Art History 176  *  Fall 2012

  T/R  9:30-10:45am

Renaissance to Modern

 

Botticelli 15th – Cindy Sherman 20th

 

Dr. Laura Rinaldi Dufresne

office hours   11-noon TR  & by appointment

McLaurin 102  x2661,  dufresnel@winthrop.edu

 Website: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/dufresnel

 

REQUIRED READINGS:

    Laurie Schneider Adams, Art Across Time Vol. II, any recent edition

                             

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:    

     James Hall, Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art, reference, Dacus

     Sylvan Barnett, A Short Guide to Writing About Art, reserve, Dacus

 

COURSE  DESCRIPTION:  A survey of the art and architecture in Western Civilizations from the Renaissance to the Present.

A work of art is more than just the sum of its parts, but reflects the world in which it was produced.  It is my hope that this fast-paced survey of art from the Renaissance to yesterday will be more than just painful memorization of difficult names and style periods.  Each piece has a story to tell.  So you will read and write and memorize and write again – and discover, at the very least, that someday when you walk into the Prado, the Louvre or the Metropolitan, that you recognize and understand what you are seeing!  GLI:  This course participates in the Global Learning Initiative by its very nature."

GNED:  ARTH 176 fulfills GNED requirements for Historical Perspective and Humanities and the Arts.  Goal  1.1   Read, write and speak standard English is met through writing assignments and essay exam questions, Goal 3.2 Analyze and use a variety of information gathering techniques is met through the research paper assignment, Goal  4. 1 Analyze diverse world cultures, societies, languages, historical periods, and artistic expressions and Goal 6.1  To understand aesthetic values, the creative process, and the interconnectedness of the literary, visual, and performing arts throughout the history of civilization  are met through reading, lecture, research and exams on course description content.

 Expected Learning Outcomes include recognition, understanding and appreciation for the arts of Europe in the Renaissance through the Contemporary Periods including comparisons with the arts of India, China, Japan and Africa expressed through satisfactory written Standard English on exams as well as research paper and competent citation skills used in research paper.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:   100 points possible

     3 exams (20 points each)                                              60

     Texting Project                                                               10

     Essay                                                                   25

     Attendance/Participation                                               5       

Grading Scale:  

94-100%  = A;  90-93 = A-;  87-89 = B+;  84-86 = B;  80-83 = B-; 77-79 = C+;  74-76 = C;  70-73 = C-; 67-69 = D+; 64-66 = D; 60-63 = D-; 59 or less = F

Extra Credit Opportunities: 2012 film series 2 points per film, max 6 points (see schedule attached). Other events tba,

CLASS RULES:

Take LOTS of notes

Review Syllabus regularly & keep up with readings

Please no sleeping or head  on desk!

More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a loss of 5 points

More than 6 unexcused absences = automatic F

Consistent texting, tardiness sleeping or talking will count as an absence

Late work or Make up exams unacceptable without written excuse fm doctor

Do not use your book during class - listen & look at images

NO electronics (cell phones or ear phones or computers) w/out permission

 Do not enter or leave the class through the front doors

 If you have special needs for exams, etc., call Gina Smith X 2233

ARTH 176 Calendar (subject to change)             Readings in Adams

 

T  Aug 21

Introduction                                                               Intro & Ch. 12

 

R  Aug 23

Early Renaissance                                                      Ch 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T Aug 28

Early Renaissance

 

R Aug 30

Early Renaissance

 

T Sep 4

High Renaissance                                                      Ch 14

 

R Sep 6

High Renaissance

 

T Sep 11

Texting Composition Day in class

 

R Sep 13

Northern Europe    16th                                              Ch 16

 

T Sep 18

Mannerism Exam One Study Guide                          

 

R Sep 20

Mannerism

 

T Sep 25

   EXAM 1                                                                 

 

R Sep 27

Baroque / Mughal Art                                               Ch 17 & p666-8

 

T Oct 2

Baroque / Rococo                                                      Ch 18

 

