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Courses in Art History
Art
2530
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART
*Offered in alternate years.
4
SEMESTER HOURS
SYLLABUS for Spring 2006
MTWF 9:00-9:50
Dr. Elise L. Smith (smithel@millsaps.edu)
Office: Academic Complex 323
Office Hours: M & F 10:00-11:00, Th 9:00-9:50, or by appointment (also
feel free to drop in whenever you're passing by)
Phone Numbers: 601-974-1432 (office); 601-354-2290 (home; no calls after
10:00 p.m., please)
E-mail: smith, elise (outlook) or smithel@millsaps.edu (I usually read
my e-mail a number of times a day, so this is a great way to get in touch
with me if you have a quick question or problem or confusion, or just
want to talk)
We'll explore aspects of the painting and sculpture of the Italian Renaissance
in this course, and as time permits the art works will be set in the context
of historical, biographical, literary, religious, and/or philosophical
developments in order to enrich our understanding of artistic production
and patronage. Our approach will be chronological, beginning with certain
early 14th-century artists of the proto-Renaissance and concluding with
the late Renaissance movement of Mannerism in the mid 16th century. We
won't attempt to cover every major artist of the period in class, but
instead will focus on analyzing key art works that are particularly influential,
problematic, or controversial.
TEXT. Laurie Schneider Adams, Italian Renaissance Art (Westview,
2001).
GRADES. Each of you will be evaluated on the basis of the following:
--class participation, including short reading responses (15%)
--research paper (8-10 pp.) (25%)
--oral presentation (15%)
--three exams (15% each)
SENIORS: Seniors completing comps this semester may choose not
to take the final exam if their grade is C or above, and if they continue
to come to class until the last day of the semester and do all the required
readings (failure to do so could result in being required to take the
final). The course grade of seniors who don't take the final exam will
be computed as follows: class participation (20%), research paper (30%),
and two exam (25% each).
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND DISCUSSION: Regular attendance is especially
important in this course since it won't be possible to duplicate the experience
of class discussions simply by reading along in the book. Absences for
whatever reason after the first three will adversely affect your final
grade (I will count off one point from your final grade for each absence
after the first three). If you are absent for an extended excused illness
or family emergency you may be able to make up those absences by doing
additional writing assignments (it is your responsibility to consult with
me about this if the need arises).
LEARNING DISABILITIES: If you have a learning disability and need
special arrangements you must discuss it with Patrick Cooper in Student
Affairs as well as each of your instructors. In order for me to be able
to accommodate your needs you must inform me within the first week of
the semester (or within one week of entering the class).
EXAMS: The in-class exams will consist of slide identifications
and essays. The essays will involve analysis and comparison of selected
works of art. For the purposes of this class, the complete identification
of a work of art requires the following information: name of artist (correctly
spelled), title of the work of art, location (if still in original site),
medium (e.g., tempera, oil, fresco, bronze, etc.), and approximate date
by third of a century (early, mid, late). There may be a take-home component
to one or more of the exams.
* * * No make-up exam will be given unless you have a serious medical
or other emergency reason and have notified me in advance of the reason
for your absence.
READING RESPONSES: For the 4 readings noted in the Course Schedule
below, write a short response (1/2 - 1 typed page) in which you highlight
what you see after a careful reading as the 3 or 4 most significant points.
These are due at the beginning of the class during which the article will
be discussed. No late responses and no e-mail submissions will be accepted.
RESEARCH PAPER: This paper (about 8-10 pages typewritten, in 12-point
font) will be centered around a single work of art (painting, sculpture,
or architecture). You should have a clearly stated thesis around which
the paper is developed, and should bring in relevant material from both
of the following categories:
internal evidence (related directly to the work itself), consisting of
a close technical, stylistic and/or iconographic (i.e., subject matter)
analysis;
external evidence (related to contextual issues), which could include
biographical information pertinent to your thesis and/or a consideration
of the larger context in which the work was made (historical, political,
literary, religious, and/or social, including issues of gender, race,
and/or class).
You should also incorporate into your paper at least one or two images
for comparative purposes, to clarify your understanding of these issues.
This is a paper that will involve considerable research. You should have
at least five different sources in your bibliography. Internet sites are
not acceptable sources for this kind of formal art history paper. Please
use specialized books and articles on the artist or the period as much
as possible, rather than general art history surveys, and look for the
most up-to-date sources that you can find. You will probably have to supplement
our library holdings with books and articles acquired through interlibrary
loan, so be sure to leave at least two weeks for those sources to arrive.
