AH 201 Home Page | Lectures & Readings | Course Description
ART HISTORY 201: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL ART
Section Assignments
The sections are designed both to provide an opportunity for questioning and reviewing material presented in class and for providing a chance for more in-depth discussion of topics related to the lectures.
For most sections, you will be asked to prepare IN ADVANCE a short response (about a page in length) to discussion questions presented below. You will not be graded on the response but you will be asked to hand it in to the T.A. for review.
There will be three quizzes, each lasting no more than about 5 or 10 minutes. Additional quizzes may be added at the instructor's discretion. These exercises are designed to help you assimilate all the basic information about the works of art we are studying in the course. You will be required to identify both works on the syllabus, and “unknown” works that are closely related to works you have studied.
SECTION 1: What is Art History? (Week of Jan. 28)
Discussion:
Choose any work of Ancient and medieval art on display in the Chazen Museum's collection (Gallery 1). Describe the work as fully as possible. As a general rule you will find it helpful to begin with general aspects of composition and then move to more specific observations. Why are you drawn to this work and why do you think it deserves to be described as art? If you were to play the role of art historian, what questions would you want to answer?
SECTION 2: Narrative and Propaganda in Assyrian Art (Week of Feb. 4)
***Quiz 1, covering lectures 1-5***
Reading: John M. Russell, “Sennacherib’s Lachish Narratives,” in Reader
Images: Siege of Lachish
Discussion:
Narrative or story-telling is one of the chief functions of visual art in all
periods. Visual narratives can project the ideal histories, beliefs and power
structure of a society. Russell discusses a series of Assyrian bas-reliefs that
once decorated the royal palace of King Sennacherib. What is the likely textual
source of the visual narrative and how is it translated into pictures? What are
the problems posed by illustrating a written text? How does the artist convey a
sense of action or movement within the static image? What techniques are used to
convey the illusion of space and volume within the shallow low-relief carvings.
How does the artist make clear who the principal protagonists of the narrative
are? How do text and image differ in this example? What is the principal message
conveyed by these narratives and how does it relate to other examples of visual
propaganda discussed in class from Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia? Can
you think of any contemporary situations in which military imagery is used for
comparable propagandistic aims?
SECTION 3: Ancient Egyptian and Greek Art in the Chazen Museum (Week of Feb. 11)
Meet in Chazen Museum, Gallery 1. Start preparing for Assignment 1.
Assignment 1: Style & Connoisseurship in Greek Vase Painting (Due in Section
6: March 3-7)
Length: 2 pages, double-spaced at Font size 12 (Times New Roman)
Background Readings: Gardner, I, ch. 5.
One of the essential tasks of the art historian is connoisseurship: the art of characterizing the style of a work of art and attributing it to a specific artist and/or date on the basis of conventional traits, such as the treatment of anatomical details (drawing of ears, hands, noses etc.), drapery patterns, space and contour.
You are asked to justify the attribution and dating of one of the following Greek vases in the collection of the Chazen Museum: 1) Black-Figure Neck-Amphora attributed to the Goltyr Painter, ca. 565-550 BCE (1985.99); or 2) Red-Figure Bell Krater attributed to the Niobid Painter, ca. 460-50 BCE (69.31.1). You should start with a general description of the vase, its shape, the placement of figural decoration, the ornament etc, and then turn to a more detailed description of the individual figures. In justifying the attribution, you should start with a general comparison with works from the same general period as your vase as illustrated in your text, and then turn to more detailed comparisons with works attributed to the same artist in the database of Perseus.
You should compare the work with two other examples attributed to the same painter shown on the Perseus website either by going directly to the links listed below or by finding your own comparisons, using the general list of Vase Painters on Perseus. Suggested comparisons are provided on the website. (When referring to comparisons on the website in your paper, please be sure to include the web address of the image.)
If you are unable to access the Perseus website you may refer to the images below:
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Goltyr Painter
Attic Black-Figure
Neck Amphora, ca. 565-550 BCE |
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| Attributed to the Niobid Painter | ||
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Attic Red-Figure Bell Krater, ca.
460-450 BCE Details: Theseus and Helen; Maid and queen Chazen Museum of Art (69.31.1) |
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Attic Red-Figure Kylix Krater, ca.
460-450 BCE Details: Domestic scene; Peleus abducting Thetis Boston Museum of Fine Arts (1972.850) |
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SECTION 4: The Classical Ideal (Week of Feb. 18)
Readings:
1. Thucydides, Funeral Oration of Pericles, excerpt from his History of the Peloponnesian War, 5th century BCE, in
Reader
2. Hallett, "The Origins of the Classical Style in Sculpture" in Reader
Review: The Orders of Classical architecture; reading architectural plans and elevations
Viewing: Polykeitos, Canon/ Doryphorus; Geometric Kouros; Parthenon sculpture
Discussion:
What are the distinctive features of the classical representation of the human figure? How does the classical canon of Greek art differ from that of Egyptian or Archaic Greek Art? What are the standard explanations for the classical ideal in Greek art and what are their shortcomings according to Hallet? What is Hallet’s alternative explanation for the classical; do you find it convincing? How might the same concepts of the classical ideal be applied to architecture?
