ART H 471 A: Rome in the Seventeenth Century

Guido Reni, Atalanta and Hippomenes, c. 1620, coming to Seattle this fall!

Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30-12:50 PM

Room 317 Art Building

Prof. Estelle Lingo

Office: Room 359 Art Building

Office Hours: Wednesdays 2-4 pm and by appointment

E-mail: elingo@uw.edu

Course Description:

Special Syllabus for Fall 2019: Thinking through SAM’s Flesh and Blood. Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum

For Fall 2019, this course is configured to take advantage of the unique opportunity to see major works of seventeenth-century Italian painting firsthand in the exhibition Flesh and Blood. Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum, on view at the Seattle Art Museum from October 17, 2019 through January 26, 2020. Our classroom sessions will provide historical context for understanding the emergence of new forms of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Rome in the seventeenth century. Particular attention will be given to the stylistic experimentation and competition that characterizes much of the century and its implications for understanding issues of religious and artistic reform, concepts of idealism and naturalism, and the contested relationship between word and image. Class sessions will emphasize discussion of course themes and readings and close visual analysis of works, and course assignments will allow students to deepen their engagement with the exhibition.

For daily readings and assignments, please consult the syllabus, available under "Files."

Learning Outcomes of the Course:

You will become familiar with the painting, sculpture, architecture, and ephemeral arts of seventeenth-century Rome and explore the relation of these visual forms to their historical contexts.

You will build skills of visual analysis, critical reading, and evaluation of scholarly arguments in art history.

You will gain experience with various forms of art historical writing, including academic argumentation and the museum label.

Grading Components (equally weighted):

First Essay Exam – October 28, in class

Reflection Paper – due November 18 in hardcopy in class for group discussion

Second Essay Exam – December 4, in class