aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

FLORENCE
School of Arts & Sciences
church in the Florentine area, supervised by a faculty tutor and
the cooperating museum, or Florentine curia staff. The internship
provides students with practical experience, especially in the
field of cultural mediation and museum education, through
direct observation of the various activities developed at the
hosting museums and churches, individual studying and
direct participation in guided tours at museums and churches.
Through this experience students have the opportunity to learn
and apply new professional skills, while directly interacting with
institutional staff and the visitors.
Note: Placement opportunities are limited and subject
to change. Students who enroll must submit supporting
documentation by the registration deadline, and acceptance is
conditional upon result of an on-site interview during the first
week of the term. Fluency in Italian may be advantageous.
Prerequisites: Art History and Museum Studies majors of
sophomore standing
19th Century Art: from Neoclassicism to Post-
Impressionism
ART 365 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course examines European art between c.1790 and c.1900.
The start of this period corresponds to the passage from
Neoclassicism to Romanticism, while the end corresponds to
movements including Post-Impressionism that heralded the
avant-gardes of the Twentieth Century. The Nineteenth Century
was an era of enormous changes of many kinds (from politics
to technology) in European society, and links between society,
ideology, culture and the visual arts are explored. Themes
explored include: critics and the public; exhibitions and salons;
naturalism and realism; nationalism; Orientalism and Japonisme;
nature and landscape; Impressionism; dreams and inspiration;
heroism; literary and historical themes. Special focus is given to
changing notions of modernity. Artists studied include David,
Goya, Delacroix, Turner, Courbet, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh,
Cezanne, Seurat, Gauguin, Ensor and Munch. Attention is also
given to Italian artists and movements.
Prerequisites: ART 180 Art History I, or ART 186 Art History II,
or equivalents
Avant-garde and Modernist Art (1900-1950)
ART 370 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The aim of this course is to give students a thorough and
comprehensive grounding in the conceptual and stylistic trends
affecting artistic development in the first half of the last century.
The course includes a survey of both European and American
art of this period. The course is divided into two main sections:
Section One (1900-1940): Post- Impressionism - The Modern
Movements; Section Two (1940-1960): Abstract Expressionism
- Neo-Dada / Assemblage. The objective of this course is to
introduce students to the philosophical and critical discourses
of Modernist painting. A mandatory one-day field trip may be
included.
Prerequisites: ART 186 Art History II, or equivalent
Contemporary Art
ART 375 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The aim of this course is to give students a thorough and
comprehensive grounding in the conceptual and stylistic
trends governing the art of the late 20th century. This period
deals specifically with the transition from Greenbergian High
Modernism of the 60’s, through the dematerialization of the
art object in the 70’s, to the postmodern and deconstructive
theories of the 80’s and 90’s. The course is divided into two main
sections: Section One (1960-1980): Pop Art - Photo-Realism
(Europe and USA); Section Two (1980-1990’s): Postmodernism
- Current Trends (Europe and USA). The objective of this
course is to introduce students to the philosophical and critical
discourses relating to Modernism and Postmodernism. A
mandatory one-day field trip may be included.
Prerequisites: ART 186 Art History II, or equivalent
Art Expertise
ART 405 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The function of art expertise is to make a precise assessment
of a work of art in terms of its aesthetic significance, its
material evidence, its documentary importance (history) and
its market value. With the birth of the art market, in addition
to the art collector and the art dealer we now find the art
consultant: an expert in the field of visual arts who is able to
recognize the characteristics of specific periods, schools and
artists. Furthermore, he or she is able to distinguish an original
work from a copy or an imitation and assess its market value.
Beginning with the definition of what a work of art is and a
discussion of the criteria to define quality, the course leads
students through the ins and outs of both selling and buying.
The following issues are addressed: the roles of the connoisseur
and the art consultant; classification and cataloguing of
works of art (dossiers and publications); scientific diagnostic
procedures; fakes and artistic revivals; Italian and international
art legislation; auctions (with visits to the Pandolfini auction
house in Florence).
Prerequisites: Art History majors
Museum Education
ART 450 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 30
Using case studies and theoretical analyses, this course
explores how museums reach out to their communities,
including the staging of events for public outreach, teaching
from objects and teaching others (guides, volunteers, interns)
to teach from objects, and the educational use of technologies.
It will also examine the role of the museum educator and his or
her engagement with the phenomena of formal, informal, and
lifelong learning. Students interested in pursuing a career as a
museum educator are strongly encouraged to enroll.
Note: undergraduate cross-listing of ART 604. Applicants
must submit CV and short essay for instructor review during
the registration process; further materials and interview may
be needed.
Prerequisites: Second-semester juniors with major in a related
field; instructor’s permission required
Museum: Ethics and the Law
ART 460 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 30
This course introduces the student to the legal and ethical
issues faced by museums as repositories of cultural property
across the world. Issues explored on a comparative international
basis include copyright, censorship, public interest, appropriate
conservation, theft, dubious provenance, and repatriation of art
and artifacts.
Note: undergraduate cross-listing of ART 606. Applicants
must submit CV and short essay for instructor review during
the registration process; further materials and interview may
be needed.
Prerequisites: Second-semester juniors with major in a related
field; instructor’s permission required
Art History – M.A. in Museum
Studies program
Museums and the Public I: People and Ideas
ART 501 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 37,5
This course addresses the various roles museums play in society,
accentuating the position of the museum as a significant cultural
institution whose form and very existence depends upon a rich
interchange with its community, local and global. It is designed
largely as a series of invited lectures by museum professionals
such as museum directors, curators, donors, fundraisers, docent
trainers, web designers etc., with both theoretical and practical
knowledge of museums. These lectures, combined with weekly
readings, will serve as springboards for individual analysis and
class discussion.
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LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014