Thucydides records the moving funerary oration given in honour of the Athenians who died in the Peloponnesian war by Pericles, the builder of the temples of the acropolis. What values does Pericles praise in Athenians and how might they be related to classical art and architecture?
SECTION 5: The Female Nude in Greek Art (Week of Feb. 25)
Readings:
1. Sir Kenneth Clark, The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form in Reader
2. Ninette Salomon, “The Venus Pudica: Uncovering art history’s ‘hidden agendas’ and pernicious pedigrees” in
Reader
Viewing: Polykleitos, Canon ,(G 5-38); Lyssipos, Apoxyomenos, 330 BC (G 5-65); Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos, 350 BC (G 5-60); Venus de Milo, 150BC (G 5-83)
Discussion:
The Aphrodite of Knidos is often hailed as the “classic” female nude, the model of feminine beauty in the Western tradition. Describe the figure, its formal modeling, its pose and gestures. What features and aesthetic values distinguish this figure as “nude” rather than naked? Why was the female nude relatively rare in Greek art prior to Praxiteles? What distinguishes the female nude from the male nude in Greek art–e.g. Polykleitos, Canon; or the Hermes and Dionysos by a follower of Praxiteles? What different ideological or social meanings were attached to the male and female nude in Greek culture? How did the perception of nudity change in the Middle Ages? Why does Salomon criticize traditional interpretations of the female nude, such as that of Sir Kenneth Clark? What is her own particular scholarly agenda?
Thucydides records the moving funerary oration given in honour of the Athenians who died in the Peloponnesian war by Pericles, the builder of the temples of the acropolis. What values does Pericles praise in Athenians and how might they be related to classical art and architecture?
SECTION 6: Roman Portraiture (Week of March 3)
(***Assignment 1 on Greek Vase Painting due***)
Reading: Sheldon Nodelman, “How to read a Roman Portrait” in Reader
Discussion:
How does Nodelman define portraiture? What does he mean by signs or “conventional features”? What new concept of the portrait did the Romans invent? How does Nodelman suggest one has to interpret conventions of realistic portraiture? How does Roman portraiture engage the spectator? How does it change in late antiquity?
Bring in a photograph of a friend, family member or public figure. To what extent does your photograph function in the same way as a Roman portrait? How do our expectations of portraiture compare with those of the Roman viewer?
SECTION 7: Early Christian Iconography (Week of March 10)
Readings:
1. Matthew 21:1-12 (The Entry into Jerusalem), in Reader
2. Thomas Mathews, “The Chariot and the Donkey” The Clash of the Gods, in Reader
Discussion:
Iconography (which translates literally from the Greek as “image-writing”) is the system of pictorial signs--including attributes, costumes, gestures, facial types, groupings of figures--which convey the meaning of individual figures or stories in art. You are asked to read the biblical story of Christ's Entry into Jerusalem and then analyze how the text is translated into pictures in two different examples shown on the web site: 1. Sarcophagus with Entry into Jerusalem and Miracle Scenes (Rome, Museo Nazionale delle Terme) 325
CE; 2. Rossano Gospels (Rossano Cathedral), 6th century CE. How does each example indicate the essence of the narrative action? How is setting indicated? How is the principal figure of Christ emphasized visually? What significant changes are made by the later artist?
It has long been recognized that Early Christian iconography draws much of its pictorial vocabulary from pagan Roman art. Indeed, artists of all periods frequently make use of earlier pictorial models without necessarily reinterpreting the textual model. What are the probable pictorial sources for the Entry into Jerusalem and why might they have been borrowed by the Early Christian artists? Why does Thomas Mathews question conventional wisdom about Early Christian art's debt to the imperial Roman past?
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| Sarcophagus with Entry into Jerusalem and Miracle Scenes, 325 CE | Sarcophagus detail | Rossano Gospels, 6th century CE: Entry into Jerusalem | Rossano Gospels detail |
***SPRING BREAK, March 15-23***
SECTION 8: The Byzantine Icon (Week of March 24)
***Quiz 2, covering lectures 14-22***
Reading: excerpt from Thomas Mathews, Byzantine Art in Reader
The icon or "holy image" is the quintessential Byzantine art form. What are the essential formal features of early Byzantine icons and how do they establish a tangible presence for the viewer? To what extent do icons represent the adaptation of previous pagan cult images both in form and practice? What is iconoclasm and what were its causes? How did Byzantine writers justify the making of images of God and the saints in the face of iconoclasm? How did the icon change after iconoclasm?
SECTION 9: Roman, Late Antique and Early Medieval Art in the Chazen Museum (Week of March 31)
Meet in Chazen Museum
SECTION 10: Medieval Manuscript Illumination (Week of April 7)
Meet in Kohler Art Library
Background Reading: Robert Calkins, "The Illuminated Word," in Reader
Discussion:
The illuminated manuscript (a book, “written by hand”) occupies a central position in mediaeval culture as means of disseminating the text of scripture, as well as ecclesiastic ritual, sacred and profane literature and history. In this class you will learn how manuscripts were made and look at different types of text illustration in facsimiles in the Art History Library.
