Winter 2004

This information effective for Winter 2004. Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

History of Art and Visual Culture

[HAVC-140A] [HAVC-165A] [HAVC-190K]

140A. The Power of Images in the Roman World

Note: This syllabus for class taught several years ago and subject to change.

Instructor: Janina Darling

Course Description:

This course is an exploration of the major visual media of the Roman Republic and Empire which, focuses on political and social ideology and examines the context of artistic domestic architecture and decoration, which reflected the importance of the family, a funerary vocabulary developed to commemorate both elites and freedmen, and plebeian images celebrating daily life that will be examined as examples of the imagery of Roman culture.

Texts:

There are two required texts for History of Art and Visual Culture 140A; they are available at the Bay Tree Bookstore.

• N. H. Ramage and A. Ramage, Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine
  
• E. D’Ambra, Roman Art in Context: An Anthology
  

Required Work:

1. Attend all class lectures and be prepared to discuss the assigned readings and to ask questions.
   
2. It is most important to complete the assigned readings before each lecture. It will be assumed that you are familiar with the material presented in the tests.
   
3. Five quizzes to check your familiarity with major monuments and important concepts in the assigned readings.
   
4. Two research essays of at least five pages: the first is due at the beginning of class on the 6th week; the second, on the day of the final examination. More detailed instructions for the essays will be distributed in about two weeks. You are urged to consult with the instructor about the essays prior to writing them.
   
5. Final Examination. You must pass the final to pass the course.
   
6. No Incompletes will be given for this course.

Course Outline and Assignments

Please refer to this outline for the reading assignments, quiz dates, and due dates for the essays. All the assigned reading must be done before class; this will ensure that you have some familiarity with the major ideas and monuments that will be discussed in lecture. In the reading assignments, the texts are referenced by the author’s last name: hence, "Ramage" refers to Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine and "D’Ambra" refers to Roman Art in Context: An Anthology. When reading the D’Ambra book, be sure to note the author of each article; these are major writers on Roman art and you should be familiar with their names.

Handouts:

Because the Latin names and terms are unfamiliar to most people these days, you will receive a daily or weekly handout with names, terms, monuments, and bibliographical material which augments the course bibliography and is specific to each lecture topic. Be sure to consult the additional bibliographical material when you write the essays.

History of Art and Visual Culture 140A

Bibliography

The following are just some of the many books about Roman art that reside in McHenry Library. Some of them have been placed on one-day reserve; others remain in the stacks. Do not rely only on this list of sources. Search Melville for other titles and be sure to consult the Art Index for articles in periodicals. These are the best sources since articles tend to be more up to date than books. You will also find that there are lots of web sites that deal with Roman history, architecture, art, military practice and biography. Some offer "virtual tours" which might be fun.

You need to be aware that the older books on Roman art, by and large, tend to be biased against the originality of the Romans and try to trace everything Roman back to Greek sources. This old methodology is being replaced by the work of new scholars in the field who are far more interested in contextual and cultural aspects of visual culture than in tracking down every little influence of Greek style. Roman art is eclectic but it is unique in its relation to the viewer, its content, and its use of diverse styles for specific purposes. The bias does not make the older books useless; but you must consider the author’s approach and what sort of questions she/he is asking when you use her/his opinions. The reserve books tend to be picture books that will give you access to good photographs for study and contemplation.

