SYLLABUSArt 129 Italian Art: Ancient and Renaissance Art in Rome and FlorenceEurope Semester 2012Professor: John Carlander, MFAOctober 13 - 19 Rome, ItalyOctober 20 – November 9 Florence, ItalyINTRODUCTIONThis course will explore firsthand the riches of ancient and Renaissance Italian art in two of the great art centers of the world, Rome and Florence. We will beginwith a focus upon the art of ancient Rome, primarily the architecture of the Pantheon, Colosseum and the Forum. Then, while still in Rome, we will study the Renaissance art of Michelangelo and Raphael at St. Peter’s and the Vatican, through both class study and site visits. Our study of Italian Renaissance art, particularly painting and sculpture, will continue in Florence. The course will include hands-on studio projects and opportunities to view much other Italian art through visits to museums and galleries across Europe before and after the time in Italy. 4 unitsCOURSE OBJECTIVESThis course will study and explore the art of ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy. Class lectures will prepare students with study of the historical contexts andcultural and religious developments in order to value the viewing of the most significant art of the periods. Readings will give the students valuable insights into the reasons for the existence of the art, the intentions and expectations of the donors, the creativity and techniques of the artists and the acceptance and heavy influences of these major works upon later periods in history.COURSE CONTENTMajor works of ancient Rome, such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the ruins of the Forum, the triumphal arches of Constantine and Titus, and the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, will be read about, discussed in lecture and then visited by the students. This format will be used to learn about both ancient Roman art and the Renaissance art in Rome, and then taken to Florence where major works will be studied in the same manner. Experiencing the art in person gives the individual an entirely new appreciation and understanding of the period in history and the production of the great artists of western civilization. A second element in this course will be experiential for the 1students who will participate in producing their own art projects via given assignments within specific limitations.Art kits will accompany the reading of texts and lecture notes to provide an outlet for personal expression.This course at the beginning will examine the relationship between ancient Greekart and its heavy impact upon the art of ancient Rome. Comparisons of Greek temples with Roman temples will be examined. The motivations and needs of the Roman Empire will be looked at in terms of their massive building projects, including aqueducts, baths, temples, triumphal arches and public meeting spaces. The Roman expansion of Greek concepts will be observed in such examples as two Greek theatres being brought together to form an amphitheatre,or colosseum. Classroom activities will include preparation for visits to the magnificent ancient Roman structures such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the ruins on the Forum, the Arch of Constantine and the Arch of Titus. A visit will be made on the Forum to the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine and nearby to the Column of Trajan, and later the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace, time permitting. (This section corresponds to opening statement of the “Statement of rationale”)While the emphasis on the Renaissance will be primarily in Florence, major works in Rome from the Renaissance period will also be studied and visited. These include the Capitoline Hill and the buildings there designed by Michelangelo. The statue of Moses by Michelangelo will be viewed after classroom discussion (and a student report), at San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome. A study of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican Palace will complete the major emphases in Rome.In Florence the emphasis will be upon Early Renaissance and High Renaissanceart, primarily with painting, sculpture and architecture. Classroom instructional activities regarding architecture will be in lecture and discussion of specific buildings such as the Orsanmichele and the sculptures of the guilds adorning the building, the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, The Duomo, The Pazzi Chapel, Santa Croce and San Lorenzo. A painting of the Trinity by Masaccio will be first studied in class and then visited at Santa Maria Novella. The important paintings by Masaccio at Santa Maria del Carmine will be viewed after classroom study. At the Monastery of San Marco in Florence, the beautiful painting of the Annunciation by Fra Angelico will be seen, along with the paintings by him in each of the individual monks’ cells. The larger room of Cosimo de’Medici can be entered as well as the cell where Savonarola lived and studied.The Galleria degli Uffizi which contains the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance Painting will be a highlight of the course. The competition between Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti with the subject of the Sacrifice of Isaac can be studied at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence. Along 2with those competition panels significant major works by Donatello including the Prophet (Lo Zuccone), originally from the campanile of the Florence Cathedral, and his David and Repentant Magdalene will be studied. The David by Andrea del Verocchio, teacher of Leonardo da Vinci will round out a study of a trio of Davids, those of Donatello, Verocchio and Michelangelo.A major aspect of the course will be the actual production of well-directed studio projects that will be produced by the students themselves. A small kit of art supplies will be given to each student in order for them to experience what it means to design and create art works. Within this process will be exposure not just to Renaissance art in Italy, but also to 20th Century concepts in art that also might spill over into a limited discussion of 20th and 21st Century contemporary art. This connection will help students to understand the art of the Renaissance within the context of the time period in Italy and then the contrast with 20th Century concepts will engage their imaginations to understand many differences some possible connections.CLASS FORMATLectures will be given in the classroom that will be enhanced by images projected with an LCD projector. With this process