For appropriate scholarly books, check the bibliographies and notes of
books and articles that you've already found, and/or go to the on-line
site of a major library such as Harvard (www.harvard.edu) or Yale (www.yale.edu)
to see what they have. For articles, check the periodical index called
The Art Index, which is available either in hard copy in the reference
area of the library or (for the last few decades) on-line through the
library web page (go to Search Tools, then Research Databases, then Art
Index). I also have a number of books in my office and would be glad to
loan them out if they'd be useful.
Most important: a narrow focus, a thesis, and a full development of your
argument. Learn as much as you can about the topic, and then figure out
what aspect you want to pursue. Avoid simple summary, and be sure to include
substantial, extended analysis of art or art ideas (in other words, this
paper should not just be biography or history, but should include close
analysis that reflects your growing awareness of and proficiency with
the language of art). One productive way to start is to sit down with
a color illustration of the image and look at it very closely for a long
time, free-writing your way into an understanding of the piece. This probably
won't end up as part of your paper, but will help you to establish your
own voice as you work on the image. It's your paper, so don't let the
voices of your sources dominate you. But this is also not an opinion piece.
It's a formal scholarly paper. Your voice and thesis and analysis should
be informed by awareness of the available scholarship on this artist and
image. Remember to include xeroxed illustrations when needed, with figure
numbers in the text to refer your readers to those illustrations. You
can read a few examples of award-winning art history papers written by
Millsaps students by going to the art department web page. You should
also become familiar with the short document "Tips for Writing Art
History Papers," also found on our departmental web page.
Revision: I strongly encourage you to go through a rigorous and extensive
revision process for this paper, which would ideally include various outside
readers from the Writing Center or from among your peers. I would be happy
to talk with you about the progress of your paper, and if you get a draft
to me at least a week before the due date I could offer you suggestions
for revision. Once the paper is turned in to me on the due date, however,
the grade it receives will be final.
Late assignments will be marked down 1/3 letter grade for each 24 hours
that they are late (including weekends), unless prior arrangements are
made. A serious, legitimate, justifiable reason is needed for me to consider
granting a student extra time for these papers, so plan ahead and budget
your time wisely. If you turn a paper in late and I'm not in my office,
please put the date and hour on it.
ORAL PRESENTATION: This 10-minute presentation will be a chance
for you to share with the class the key ideas and issues from your research
paper. By this point you should be so comfortable with and knowledgeable
about your topic that you can speak freely and informally. Please don't
have your complete paper with you, since that usually results in too much
shuffling through pages. Instead have notes on one or two pieces of paper
or a few note cards. Begin with a clear indication of the general subject
and any relevant background or contextual information. Then inform us
of the specific thesis of your paper and provide meaningful supporting
evidence for your argument. Practice your presentation so you have experience
speaking clearly – slowly enough so we can follow you but energetically
enough that we remain interested. Time your presentation so you're confident
that it's the appropriate length, and think ahead about how you're going
to conclude clearly and with grace. You should prepare a short one or
two page handout with important information about your thesis, useful
primary quotes (all quotes should be appropriately cited), and a bibliography
in MLA format. It will be your responsibility to make copies for each
member of the class.
PLAGIARISM - A Reminder
Always be careful about plagiarism, even in short writing exercises and
take-home exams. Plagiarism, as you know from LS1000, is the use of another
person's ideas or words without proper acknowledgment.
Two of the most common forms of plagiarism are defined by Diana Hacker
in The Bedford Handbook for Writers (Boston: St. Martin's, 1994) as
"(1) borrowing someone's ideas, information, or language without
documenting the source and
(2) documenting the source but paraphrasing the source's language too
closely, without using quotation marks to indicate that language has been
borrowed" (477).
When should you document a source? In addition to citing the source of
a direct quote, you should give a citation when you refer to an idea,
opinion, hypothesis, or conclusion from one of your sources, or when you
summarize or paraphrase a section of your source, or when you rely on
one of your sources for a fact that would not be considered common knowledge
for the audience of your paper (Hacker 477-78). The point of all this
is to help the reader (and yourself as writer) to distinguish between
your own ideas and those with whom you are entering into scholarly conversation.
What is meant by paraphrasing a source too closely? This is the kind
of plagiarism that I most often see in student papers. It has often been
considered "unintentional", but is nonetheless clearly recognizable
as plagiarism. With the Honor Code now in place at Millsaps, and with
a concerted effort being made by faculty and students alike to clarify
the boundaries of academic dishonesty, you will no longer be able to plead
lack of understanding but will be turned in to the Honor Council. If you're
uncertain about plagiarism, I encourage you to read Hacker (467-79) or
another style manual on the process of taking notes in order to properly
paraphrase your sources and on constructing and writing your essay in
order to maintain a strong, clear voice.