R Oct 4            

Neo-classicism                                                          Ch 19

 

T Oct 9

Romanticism                                                             Ch 20                              

 

R Oct 11

Realism                                                                     Ch 21                                                           

 

T Oct 16

Impressionism   Exam Two Study Guide              Ch 22

Paper Topic (typed) with art work DUE

 

 

R Oct 18

Impressionism / Japan (SECAC)

 

 

 

 

T Oct 23

EXAM 2   -    

 

 R Oct 25

Post Impressionism                                                 Ch 23

 

T Oct 30

Fin de Siècle, etc.                                                     Ch 24

 

R Nov 1

Expressionism                                                         Ch 25

 

T Nov 6

 Cubism  / Africa                                                     Ch 25 & 832-5                                                                                                       

 

R Nov 8

Dada  /  Surrealism                                                  Ch 26                        

 

T Nov 13

Abstract Expressionism                                          Ch 27                          

 

R Nov 15

 Pop                                                                         Ch 28

Paper Assignment Due

 

T Nov 20

Political/ Site Specific                                            Ch 29

 

R Nov. 22nd               Thanksgiving break!

 

T Nov 27

  Post-Modern

 

R Nov 29

Last Day

Evaluations/ Exam Study guide 3 Available

 

FINAL EXAM 9AM WED. DEC. 6TH

 

 

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

 

 

TEXTING PROJECT -  IN CLASS 9/11  - 10 points

 

Instructions to be given in class.

 

 

 

 

COMPARATIVE ESSAY  *  25 POINTS

 

§  Topic due Oct 16

§  Final Paper DUE Nov 15

 

TOPIC:

 

1.    Choose a work of art from your book which you would like to explore.  (only 2 people on any one work, first come, first serve!)

 

2.    Look at museums online and find another work of art by a DIFFERENT artist exploring the SAME SUBJECT (ex. portrait, landscape, church, palace, nativity, abstract etc)

 

3.    Write a comparative essay of these two works

 

FORMAT:

§  Must be stapled, or in folder

§  5-6 double spaced typed pages, standard font & margin

§  Images of works discussed

§  Must have in text citations!!! (ex. Smith 24)

§  Bibliography:

              -3 sources in ADDITION to Adams

                                               -at least one museum website

                                                -Cite website sources properly!!

·         Submit entire paper digitally to Turnitin (Dacus online) but keep a copy in your records

 

PAPER WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT:

                              BIBLIOGRAPHY, IMAGES, IN TEXT CITATIONS

CONTENT:

 

Two works of art, one from your book, one of your choice from museum website (see my website for help with museums if needed)

 

The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn how to write a comparison essay on  two works of art with regard to both subject and style as well as to become familiar with a great museum website.

 

Once you have two works (approved by me) you may begin your essay  Be sure to:

 

                        -subject (meaning?)

                        -style (COMPOSITION FIRST, line, color, etc. see handout). 

 

To see an example of a great comparative essay in Sylvan Barnett’s A Short Guide to Writing About Art on my website.

 

 

Do YOU KNOW what PLAGARISM is??  Make sure you do! 

All ideas as well as quotes must be properly cited in the body of your paper either with author & page number (ex:  Smith 53), endnote or footnote.  To prevent plagiarism and errors in citation, all papers must be submitted to Turnitin via Dacus Library homepage.

 

Turn-it-in name: ARTH 176

 Enrollment password:          dufresne

Class id:          5368426                  

**CASE SENSITIVE**

 

 

*   Art Introductory Study Guide  *

           

STYLE:  The way in which a thing is done.

 

 

FORMAL ELEMENTS:  These are the visual elements of creating style:

 

1.       COMPOSITION:  ALWAYS START YOUR ANALYSIS WITH THIS!!! The arrangement of the artwork.  Where is everything?  At the top, bottom, middle…lower left?  Is it balanced, symmetrical, organized in registers, diagonals?

