- Autumn 2022
Syllabus Description:
Art History 201: Survey of Western Art-Ancient
Fall 2022
MWF 1:00-2:20pm
ART 003
Prof. Levin-Richardson (you can call me Professor Levin-Richardson, Professor L-R, or just Professor)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 3-4pm in person (I wear a mask when holding office hours in my office; Zoom option available, too—please email me in advance so I can set it up) and by appointment
Office: Denny 227; enter the main doors of Denny, pass the water fountain and elevator, and it’s the
first office on the left
Description:
This course surveys select developments in architecture, sculpture, painting, and other arts in Southern Europe, Southwest Asia, and Northeast Africa from the bronze age to the 4th century. There are no prerequisites.
Learning Objectives:
- identify and correctly apply art-historical terminology and concepts
- locate ancient art and architecture within its geographic context
- discuss ancient art and architecture within its historical, cultural, and social contexts
- engage the ways in which ancient art and architecture influences, and is influenced by, modern cultures
Supporting your learning and well being
If you know of something that might affect your learning (technology problems; health or family crisis; religious observance) please contact me as soon as possible, ideally at the beginning of the quarter, so that I can make appropriate accommodations. Below you can find further resources:
- UW Academic Support: http://depts.washington.edu/aspuw/more/campus-resources/
- UW Counseling Center: http://www.washington.edu/counseling/
- Husky Health and Well-Being: http://wellbeing.uw.edu
- Disability Resources for Students: http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs/
- If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.
- If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at uwdrs@uw.edu or uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
- Religious Accommodations:
- Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy . Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form .
Required Readings:
The required text for this class is listed below; a digital version can be rented from the University Bookstore (https://www.ubookstore.com/) for around $35 (you can rent or purchase copies from online retailers, as well). Please be sure to get the right edition of this textbook (the easiest way to do that is to click on “shop textbooks by course,” and fill in our course information, or to use the ISBN number below to search at another retailer). Other required readings can be found on the course canvas site. Each meeting in the schedule below has one or more assignments to be completed before that class session.
These readings are a starting point for class lectures, which often will expand upon the assigned readings and/or present new material. Thus, I strongly recommend careful reading of the assigned material (using the posted study guides to direct your focus) as well as attending class lectures.
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume I. 16th Edition. Wadsworth, 2013. ISBN: 978-0357370384
Assignments and Grading:
- Quizzes: see schedule below. The lowest quiz will be dropped. 30%
- Exam 1: Monday October 24th. Covers readings, lectures, and other assigned material from September 28th to October 21st. 25%
- Exam 2: Friday December 2nd. Covers readings, lectures, and other assigned material from October 26th to November 30th. 35%
- Final assignment: Monday December 12 by 4:20pm. Covers readings, lectures, and other assigned material from the whole course. 10%
Quizzes will be multiple choice or true/false and will assess vocabulary/terminology and geography (see learning objectives 1 and 2, above). Exams will focus on analyzing ancient art and architecture in its historical, cultural, and social contexts (see learning objective 3 above). The final assignment asks you to respond (in any way you like, from drawings to audio recordings to short written answers) to four things that you learned in class (at least one of these must be from week 11 material; see learning objective 4 above). More information about each assignment will be posted in advance on Canvas.
Your final course grade is calculated from these assignments in the proportions given. Please prepare carefully for these assignments and please contact me in advance if you have any questions about how to best prepare. There is no extra credit.
The grading scale used in this class is as follows:
Percentage Earned |
Grade-Point Equivalent |
---|---|
100-97 |
4.0 |
96-95 |
3.9 |
94 |
3.8 |
93 |
3.7 |
92-91 |
3.6 |
90 |
3.5 |
89-88 |
3.4 |
87 |
3.3 |
86 |
3.2 |
85 |
3.1 |
84 |
3.0 |
83 |
2.9 |
82 |
2.8 |
81 |
2.7 |
80 |
2.6 |
79 |
2.5 |
78 |
2.4 |
77 |
2.3 |
76 |
2.2 |
75 |
2.1 |
74 |
2.0 |
73 |
1.9 |
72 |
1.8 |
71 |
1.7 |
70 |
1.6 |
69 |
1.5 |
68 |
1.4 |
67 |
1.3 |
66 |
1.2 |
65 |
1.1 |
64 |
1.0 |
63 |
0.9 |
62-61 |
0.8 |
60 |
0.7 [lowest passing grade] |
59 and x < 59 |
0.0 |
Further Expectations:
- COVID and Wellness
- The University recommends wearing a high-quality mask inside UW facilities; High-quality masks are available at no cost at locations on each campus.
- If you are sick with any illness, you must stay home, even if you are fully vaccinated. Classes will be recorded so that you can keep up with course material from home.