HONOR CODE: The honor pledge signed by all students upon entering
the College is as follows: As a Millsaps College student, I hereby affirm
that I understand the Honor Code and am aware of its implications and
of my responsibility to the Code. In the interests of expanding the atmosphere
of respect and trust in the College, I promise to uphold the Honor Code
and I will not tolerate dishonest behavior in myself or in others.
Please pledge all your written work for this class with the written pledge:
"I hereby certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized
aid on this assignment [Signature]." The abbreviation "Pledged"
followed by your signature has the same meaning and is acceptable on assignments
other than final exams.
* * *
If you're having problems of any sort that are affecting your work in
this course or as a student at Millsaps, please feel free to come talk
to me about it, or write me an e-mail message.
* * *
COURSE CALENDAR (tentative and provisional)
(Other readings may be handed out during the course of the semester).
4th Hour: We will rarely use our 4th hour (Tuesdays 9-9:50), but please
do not schedule anything else during that time in case we need to meet.
Week
1
(1/18, 1/20) Introduction; Giotto and Duccio
OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE: Wednesday, 1/18, 7:30, Lewis Art Gallery, gallery
talk by Sandra Murchison and Michelle Acuff
Read for 1/20: Handout on "General Views on the Beginnings of the
Artistic Renaissance in Italy" and "Artists on Art"; and
start reading Adams 2-43 (have this completed by 1/23)
DUE on 1/20: Response to "General Views"
2
(1/23-1/27) Giotto and Duccio, cont'd; Later Sienese art; Black Death
period
REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Monday, 1 /23, 7:30, AC 215, Slide talk by Jennifer
Angus
Read for 1/23: finish reading Adams 2-43; also Adams 43-56
3
(1/30-2/3) 15th-Century Sculpture
Read for 2/1: Brunelleschi and Ghiberti handout; Adams 58-82, 146-54,
166-70, 202-15
4
(2/6-2/10) 15th-Century Sculpture
Notice that your paper topic & preliminary bibliography are due in
two weeks.
5
(2/13-2/17) Masaccio
Read for 2/13: Adams 83-103
EXAM #1 on Tuesday, 2/14
6
(2/20-2/24) Mid-Century Painting
Read for 2/20: Adams 104-141, 184-92, 196-201
DUE on 2/24: Research paper topic & preliminary bibliography
7
(2/27-3/3) Botticelli
Read for 2/27: Adams 222-245; handout on Botticelli's Birth of Venus
Read for 2/29: Lilian Zirpolo, "Botticelli's Primavera: A Lesson
for the Bride"
DUE on 2/29: Response to Zirpolo article
8
(3/6-3/10) Leonardo da Vinci
Read for 3/6: Adams 291-311; excerpts from Leonardo's Notebooks
Read for 3/10: Leo Steinberg, "The Seven Functions of the Hands of
Christ: Aspects of Leonardo's Last Supper"
DUE on 3/10: Response to Steinberg article
9
(3/13-17) Spring Break!
10
(3/20-3/22) Leonardo da Vinci; Raphael
EXAM #2 on Tuesday, 3/21
Read for 3/22: Adams 321-29, 344-53
NO CLASS, 3/24 - I'll be at a conference in Gainesville
OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE: Friday, 3/24, 7:30, Lewis Art Gallery, Annual Student
Juried Exhibition reception and live music
11
(3/27-3/31) Raphael
Read for 3/27: "Comparative Merits of the Arts" from Robert
Klein and Henri Zerner, Italian Art 1500-1600
12
(4/3-4/7) Michelangelo
Read for 4/3: Adams 312-20, 330-43, 379-91
Read for 4/5: Anthony Blunt, "Michelangelo," from Blunt's Artistic
Theory in Italy 1450-1600; and handout with primary texts
DUE on 4/5: Response to Blunt article
OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE (required for art majors): Monday, 4/3, 7:00, Lewis
Art Gallery, Senior gallery talks
13
(4/10-4/12) Michelangelo
DUE on 4/10: Research paper
NO CLASS 4/14
14
(4/17-4/21) Michelangelo and Mannerism; Oral presentations
Read for 4/19: Adams 392-99
15
(4/24-4/28) Oral presentations
Read for 4/24: Adams 280-89, 357-78
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