FA 0351 Baroque Art (Fall 2005) Writing Enhanced

Not only did the 16^th century Protestant Reformation bring about a strong Catholic Counter-Reformation, but also new economic and societal conditions under which art thrived in 17th and 18th century Europe. In this course, we will closely examine how this environment affected the creation, type, subject matter and meaning of this art, through readings, classroom discussion and visual/contextual analysis. Questions we will consider include:

1. What is the meaning of the term “Baroque”?
2. What were the major cultural centers where art and learning flourished?
3. What societal conditions existed that affected the production of art?
4. Who were the major artists and how did they create their works?
5. Who were the major art patrons and what were their motives for commissioning art?

We will approach this task by focusing on historical events; examining pertinent literary and religious sources; and thoroughly examining the individual work of significant artists. Of particular interest are Italy, Spain and the Netherlands (Flanders and the Dutch Republic), although we will also spend time discussing England and France. At the conclusion of the course, you should:

1. Possess a strong understanding of how "Baroque style" manifested itself in each country studied.
2. Recognize the styles and major works of Baroque masters such as Bernini, Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
3. Have detailed knowledge of specific artists or subject matter, acquired through independent research.

Please note: this is a Writing Enhanced course, which means a significant amount of writing is involved. This is not meant to overwhelm you, but instead aid in your development as a thoughtful thinker and writer of ideas.

There is no one textbook that satisfactorily covers the breadth and depth of Baroque art, thus we will rely on assigned readings and articles posted to the CourseWeb site as well as class notes and discussion.

Additional textual and visual materials for this course (including monuments and terms covered in lecture); original documents and required readings; your grades; and pertinent announcements concerning class meetings and examinations are found at: http://courseweb.pitt.edu

I reserve the right to modify the timing, order and content of the course schedule. It is your responsibility to attend class and be aware of any changes. Check the course website regarding any class cancellations should they become necessary due to adverse weather conditions or other situations.

Please carefully read the following—they are policies that I steadfastly maintain in this course.

Faculty Statement:

My role is to facilitate learning through lecture and clarification of specific points through questioning and discussion, whether in the classroom, during office hours or via electronic correspondence. It is your responsibility to attend class, take accurate notes and approach me with any questions and issues for clarification in a timely manner.

Attendance:

While there is no attendance policy for this course, be forewarned that most of what you will be tested on is discussed thoroughly in class. Nothing replaces viewing the images projected on screen. Therefore, regular attendance is necessary to succeed in this course. In addition, as classroom discussion is expected, poor attendance will adversely affect you if it comes down to a borderline decision on your final grade.

Notes and Note Taking:

Under no circumstances do I provide notes for missed classes. It is your responsibility, if you miss a class, to acquire the lecture notes from a classmate. Class assignments and announcements are available on the course website. You may tape-record lectures as long as you inform the instructor in advance, and do not disturb others in the class.

Cell Phones:

Be certain your cell phone ringer is turned OFF, as it is both annoying and disruptive to the entire class.

Makeup Exams:

I give make-up exams only in cases with legitimate, documented reasons (death in the family, personal hospitalization, required fieldtrips, etc.). In such cases, inform me as soon as possible and provide written confirmation of your absence. The make-up exam must be taken within one week of the scheduled test; only one makeup exam per student will be permitted. No one can make-up the final exam, which must be taken at the scheduled time during finals week.

Late Assignments:

No extensions are granted for class assignments. The due dates are clearly noted on the syllabus at the beginning of the semester. You should begin each assignment in a timely manner and even complete assignments early. Illness or any other excuse has no bearing on the fact that your work was not turned in on time. Any assignment not turned in by the due date will not be graded, thus earning 0 points for the work. No exceptions are permitted so do not ask!

Academic Integrity:

Please read carefully the Academic Integrity Guidelines in your student handbook. They are followed to the letter in this course. There is ZERO tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. Any time that you use another person’s words or thoughts as your own without giving them proper credit is plagiarism. Any instance of cheating or plagiarism will result in an automatic "F" (0 points) for that assignment, and steps will be taken, according to the Academic Integrity Guidelines, to receive an "F" for the course and for action leading to expulsion from the university. I will not permit re-writing any suspected plagiarized assignment.

Disabilities:

Overall, you can earn 500 points during the semester. On this scale:

500-490 (A+)                         489-465 (A)                            464-450 (A-)

449-440 (B+)                         439-415 (B)                             414-400 (B-)

399-390 (C+)                         389-365 (C)                            364-350 (C-)

349-300 (D)                            299 and below (F)

Your grade will be determined in the following manner:

There will be three exams during the semester (October 10, November 14, and December 13), each worth 100 points. The format will be multiple choice (60%), and short essay questions (40%) drawn from class notes and readings. The final will NOT be comprehensive, but will cover only the material since the previous exam. I will post study guides on the course website, and facilitate online study sessions before each exam.

This assignment will sharpen your descriptive and analytic skills, using visual images projected on the screen. During the semester, you will complete four in-class writing assignments, each worth a possible 10 points. One of these (the lowest scoring) will be tossed, and the three best essays will be counted towards your 30 point total. This assignment cannot be made up, regardless of why you were absent. These assignments will be given on September 16, October 5, November 7, and December 2.

In order to adequately prepare you for academic research, and assess your ability to comprehend and critically evaluate scholarly material in an articulate manner, you will be required to read and respond to a scholarly article (ideally, but not necessarily, related to your term paper topic). This exercise will not only challenge your writing abilities, but also demonstrate your capability to research and form opinions from material you read. You will select one of the articles posted on the course web site (under “Assignments”), and then produce a 2-3 page review paper that outlines the author’s main thesis and supporting arguments. Further guidelines for this assignment are found on the course web site under “Assignments.” Due date: October 17

In consultation with the professor, each student will select a specific Baroque topic to research during the semester. You must meet with the professor during posted appointment times early in the semester, and receive approval for your topic before proceeding. These consultations will be set up beginning the week of September 26. A signup sheet is on my office door.

By October 31, everyone must submit a well-written abstract, and a bibliography of at least eight specific books and articles you plan to use for your paper (possible 20 points). These sources would include not only articles accessible from library databases, but books found in our library or acquired through interlibrary loan. You are strongly encouraged to submit a draft of your term paper well in advance of the due date, upon which the professor will edit and make comments. The finished term paper (100 points) must be 6-8 pages, typewritten and double-spaced.  Specific guidelines regarding technical requirements and layout are found on the course web site under “Assignments.”  They must be followed completely in order for your paper to be acceptable. Please reference the earlier passage on Academic Integrity Policy regarding issues of plagiarism. This most definitely includes "cut and pasting" passages from the Internet, which I can readily spot, so use your own words and ideas at all time, and properly note other people's contributions.

Due date for final submission of term paper: November 30.

November 21  The Palace at Versailles and Louis XIV

November 23  No Class—Thanksgiving Recess

November 25  No Class—Thanksgiving Recess

November 28  French Rococo (Watteau, Boucher, Fragonard)

November 30  German Rococo (Term Paper due)

December 2     18^th Century Venetian Painting: Guardi and Canaletto (In-Class Writing Assignment #4)

December 5     English Baroque Architecture, particularly Sir Christopher Wren

December 7     English Portraiture: Van Dyck, Reynolds and Gainsborough

December 9     William Hogarth’s Satire and the Emergence of English Painting