Anderson, Maxwell L. Pompeian Frescoes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York: 1987).
Andreae, Bernard. The Art of Rome (New York: 1977).
Bianchi-Bandinelli, Ranuccio. Rome: The Center of Power (New York: 1970).
_____ Rome: The Late Empire (London: 1971).
Birley, A. R. Marcus Aurelius (London: 1966).
_____ Septimius Severus, The African Emperor (London: 1971).
Bonnefoy, Y, ed. Roman and European Mythologies, tr. And ed. W. Doniger (Chicago: 1991).
Breckenridge, J. D. Likeness: A Conceptual History of Ancient Portraiture (Evanston: 1968).
Brendel, Otto J. Prolegomena to the Study of Roman Art (New Haven: 1979).
Brilliant, Richard. Roman Art from the Republic to Constantine (London: 1974).
_____ Visual Narratives, Storytelling in Etruscan and Roman Art (Ithaca: 1984).
Brown, Frank E. Roman Architecture (New York: 1967).
Brown, Peter. The World of Late Antiquity (London: 1971).
Clarke, John R. The Houses of Roman Italy, 100 B.C.-A.D. 250 (Berkeley: 1991).
Conlin, D. A. The Artists of the Ara Pacis (Chapel Hill: 1997).
D’Ambra, Eve. Roman Art in Context, An Anthology (Englewood Cliffs: 1993).
_____ Private Lives, Imperial Virtues. The Frieze of the forum Transitorium in Rome (Princeton: 1993).
Dawson, C. Romano-Campanian Mythological Landscape Painting, Yale Classical Studies, 9 (New Haven: 1944).
Deiss, J.J. Herculaneum, Italy’s Buried Treasure (New York: 1985).
Elsner, Jas. Art and the Roman Viewer (Cambridge: 1995).
_____ Art and Text in Roman Culture (Cambridge: 1996).
_____ and Masters, J. Reflections of Nero: Culture, History and Representation (Chapel Hill: 1994).
Etienne, Robert. Pompeii, the Day a City Died (New York: 1992).
Favro, Diane. The Urban Image of Augustan Rome (Cambridge: 1996).
Galinsky, Karl. Augustan Culture: An Interpretive Introduction (Princeton: 1996).
Gazda, Elaine K. ed. Roman Art in the Private Sphere (Ann Arbor: 1991).
Gold, B., ed. Roman Literary and Artistic Patronage (Austin: 1982).
Grant, Michael. The Antonines: The Roman Empire in Transition (London/New York: 1994).
_____ The Severans: The Changed Roman Empire (London/New York: 1996).
Hanfmann, George M. A. Roman Art (Greenwich: 1964).
Hannestad, N. Roman Art and Imperial Policy (Aarhus: 1986).
Henig, Martin, ed. Handbook of Roman Art (Ithaca: 1983).
Jashemski, Wilhelmina E. The Gardens of Pompeii (New York: 1978).
Johns, C. Sex or Symbol, Erotic Images of Greece and Rome (Austin: 1982).
Jones, A.H.M. Augustus (London: 1970).
Kahler, Heinz. The Art of Rome and Her Empire (New York: 1965).
Kampen, N. Image and Status: Roman Working Women in Ostia (Berlin: 1981).
_____ Sexuality in Ancient Art (Cambridge: 1996).
Kebric, R.B. Roman People (Mountain View: 1993).
Kent, J.P.C. Roman Coins (New York: 1978).
Kleiner, Diana E. E. Roman Sculpture (New Haven: 1992).
_____ and Matheson, Susan B. I Clavdia, Women in Ancient Rome (New Haven: 1966).
Kraus, T. and von Matt, L. Pompeii and Herculaneum: the Living Cities of the Dead (New York: 1975).
Lepper, E.A. and Frere, S. S. Trajan’s Column: A New Edition of the Cichorius Plates (Wolfboro, N. H.: 1988).
Ling, Roger. Roman Painting (Cambridge: 1991).
L’Orange, H.P. Apotheosis in Ancient Portraiture (New Rochelle, N.Y.: 1982).
_____ Art Forms and Civic Life in the Late Roman Empire (Princeton: 1965).
MacDonald, A.H. Republican Rome (New York: 1966).
MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire, Vol. I (New Haven: 1976 or 1982); Vol. II (New Haven: 1987).
_____ The Pantheon: Design, Meaning and Progeny (Cambridge: 1976).
MacKendrick, Paul. The Dacian Stones Speak (Chapel Hill: 1975).
Maiuri, Amedeo. Roman Painting (Geneva: 1953).
McKay, A. G. Houses, Villas and Palaces in the Roman World (Ithaca: 1975).
Miles, G. B. Virgil’s Georgics, A New Interpretation (Berkeley: 1980).
Nash, E. Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome (New York: 1961–1962).
Peters, W.J.T. Landscape in Romano-Campanian Mural Painting (Groningen: 1963).
Pollitt, J.J. The Art of Rome c. 753 BC–AD 337 Sources and Documents (Engelwood Cliffs: 1966).
Ramage, Nancy H. and Ramage, Andrew. Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine (Engelwood Cliffs: 1991).
Richlin, A., ed., Pornography and Representation in Greece and Rome (Oxford: 1992).
Rose, C. B. Dynastic Commemoration and Imperial Portraiture in the Julio-Claudian Period (Cambridge: 1997).
Rossi, L. Trajan’s Column and the Dacian Wars, tr. J.C.M. Toynbee (Ithaca: 1971).
Ryberg, I.S. Panel Relief of Marcus Aurelius (New York: 1967).
Simon, Erika. Ara Pacis Augustae (Greenwich: 1967).
Stambaugh, J.E. The Ancient Roman City (Baltimore: 1988).
Strong, Donald. Roman Art (New York: 1980).
_____ Roman Imperial Sculpture: An Introduction to the Commemorative and Decorative Sculpture of the Roman Empire Down to the Death of Constantine (London: 1961).
Toynbee, J.M.C. Roman Historical Portraits (Ithaca: 1978).
_____ The Hadrianic School (Cambridge: 1934).
Vermeule, Cornelius C. III. Roman Imperial Art in Greece and Asia Minor (Cambridge: 1968).
Vogel, Lisa. The Column of Antoninus Pius (Cambridge: 1973).
Ward-Perkins, John B. Roman Architecture (New York: 1977).
_____ and Claridge, Amanda. Pompeii A D 79 (London: 1976).
Wells, C. The Roman Empire (Stanford: 1984).
Wightman, Edith M. Roman Trier and the Treveri (New York: 1971).
Wilson, R.J.A. Piazza Armerina (Austin: 1983).
Wood, Susan. Roman Portrait Sculpture A D 217–260 (Leiden: 1986).
Zanker, Paul. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus (Ann Arbor: 1988).