SECTION 11: Relics, Reliquaries and Medieval Portraiture (Week of April 14)
Readings:
1. Excerpt from Bernard of Angers, Book of Miracles of Sainte-Foy in Reader
2. Ellert Dahl, “Heavenly Images: The statue of Sainte Foy of Conques and the signification of the Medieval ‘Cult-Image’ in the West” in Reader
Discussion:
The reliquary of Sainte-Foy in Conques is amongst the earliest extant examples of figural sculpture in the round since late antiquity. Why does the medieval writer, Bernard of Angers find the reliquary of Sainte Foy and similar statues disturbing? Why does he eventually change his mind? What is the relationship between the saint and its image? To what extent do this sculpture and similar statues of Saint Baudime and Saint Césaire represent a revival of “pagan” cult statues from antiquity in form and function? What is the relationship between relic and reliquary? To what extent are these images portraits? What is the significance of the material?
Assignment 2: Style & Connoisseurship in Greek Vase Painting (Due in Section 12: April 21-25)
Length: 2 pages, double-spaced at Font size 12 (Times New Roman)
Background Readings: Gardner, I, ch. 5.
The gilded bronze Virgin & Child from Limoges on loan from the Metropolitan Museum (17.193.48) in Gallery 1 of the Chazen Museum is an example of a small-scale sculpture that served both as a devotional image and as a reliquary. You are asked to describe the image as fully as possible. You should consider how mother and child are posed, how they relate to one another as well as to the viewer in glance and gesture. You should also describe how the figures are modeled in terms of drapery over the human form, and the impression created by the originally completely gilded surfaces. Then, drawing on the readings for section 11, you are asked to compare and contrast this example (in terms of form and content) with other reliquary figures and images studied in class. Finally you are asked to consider the meaning and function of this object in its original setting within a church. Given the long-standing Christian condemnation of “idolatry”, how would the medieval patron and beholder have justified such an image?
SECTION 12: Iconography of Islamic Architecture (Week of April 21)
(***Assignment 2 due***)
Reading: Oleg Grabar, "The Iconography of Islamic Architecture," in Reader
Discussion:
We have seen that the term iconography is generally applied to the figural arts to suggest a kind of pictorial language or lexikon of symbols comparable to written texts. What aspects constitute an iconography of architecture?
Look at the images of mosques (e.g. Great Mosque of Damascas, Ibn Tulun, Cairo) on the website. What are the distinctive features and prerequisites for a mosque as opposed to a Greek temple or a Christian church? (Think about aspects of ground-plan, exterior and interior elevation, ornamentation, furnishings). What features does Grabar suggest might constitute an “iconography” of Islamic architecture more generally? How might you apply these criteria to monuments we have look at in class? How can early Islamic religious architecture (e.g. Dome of the Rock) be related to other building traditions? To what extent can Islamic monuments such as the Dome of the Rock and the Taj Mahal, built over a thousand years apart, be related in terms of their functions and appearance? What explains the significant differences between Islamic structures that served the same function such as the mosques of Qairowan and Suleymaniye in Istanbul?
SECTION 13: Monsters, Fantasy and Orality in Romanesque Art (Week of April 28)
***Quiz 3, covering lectures 28-37***
Looking: Capitals from St-Michel-de-Cuxa on website; Romanesque Capital on loan from Metropolitan Museum to the Chazen, Gallery 1
Readings:
1. Bernard of Clairvaux, Apologia to William of Saint-Thierry in Gardner, I, ch. 12, 341 (box).
2. Michael Camille, “Mouths and Meanings: Towards an Anti-Iconography of Medieval Art” in
Reader
Discussion:
Monsters take their name from the Latin verb “monstro/monstrare”-to show or demonstrate. Bernard of Clairvaux, the outspoken leader of the Cistercian Order, provides a particularly valuable reaction to the kinds of monsters found so frequently in Romanesque cloister sculpture such as the examples from Cuxa seen in class. What examples does Bernard mention and why does he find them so objectionable? How does his own prose highlight the very “contradictory forms” of the monsters themselves?
What explanations does Michael Camille offer for the presence of monsters in Romanesque art? How does his approach differ from conventional iconographic approaches? How does he justify his approach in terms of the nature of the subject matter? What kinds of sources does he use to buttress his argument for the essential “orality” of monstrous imagery? Why does he ultimately conclude that the monstrous and bestial images of the Souillac trumeau represent an “anti-iconography”?
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| Moissac, Cluniac Priory of Saint-Pierre, Cloister capital, c.1000: Daniel in the Lion's Den | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister, c.1140: Corinthian capital & palm-tree capital | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister capital, c.1140: Naked dancers & monstrous mouths devouring human bodies | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister capital, c.1140: Naked monks squatting like apes |
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| Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister, c.1140: Squatting ape | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister, c.1140: Syren | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister capital, c.1140: Double-bodied bears devouring humans | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister capital, c.1140: Double-bodied lions threatening to devour humans | Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Cloister capital, c.1140: Detail of monstrous mouth (Hell-mouth?) devouring naked human |