaissance Rome, the course seeks common
elements that may connect all cultures. Students discover new
interpretative keys that offer profound perspectives on the art
and craft of architecture, from antiquity to today.
Palaces of Florence
ART 245 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history
of the palaces of Florence from 13th to 17th centuries. Public
and private palaces had an important role in the life of the city
through the centuries, and, by studying them, students will
have the opportunity to understand not only the development
of their architectural style, but also the social, economic,
cultural, and political history of Florence, in an interdisciplinary
approach to the subject. Students will study the evolution of
Florentine palaces directly in front, and inside, of the buildings:
many of the lessons will be held on site, and site visits form a
crucial dimension of the learning experience.
Architectural History: Italian Urban Design
ART 248 F; Dual listed: ARC 248 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course embraces ancient design to modern Italian urban
landscape, analyzing the formal layout as well as the cultural and
social background of Italian cities. Students will study Etruscan
and pre-Roman towns, Roman imperial towns, medieval and
Renaissance towns, the Baroque environment, the cities of
the 19th century, new towns which were developed during the
Fascist era, post-war reconstruction, and contemporary town
planning. The aim of the course is to give students the tools to
“read” the landscape of Italian towns as complex environments
created during a long phase of different superimposed urban
textures.
Lost Symbolisms: Secret Codes in Western
Art
ART 255 F; Dual listed: PHR 255 F
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.
World Art
ART 260 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course explores Western and non-Western artistic
traditions from ancient era to the 20th century. Major artistic
trends, monuments and artworks from all over the world will
be discussed stressing differences, analogies and reciprocal
influences. Parallel to the study of western art, this course
offers a non-Western perspective which considers artworks
from Egypt, the ancient Near East, China, Japan and India.
The emphasis of the course is to develop an understanding
and appreciation of various art forms from cultures scattered
around the world which have existed for thousands of years,
representing multiple distinct lines of development. Artistic
trends will be related to their social, political and economical
context by considering broad thematic areas such as religion
and cultural continuity, rulership and political integration,
patronage and social status. Links, differences and cultural
interactions between different civilizations will be stressed to
better understand the concept of “cultural identity” in the era
of globalization.
Anthropology of Art
ART 265 F; Dual listed: ANT 265 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Art is a human universal, and for this reason it can be
understood and studied as a characteristic of our species, like
other products of human evolution. At the same time, art is also
a sociocultural product and a personal creation: it is a place
where biology and evolution intersect with culture viewed in
terms of both social dimensions and individualized expressions
– psyche, personality and choice. Such a complex reality can
best be comprehended and appreciated in its entirety through
the holistic approach offered by anthropology, by analyzing
every dimension of art: evolutionary, sociocultural, historical
and psychological. The course is structured in two parts:
during the first half we will explore the emergence of art and
creativity in the human species, gathering data from the many
disciplines that are involved: paleoanthropology, primatology,
neurosciences, and evolutionary psychology. During the
second half of the course we will explore the sociocultural
aspects of art and creativity, using many different ethnographic
sources. Students will have the opportunity to test the theories
developed in class by exploring Florence as their research field:
they will meet with local artisans, artists, and gallery owners,
discussing the topics they explore in class with people who are
directly engaged with art and creativity.
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LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014