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baroque and rococo art.

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TEXTS: Julius S. Held, Donald Posner, 17th and 18th Century Art, Choderlos de Laclos' Dangerous Liaisons and the anonymously written Spanish 16th-century text The Life of Lazarillo.

OBJECTIVES: This course has been constructed to give students the following benefits: 1. Development of aesthetic awareness and judgment 2. Creation of a plan to critically analyze works of art by considering style, subject matter, meaning and the specific historical context in which the works were created. The role of the artist and audience will also be considered. 3. Exercise in critical thinking, cooperation, participation and training of the "visual memory" 4. Development of an awareness of period literature and its relationship to the visual arts

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

  • All students enrolled in the course for credit (either Pass/Fail or A/F) are required to take all three tests on the given dates.
  • All students are also required to submit an eight page typewritten paper following the instructions set forth by the instructor.
  • A draft of the paper during class on April 11; your critique is due on April 13 and the final paper must be handed in during class on May 2.
  • Late Papers will lose 10 points per day. Papers placed under my door or in my mailbox will be considered late.

Those students taking the course Pass/Fail must achieve an overall average of 70% (C-) based on the following formula:

  • Test I 10% of grade; February 28
  • Test II 20% of grade; April 4
  • Test III (final exam) 30% of grade; See Finals Schedule
  • Term Paper 30% of grade; Draft due April 11 Critique due April 13 Final draft due May 2
  • Attendance and participation 10% of grade.

ATTENDANCE: Please introduce yourself to someone in the class today and get their phone number should you inadvertently miss a class. You are responsible for obtaining the class notes from another student if you miss a class. Perfect attendance is highly recommended. While roll will not be taken, students will be called upon to answer questions or contribute to discussion. This will be done for two reasons:

1. It will allow me to learn your names quickly and
2. It will encourage attendance—if your name is called to answer a question and you are not present, your absence will be noted. Attendance during group discussions will also be monitored and there will be times when a short in-class essay will be given where absence will be noted as well.

TEST FORMAT: Tests involve the instructor present in the class room for a portion of the time (projecting slides etc.). It is not possible to miss a test. Do not bring text books, slide lists or other study materials into this class room on a test day. Tests will involve three parts:

1. Attribution Questions (featuring slides not studied in this course, cut by an artist that has been studied). Look carefully and try to relate it to works you are familiar with. Do your best to attribute the unknown work to a tendency, artist and time period. Support your attribution with reasons based on what you see and comparisons to works you are familiar with.

2. Comparison Questions (two slides will be shown at a time). These slides will have been studied in the course. Identify the works, then discuss similarities and differences presented within each pair. Develop a thoughtful and detailed essay that compares and contrasts key elements in the slide pair (considering style, subject matter, meaning, historical context, intended audience, artist's intent etc.) Slide identifications consist of: a. artists name b. title of work c. date.

One way to prepare for this portion of the test is to sketch each work on one side of an index card, placing the pertinent information on the back. When studying for the test, and when you begin the exam, ask yourself the following questions pertaining to slide comparisons:

  • Why are these two shown together?
  • What do they have in common?
  • How are they different?
  • What are the major issues raised in these two slides?
  • Do the two slides show some sort of development of ideas?

Above all, when you are writing compare/contrast essays ask yourself the question SO WHAT? as much as possible. SO WHAT? are keywords to force you to think "Why is this important?" or "Why is this significant". For example, if you say "This slide is from Picasso's rose period" the first "SO WHAT" is... "The rose period was characterized, in addition to the color tonalities, the presence of themes drawn from the circus". If you ask "SO WHAT" again you can add... "These circus personalities seem emaciated and somewhat depressed, similar to the forlorn individuals seen in Picasso's blue period."

3. Essay Questions (you will have a choice of questions„generally answer two out of three). These questions need to be answered by giving specific examples of works studied in class. Another hint: write the exam as if you were explaining the the works of art to a someone who is very interested in the subject but knows nothing about it. Don't assume that I will know what you mean. Explain terms and ideas carefully.

DISCUSSION GROUPS: On the second day of class you will be assigned to small groups (3-4 members each). These groups will be utilized during class times to foster discussion about various class topics. Some short exercises will be given in these small groups and this is one way that attendance and participation will be measured. It is my hope that you will find your group helpful in reviewing for exams as well.