- Please remember to follow the University’s COVID-19 Public Health Flowchart if you test positive, if you are exposed to COVID-19, have an exposure or develop symptoms. If you have COVID-19 questions, see these resources for students.
- No recording, photographing, posting, or distributing of course materials of any kind is permitted without my written authorization.
- The University of Washington prohibits the selling of notes online or through any other channels.
- Getting in touch with each other
- Please check your UW email daily; this is how I will communicate with you about pertinent information. You are responsible for all information disseminated over email and through the course website.
- I’m available in office hours for you! If you are anxious about assignments, please set up a time well in advance of the assignment or exam so we can discuss strategies. I’m also happy to chat about any other class-related concerns you have, or study abroad opportunities, how to follow your interest in archaeology or ancient history, etc. I am happy to answer questions over email, but please check the syllabus first to see whether the answer is there.
- I will respond to emails by the end of the next working day (which means that if you email me on Friday afternoon, I may not respond until Monday afternoon).
- Grading
- Students are expected to adhere to ethical behavior in their work, including following guidelines posted for each assignment concerning group work and plagiarism/cheating. Failure to adhere to these policies will be considered an academic integrity violation and can be reported to the Office of Student Conduct, and you might receive a zero on the assignment. If you have any questions about what is or is not allowable for an assignment, I’d be more than happy to clarify!
- I’d be happy to discuss any of your graded work with you, but I ask that you wait twenty-four hours after receiving your assignment back in order to begin to process my feedback. After the twenty-four-hour period, please feel free to email me to set up a time for a meeting; I can only discuss grades in office hours or a scheduled meeting time.
Schedule of Topics and Required Readings:
Week 1: Introduction
September 28: Introduction to ARTH 201
September 30: Introduction to Antiquity
- Watch PBS’s Africa’s Great Civilizations, hosted by Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Episode 1: “Origins” [note: captions are available]: https://video-alexanderstreet-com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/watch/origins-2
Part I: Select Civilizations in the Bronze-Age Mediterranean
Week 2: Southwest Asia in the Bronze Age
Oct 3 Mesopotamia: Sumer and Akkad
- Kleiner chapter 2: beginning through section on Akkad
Oct 5: NO CLASS (YOM KIPPUR)
Oct 7: COMPLETE 1ST CANVAS QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM WEEK1F AND WEEK2M) BY MIDNIGHT. Mesopotamia: Third Dynasty of Ur, Babylon, Elam; Anatolia: Hattusha / The Hittites
- Kleiner chapter 2: sections on Mesopotamia: Third Dynasty of Ur, Babylon, Elam
- Jürgen Seeher. Hattusha Guide: a Day in the Hittite Capital. Revised Edition. Istanbul: Ege Yayinlari, 2002. Read pages 155-170 [available on Canvas in Week 2 folder]
Week 3: Northeast Africa in the Bronze Age
Oct 10: Pre-dynastic and Old Kingdom Egypt
- Kleiner chapter 3: beginning through section on Old Kingdom: Architecture
Oct 12: Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt
- Kleiner chapter 3: sections on Old Kingdom: Sculpture and on Middle Kingdom
Oct 14: PRE-RECORDED CLASS. COMPLETE 2ND CANVAS QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM WEEK2F, Week 3M, and Week 3W) BY MIDNIGHT. New Kingdom Egypt
- Kleiner chapter 3: section on New Kingdom
Week 4: Southeast Europe in the Bronze Age
Oct 17: Aegean: Cycladic Cultures and Minoans
- Kleiner chapter 4: beginning through sections on Minoan Art
Oct 19: Aegean: Mycenaeans; Conflict and Gender in the Bronze Age Mediterranean
- Kleiner chapter 4: sections on Mycenaeans
Oct 21: COMPLETE 3RD CANVAS QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM WEEK3F, WEEK 4M AND WEEK 4W) BY MIDNIGHT. In-class "review": bring your general questions about the exam
Part II: Select Civilizations in the Iron-Age Mediterranean
Week 5: Southeast Europe in the Iron Age
Oct 24: NO CLASS. Optional one-on-one office hours in Denny 227 (or by zoom; please email me if you'd like to meet this way) during class time (1-2:20pm); EXAM 1 DUE BY 2:20PM
Oct 26: Greek Geometric, Orientalizing and Archaic Period (Statuary)
- Kleiner chapter 5: beginning through section on Archaic Period: Statuary
Oct 28: Greek Archaic Period (Architecture and Architectural Sculpture; Vase Painting; Aegina and the Transition to the Classical Period)
- Kleiner chapter 5: remaining sections on Archaic period (see topics above)
Week 6: Southeast Europe in the Iron Age
Oct 31: Greek Classical Period (The Athenian Acropolis)
- Kleiner chapter 5: section on Early and High Classics Periods: The Athenian Acropolis [note section!]