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165A. Gothic Architecture I: Cathedrals

Instructor: Virginia Jansen
Office: Cowell College 203; phone: 459-2055 (voicemail)
E-mail: goth@ucsc.edu

Course Description: Through lectures, readings, and two papers, a study of the gravity-defying architecture and its meanings in cathedrals of western Europe of the Gothic period from 1135 through 1350. Discussion of architectural perspectives within constructural, social, and cultural contexts. Auditors welcome as space allows.

Course Work: Assigned readings with short required notes; one set visual exercise (3-4 pages); one term paper (7-8 pages) or studio project option for art, architecture, and design majors; a midterm; and final examination. If you wish to do a research paper for the term paper, you should see me by the third week of the quarter. Permission for the studio project option should be obtained from the instructor by the seventh week of the quarter and is dependent upon demonstrating good writing skills on the first paper. It is expected that students will actively engage in class discussions. To help prepare for participation, at least 50% of the reading notes should be handed in at an adequate level in a timely fashion.

All work must be completed satisfactorily to pass this course.

Attendance: Attendance is required at all classes since the instructor will be presenting material that is not always readily available in published form or in English. Students who miss more than two unexcused classes may be dropped from the course. If you need to miss a class for a valid reason, an absence may be marked excused if prior notification is given (459-2055, goth@ucsc.edu). Until the class roll is set, you must attend the first four classes, or notify me prior to class if you must be absent.

Evaluations and Letter Grades will be based on active class participation, reading notes, papers, and exams with the term paper and the final exam counting the most. Improvement over the quarter will be weighted. The final examination, seen as the culmination of your quarter's efforts and understanding of Gothic cathedrals, must be passed in order to pass the course. Students are encouraged to help the instructor design the exams; hand in/send her your suggestions! Standards of academic honesty are required for students to pass the course; consult the Schedule of Classes.

Electronic Communication: All students must have an e-mail address.

Texts

If in print, it is estimated that the following texts will be required:

• Course Reader, not on reserve
  (A must! Selected primary sources and important scholarly reading.)
• Robert Branner, Gothic Architecture (short, excellent survey; good illustrations)
• Teresa G. Frisch, Gothic Art: 1140-c.1450. Sources and Documents (primary sources)
• Charles M. Radding and William W. Clark, Medieval Architecture, Medieval Learning (interdisciplinary investigation of architecture and theology/philosophy)
• Blanche Ellsworth, English Simplified (short reference to punctuation, grammar, and usage: painless and very useful)
• A good dictionary, not a short pocket one; The American Heritage Dictionary recommended (many excellent illustrations)