TERM PAPER: Your term paper will be based on a critical comparative reading of Choderlos de Laclos' Dangerous Liaisons and the anonymously written Spanish 16th-century text The Life of Lazarillo. Discuss Baroque and Rococo art in France and Baroque art in Spain in conjunction with these two literary works from the same time period. A series of questions to help you digest the works will be provided and should be discussed in your group meetings.

Arrangements will be made to see the movie Dangerous Liaisons either during class or one evening during the quarter. However, you will want to read the book as well, since the movie is a very condensed version of the action. I expect to see quotations from the literature to illustrate your points, along with specific references to works of art. Show me that you have read the literature carefully, studied the art carefully and spent a good amount of time thinking about both together.

In addition to writing your own paper, you will be responsible for critiquing a paper written by one of your classmates. For this reason, please keep a copy of your first draft (at least 5 pages in length) that you turn in on April 11. Guidelines for giving criticism will be passed out on April 11, at the same time that papers are exchanged.

Critiques are due April 13; at that time I will look over both the drafts and the critiques of them. At this time, you will receive a grade based on your ability to give constructive criticism; this will effect your "attendance and participation grade". I will also make comments on the drafts, giving advice for further development of ideas. Final papers are due at the beginning of class on May 4.

COURSE CONTRACT:

For a C

  • Attend and participate in all classes, discussions and conferences with the instructor.
  • Keep regular journal entries as assigned (including entries on class time, small groups, readings and conferences).
  • Complete a critique of a classmates paper.
  • Turn in a term paper of the required length, free of basic surface errors.
  • Achieve an average of at least 71% on the slide quizzes and the final exam.

For a B, Do all work designated for a C plus:

  • Demonstrate the ability to revise your term paper according to the responses of peers and the instructor.
  • Give a carefully thought-out, constructive critique of a classmates paper.
  • Demonstrate in your final term paper the ability to write clear, coherent, unified prose.
  • Provide leadership in discussion groups and in class.
  • Include journal entries beyond those required, demonstrating self-initiated effort to learn.
  • Achieve an average of at least 81% on the slide quizzes and the final exam.

For an A, Do all work designated for a C and B plus:

  • In the term paper, demonstrate personal voice and style and the ability to self-evaluate effectively beyond the responses of others.
  • Demonstrate originality, persuasiveness and/or carefully researched foundations in the term paper.
  • Achieve an average of at least 91% on the slide quizzes and the final exam.

BOOKS ON RESERVE FOR BAROQUE-ROCOCO ART

While none of the reading on this list is required, it is strongly suggested that you at least look through some of the works on this list. "Additional" journal entries (necessary for a grade of B or above in this class) beyond those required can certainly be written using these books.

Reading to supplement the course text:

  • Mary Garrard, Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. ND 623.G364G37 1989
  • Elise Goodman, Rubens: The Garden of Love as conversatie ö la mode ND673.R9 A66 1992
  • Elizabeth Holt, A Documentary History of Art N5303.H72 (vol. 3) (Read sections on artists covered in class)
  • Robert Klein & Henri Zerner, Italian Art 1500-1600: Sources and Documents N6915.K55 (Read documents pertaining to artists covered in class)
  • George Kubler & Martin Soria, Art and Architecture in Spain and Portugal and their American Dominions 1500-1800. N7104.K8 (read sections on artists covered in class)

Reading to help you with your term paper:

  • Frank Chandler, The Literature of Roguery PN 3430.G6 C5 (2 vols) (For Lazarillo de Tormes)
  • Thomas Crow, Painters and Public Life in Eighteenth-Century France. ND550.C75 1985.
  • Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, The Woman of the Eighteenth-Century: Her Life, from birth to death, her Love and her Philosophy in the worlds of Salon, Shop and Street. HQ 1613.G63
  • Robert Harbison, Deliberate Regression. NX600.R6 H37
  • Francis Haskell, Rediscoveries in Art: Some Aspects of Taste, Fashion and Collecting in England and France. N5208.G7 H37
  • _____. Patrons and Painters. N8410.H3
  • George Kubler & Martin Soria, Art and Architecture in Spain and Portugal and their American Dominions 1500-1800. N7104.K8
  • Roy Roussel, The Conversion of the Sexes: Seduction and Equality in Selected 17th and 18th-century Texts PR409.W65 R68 (For Dangerous Liaisons)
  • Mary Sheriff, Fragonard: Art and Eroticism. ND553.F7S53 1990
 
 
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