Nov 2: Greek Classical Period (Statuary and Painting) and Greek Late Classical Period (Sculpture and
Architecture)
- Kleiner chapter 5: sections on Early and High Classical Periods: Statuary; Early and High Classics Periods: Painting; Late Classical Period: Sculpture; Late Classical Period: Architecture [note the sections—we’re not reading all of them!]
[Talk of possible interest Nov. 3 @ 7pm via Zoom: Prof. Amy Pistone (Gonzaga) on The Skolion Game, Authenticity, and Character at the Symposium: https://gonzaga.zoom.us/j/91242350559?pwd=ZEQyaVUwN2JuamVSakVGYU5VTG4xZz09 [gonzaga.zoom.us] Password: 917027 ]
Nov 4: COMPLETE 4th QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM Week5W, Week 5F, Week 6M and Week 6W) BY MIDNIGHT. Greek Hellenistic Period
- Kleiner chapter 5: Hellenistic Period
- Yousuf Chughtai. “Revisiting the ‘Hellenistic’ Period.” Eidolon. May 21 2018. https://eidolon.pub/revisiting-the-hellenistic-period-5ff7e96b9fad
Week 7: Southern Europe in the Iron Age
Nov 7: Roman Republic
- Kleiner chapter 7: beginning through section on Republic
Nov 9: Roman Republic and Early Roman Empire (Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius)
- Kleiner chapter 7: section on Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius
Nov 11:NO CLASS (VETERANS DAY)
Week 8: Southern Europe in the Iron Age
Nov 14: COMPLETE 5TH QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM Week 6 F, Week 7 M and Week 7 W) BY MIDNIGHT. Early Roman Empire
- Kleiner chapter 7: section on Early Empire
Nov 16: High Roman Empire
- Kleiner chapter 7: section on High Empire [skip section on Ostia]
Nov 18: Late Roman Empire
- Kleiner chapter 7: section on Late Empire
Week 9: Southwest Asia in the Iron Age
Nov 21: COMPLETE 6TH QUIZ (ON VOCAB AND MAPS FROM Week 8 m, Week 8 W and Week 8 F) BY MIDNIGHT. Mesopotamia: Assyria and Neo-Babylonia; Persia: Achaemenid and Sasanian Empires
- Kleiner chapter 2: sections on Mesopotamia: Assyria, Neo-Babylonia; and on Persia
Nov 23: NO CLASS
Nov 25: NO CLASS (THANKSGIVING)
Week 10: Northeast Africa in the Iron Age
Nov 28: Nubia
- Kleiner chapter 3: section on First Millennium BCE
- Solange Ashby. 2021. “Priestess, queen, goddess: The divine feminine in the kingdom of Kush” The Routledge Companion to Black Women’s Cultural Histories. 23-34 [Look in week 10 folder and read pp. 23-32, skipping over the sections beginning with "Hathoric associations" on p. 27 and picking up again on p.28 with the section on "Meroitic Queens"]
Nov 30: Optional in-class exam Q&A
Dec 2: EXAM 2 due by 2:20pm via uploading to Canvas; Optional on-demand office hours during class time in Denny 227 (or via zoom--email in advance to set up a specific time from 1-2:20)
Part III: Legacies, Afterlives, Connections
Week 11: Legacies, Afterlives, Connections
Dec 5: Legacies and Afterlives
- Margaret Talbot. “The Myth of Whiteness in Classical Sculpture.” New Yorker. October 29 2018. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/29/the-myth-of-whiteness-in-classical-sculpture
- Sarah Derbew. “An Investigation of Black Figures in Classical Greek Art.” The Iris. April 25 2018. http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/an-investigation-of-black-figures-in-classical-greek-art/
Dec 7: The West
- Kwame Anthony Appiah. “There is no such thing as western civilisation.” The Guardian November 9 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/09/western-civilisation-appiah-reith-lecture
- Michael Press. “Who Really Owns Hagia Sophia?” Hyperallergic July 28 2020. https://hyperallergic.com/578925/who-really-owns-hagia- sophia/?fbclid=IwAR3x7mUiwHFy_apGUM2Pr3tyOnn3D9DxaHp5PvJL8BfPK8vjMsndI8T-2SQ
Dec 9: Monuments and memory
- LaVaughn Belle, Nicholas Galanin, Dell Upton, Tsione Wolde-Michael, Tiffany Cain. “As the Statues Fall: A Conversation about Monuments and the Power of Memory.” Society of Black Archaeologists webinar, July 23 2020. [2 hours]: https://vimeo.com/439042290 [start at 4:10]
Final assignment due Monday December 12 by 4:20pm by uploading to Canvas