Recommended books to take your study further:

• Jean Bony, French Gothic Architecture of the 12th & 13th Centuries (sophisticated, detailed formal study, beautifully written and illustrated; despite price, good value; highly recommended)
  
• John Fleming, Hugh Honour, and Nikolaus Pevsner, Dictionary of Architecture (useful; the most authoritative small-sized dictionary of architecture)
• Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, Anchor Atlas of World History, vol. 1 (useful, quick fact-finder); other historical atlases at Reference
• David Macaulay, Cathedral (amusing and informative "children's" book)
• R. W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (read as needed throughout the quarter, particularly the sections dealing with the period c.1050-c.1550)

Suggested: If you have never taken a course in medieval art, skim rapidly for general comprehension the relevant sections in any general survey of art or architecture (e.g., Honour and Fleming, Gardner, Stokstad, Snyder, Zarnecki).

For fun and learning, read Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth (possible term paper topic) or Sharon Newman, Death Comes As Epiphany, The Wandering Arm, etc.

Part I. Themes, Issues, and Approaches Via Ideas

190K. Representation and Society in the Middle Ages: The Genealogy of the Modern with a Dialectic between Center and Margins

Instructor: Virginia Jansen
Office: Cowell College 203; 459-2055 (voicemail)
E-mail: goth@ucsc.edu

Description: Seminar discussing physical images and monuments from the 12th through the 15th centuries, treated in their socio-political contexts and examined from the perspective of issues important to late 20th-century American society through critical reading of texts. Central to discussion is the dialectic of center/margin. Although topics for student seminar papers may be selected from any era and place, they must be developed from issues based in the visual culture of the Middle Ages and refer to the course reading, which discusses that epoch.

Requirements: Participation in class discussion of assigned reading supported by reading notes to be handed in, preliminary and annotated bibliographies, short oral class report, and long critical study (at least 15 pp.) on topic, and written evaluation and critique of selected student reports. Class schedule of reports to be determined after students have selected topics.

Standards of academic honesty are expected for students to pass the course; consult the Schedule of Classes.

Attendance Requirement: In a seminar, attendance is particularly necessary since the course depends upon group participation and hearing what others have to say. Students who miss more than two classes are liable not to pass the course.

Evaluations or Letter Grades are based on active class participation, reading notes (75% must be handed in on time to pass the course unless active participation in discussion is regular), bibliographies, oral report, and especially the long paper. Students should strive for quality in each of these areas.

Electronic Communication: All students should have an e-mail address.

If in print, it is estimated that the following texts will be required:

• Duplicated readings
  
• Roland Barthes, Mythologies (1957, 1972)
  
• Michael Camille, Image on the Edge (1992)
  
• Robert S. Nelson and Richard Shiff, eds., Critical Terms for Art History (1996)
  
• Nancy Partner, ed., Studying Medieval Women: Sex, Gender, Feminism (1993)
  
• Blanche Ellsworth, English Simplified

Also in Reference at McHenry for your information (optional):

• Pamela Sheingorn, bibliography for "Gender and/in medieval art," a wide-ranging bibliography of writing for much more than medieval art

Term Essay

A critical* paper of at least 15 pages long (typed double-spaced) is required, studying a topic of visual culture, one which had its beginnings, roots, or exposition during the Middle Ages (up to c. 1500 in most places in northern Europe; dates vary in other locations); in any case, the paper must apply methods and ideas studied in the course, perhaps reflected liberally in footnotes. For example, you might pick a medieval topic and compare it with its version in (an)other historical moment(s), or compare it with an early modern or modern analogue or one from another culture by using as many approaches as possible from those studied this quarter (or some such). You might develop a topic from the reading or pursue something found in the footnotes. The idea is to use the materials of the course to expand your thinking in developing your topic throughout the quarter.

Papers, especially those for senior exit credit, should exhibit a critical* handling of your material and its sources. They should "problematize" the topic and its discussion; they should be issue-oriented. They must make use in some way of several of the course required readings.

*critical = conscious of the points of view (agenda, subtext) of a text/image

Two examples of previous successful topics:

Illustrated Victorian and medieval books
Comparison of medieval Nuremberg and 19th-century San Francisco

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