syllabus mannerism to romanticism

PRIMARY TEXTS:
World of Art series (bundled) Baroque Art, Neoclassicism, Romanticism.

SECONDARY TEXTS: choose the one you find more interesting, which you will use to complete your course project. -Denis Diderot, The Indiscreet Jewels. (This is fiction/literature from 18th-century France, in translation) -Eugene Delacroix, Journal. (This is the primary French Romantic artist's personal journal, condensed)

NOTE ON PURCHASING TEXTBOOKS: Please either buy the textbooks before the first exam or make arrangements to "share" books with others in the class. The bookstore will return books that are not purchased after about a month. I will not be able to lend you copies of the books or excuse poor test performances on the basis that you do not have the textbook.

OBJECTIVES: This course aims to provide an in-depth study of art, literature and society in seventeenth and eighteenth-century Europe. It is also designed to explore the relationship between art history and history, between art objects and key episodes in political, social, and intellectual history. The exams and assignments are designed to develop your critical thinking, as well as your written and verbal communication skills.

NOTE ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY. This is an equal opportunity classroom in the presentation of ideas and issues raised by artists. It is important for you to understand that artists create works that become either personal or societal documents of a certain moment in their lives. Some of these issues may make you feel uncomfortable because of their unfamiliarity. Some works may make you challenge your belief systems. (This, by the way, is a characteristic that good art and a good college education have in common.) I recommend that you maintain an open mind and avoid rash judgments based on an artist's race, gender or sexual orientation.

NOTE ON STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY: Your success in this course will be directly proportional to your "ownership" of the material. I am here to guide you in your study of this material and in your development of abilities (like written and oral communication). Please take responsibility for your education, if for no other reason than the fact that you're paying for it. When you come to my office to discuss a grade on a test or assignment, bring the notes that you've been taking in class and on the reading assignments. This will help me diagnose potential problems more quickly and ultimately help me to help you to achieve in this course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• Midterm: 100 pts.
• Project: 100 pts. (either a journal, or a creative project)
• Final: 150 pts. ***note: the final in this class WILL BE CUMULATIVE***
• Your attendance in class (or lack of attendance) may affect your final grade one half step in either direction.

POINT SCALE CUTOFFS:

• A 334 pts.
• B 298 pts.
• C 262 pts.
• D 226 pts.
• F < 205 pts.

READING/TEST/ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE: This schedule will be followed as closely as possible. If changes need to be made, they will be announced in class. Each bullet represents one three-hour class session.

• Introduction, Mannerism, Italian Baroque
• Italian Baroque, continued.
• Spanish Baroque
• Dutch/Flemish Baroque
• Dutch/Flemish Baroque, continued.
• French Baroque
• French Baroque / English 17c Art
• MIDTERM EXAM
• The Rococo in Europe; The Reaction Style in France & England
• Neoclassicism to Romanticism in France
• Romanticism in France
• Romanticism in Spain and England
• The Romantic Landscape in England, Germany and America
• Romantic Landscape in France; the Barbizon painters; Corot. Projects Due Tonight!
• FINAL EXAM: Note: in this class, the final exam will be cumulative!!!