Introduction to Art History
Code
711061054
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
História da Arte
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Foteini Vlachou
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Português e Inglês
Objectives
The course will introduce students to the basic concepts of the discipline and encourage critical thinking. The students, at the end of the course, should be able to distinguish between periods, styles, geographical areas and the general concepts traditionally employed in the discipline of art history. Apart from that, the course will present many of the theoretical and methodological concepts that will be later developed in the more specialized courses of theory of art. Additionally, they will learn to use the basic tools of the discipline, ranging from artists dictionaries, on-line repositories of images, how to put together a bibliography etc. The idea is to familiarize students with art history, and that is why the course will include visits to museums, essential for understanding the basic concept of working with objects.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Subject matter
The course will proceed both chronologically and thematically, in an effort to avoid a linear history of art. Subjects covered will include: What is art history; the artists biography; the concept of style and the problems that arise from it; subject matter analysis (iconography/iconology); periodization of art history and the problems of time; geography of art history (regions, centers, peripheries, provinces etc.); narratives in museology; exhibitions and art criticism; market value and the work of art as commodity; etc. All of these will be illustrated through concrete case studies, and the emphasis will be on specific problems surrounding specific objects, and not on the theoretical development of these concepts.
Bibliography
1. Art History and Visual Studies in Europe: Transnational Discourses and National Frameworks, ed. Matthew Rampley, Brill Academic Publishers, 2012
2. A Companion to Art Theory, eds. Paul Smith and Carolyn Wilde, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2002
3. The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology, ed. Donald Preziosi, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009 (1st ed. 1998)
4. Marxism and the History of Art. From William Morris to the New Left, ed. Andrew Hemingway, London: Pluto Press, 2006
5. A Companion to Museum Studies, ed. Sharon Macdonald, Blackwell Publishing,
Teaching method
The course will be taught with an extensive recourse to visual material, but it will insist on students participation, with questions and observations requested at each step. On-line research will be encouraged early on, as well as the actual, physical searching for books and articles in various libraries. A lot of importance will be placed on the knowledge of foreign languages, especially English, which is why a lot of the reading material will be in English. The students will also be asked to write a number of short texts, as exercises in classroom or at home. An important part will also be the encouraging of students to speak publicly, which is why a series of presentations in museums will be organized, instead of simply presenting their written assignments in the classroom.
Evaluation method
Evaluation will depend on a combination of attendance and participation, grading of written paper and final exams.