2.       SCALE:  Size:  a) Bigger than a breadbox? Colossal? Tiny? b) In a painting or relief- forms in relationship to one another.  (Are the people bigger than the house?)

3.       SHAPE:  Geometric? Soft, indistinct?  Irregular? 3-d? 2-d?

4.       MEDIUM:  Material the work is made of: bronze, wood, marble, paper, mosaic, fresco, oil, clay, watercolor, pastel, woodcut, engraving, plastic, trash…

5.       SPACE:  Is there an illusion of depth? Why or why not?  Are the shapes shaded & modeled to suggest 3-d?  Are the items in the background softly indicated to suggest distance?  Does the design stress the 2-d aspect of the surface?

6.       COLOR:  What are the colors:  Warm, cold, monochromatic, bright, subdued, or muddy?  What does this contribute to the work?

7.       LINE:  Thick, even, curvilinear, uneven, jerky, straight, ragged, sketchy?  Are the forms strongly outlined?  Is line used within the form?

8.       TEXTURE: Is the surface rough, smooth, textured paper, thick paint?  Is it indicated in a painting?  Ex.  Stubby beard, satin gown

9.       MOVEMENT:  Do the forms imply movement (diagonals) or stability (triangles) or rest (horizontals)?

10.    TONE:  what is the emotional feeling implied by the piece?  (Active, still, violent, serene, harsh, melancholy)  Is it intended by the artist, or is it your personal reaction?

 

ICONOGRAPHY:  meaning, symbolism, and subject matter in art

               

                FUNCTION:  What is the purpose of the piece?  How was it used?  How does that affect its appearance?  Is it a jug, a church, a portrait?  Is it narrative, symbolic, decorative, or religious, political, secular?  Also, consider the following:

 

·         WHO:  Who made it?  Who was it made for?  (group of people)

·         WHAT:  What is it?  What is its subject?  Does it do anything?

·         WHEN:   When was it made?  (What century or era?)

·         WHERE:  In what country and or city?  Significance of cites.

·         WHY:  Why was it made; for what purpose?  Is it functional?    What does the object suggest about the society to which the artist belonged?

·         HOW:  How was it made?  What was the process utilized?

Most Common Writing Errors Lowering Your Grade

(Dufresne 2006)

 

Format errors:

-no staple or folder to protect work

-no Bibliography or works cited page

- did not fully cite sources in bibliography–

Need author, title, publisher, city, date

-did not underline or italicize all book or journal titles

- put all article titles in “quotes” or italicize

(italicize article title only if you did not italicize book or journal)

-no citations used throughout text

-do NOT cite entire book title or internet address in text!!

Use author’s last name and page number only –

if unknown abbreviate title & use

(ps that’s why I prefer footnotes or endnotes)

-poor quality image

-image unidentified by artist, title, medium, date, provenance

 

Writing Errors:

-using contractions in a formal paper

-too many quotes

-quotes too long – should paraphrase

-did not indent and single space long quotes. 

(Best quotes are primary source materials)

-used slang in a formal paper (ok in creative writing or personal essay –

not in a formal research paper)

-poor or unvaried WC (word choice)

Use a thesaurus!

-cluttered sentence structure – too many words!

                If this is your problem learn to simplify by shortening sentences

-run on sentences (see above)

-fragmented sentences (lacks a verb!)

-redundant (saying the same thing over and over)

-typographical errors

-spelling errors

-reads like a rough draft – see all of the above & below

 

Content errors:

-did not follow instructions

-incorrect or inappropriate topic

-art works discussed not relevant to topic or time period

- generalizations based on too little evidence – be careful!

- not focused, too broad and general in approach

- did not discuss meaning  OR PURPOSE of art

-did not discuss context of art (time period, religion, culture, politics etc)

- did not discuss function of art

-did not discuss medium of art

-did not discuss composition or arrangement of forms or objects in art

-disorganized– need to make categories to order presentation of material

-factual errors

-sub-standard research materials