Learning objectives
The course aims to provide the methodological tools for the recognition of the subjects represented in the analyzed works, with the aim of correctly contextualizing the meaning of the images in their historical and cultural context.
Knowledge and understanding:
students must be able to face the reading of a critical text (essay, review, specialist articles, also in English, French, Spanish, possibly, German), grasping the most significant aspects.
Knowledge and understanding skills applied:
students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge and will have to develop skills in the analysis of the works in their context, in the public and private museum sectors also aimed at writing written contributions.
Autonomy of judgment:
the link between historical-artistic literature and the direct analysis of the artifact will lead to the ability to propose independent evaluations and judgments.
Communication skills:
students will be provided with the tools to achieve excellent and specific communication skills, both written and oral.
Ability to learn:
students will develop learning skills necessary for the management of public and private research, protection and art historical development offices.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
The course is divided into three parts: the first will be focused on biblical and patristic texts as the primary source of medieval iconography; the second part will focus on the exegesis of Baschet's fundamental book about the modern iconography of medieval art; the third section examine some medieval Italian topics for the recognition of the represented characters and scenes and, finally, to proceed to an iconological analysis in order to understand with a correct methodological approach their meaning in the historical context.
Full programme
After the first general and methodological section starting from the first traces of iconographic conceptualization ( 12th century ex. / 13th century in.: Sicardo da Cremona), passing from the Modern Age (Cesare Ripa), up to the nineteenth and twentieth century disciplinary conformation (Male, Panowsky , Warburg), the course will focus in particular on the Baschet idea of “image-objet” concerning Gothic Era.
Bibliography
For those who have never taken a medieval art history exam, integration on the e-learning course on the https://elly2020.dusic.unipr.it/ is obligatory.
For those who have already taken a medieval art history exam and have attended the course:
J. BASCHET, L’iconografia medievale, Milano, Jaca Book, 2014
M. BACCI, L'effige sacra e lo spettatore, in Arti e storia nel Medioevo. Volume Terzo, Del vedere: pubblici, forme e funzioni, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 199-252.
F. GANDOLFO, Ancora sul "giuoco delle mazze", in Miti antichi e moderni, a cura di D. Gavrilovich, C. Occhipinti, D. Orecchia, P. Parenti, Roma, Universitalia, 2013, pp. 89-97.
Teaching methods
The teaching is articulated through lectures using a set of images prepared for each lesson. In addition to this, we will focus on the individual reading and collective discussion of a series of articles and critical contributions on particular issues, for which periodic seminars will be organized.
Assessment methods and criteria
Students must be able to recognize the main medieval iconographies and their biblical and patristic sources. At the same time, they must be able to understand their meanings in relation to the historical and cultural context in which they have developed.
The evaluation will be considered insufficient due to lack of minimum knowledge of the course topics.
Normally, the exam is based on a series of four / five questions.
Sufficient evaluation (range: 18/30 - 23/30) is determined by a minimum level of correct answers; the score (range: 24/30 - 27/30) is determined by the ability to express in an argued way the acquired knowledge with sufficient autonomy of judgment; the highest scores (range: 28/30 -30/30) correspond to an excellent level of the above evaluation indicators accompanied by appropriate argumentative and comunicative skills.
Other information
For more information, please contact the teacher at giorgio.milanesi@unipr.it.
