Picasso
- Spring 2023
Syllabus Description:
Pablo Picasso and his Influence
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UW email: marek@uw.edu (NOTE: I prefer this email, please do not use Canvas mail, which I simply may miss).
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is widely seen as the greatest artist of the 20th century. Sign up for this class and learn why. Have you ever wondered what Cubism is about, why Picasso's pictures look so funny, or why he got so famous for what he invented? Why his influence reached so far? This course covers the long and prolific career of what is really one of the great innovators of modern art. We will follow the artist from his beginnings as a precocious youth in the 1890s to his late style in the 1960s. Because Picasso’s oeuvre is so vast, we will focus on a selection of representative works from each period, with emphasis on the question of innovation in painting and sculpture. With respect to these periods, we will look at the artist's influence on other artists in his circle and beyond, specifically where and how his innovations reverberated with other artists. The class is largely discussion based, and there will be two short papers and one exam, administered on the last day of classes. Class participation is vital to the success of the class and your grade.
Class Attendance & Participation are vital
We are building this learning community together and a key element of co-creating a shared learning environment is a commitment to active participation in class. There will be short quiz questions during certain classes and also Poll Everywhere questions, which will be counted toward your grade. The points you can score for each of these are not much, so these are low-stakes, but together they add up to 35% of your final grade for the course and are a testimony to your participation. Canvas will be set to drop a few of the lowest scores in case you cannot attend some classes (make-up quizzes are only given for medical reasons).
Please refer to this document for a full-set of expectations to succeed in this class
Course Book
The course book is by Leo Steinberg, Picasso: Selected Essays (University of Chicago Press, 2022). An email will be sent during week one with a special discount code for direct purchase as e-book from the publisher. The book will be complemented by other mandatory readings, which will be posted as PDFs in the weekly Modules, where you will also find other, supporting material. A very basic book that offers images and simple chronologies with short entries is also posted as a PDF: John Finlay's Picasso's World (2011)
Course Objectives:
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You will gain familiarity with the development of Picasso’s long career and highlights from it in relation to themes that have structured scholarly inquiry into his work and the modernist tradition.
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You will learn the elements of visual analysis in painting and sculpture and develop your skills at communicating visual analysis precisely in writing.
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You will learn how to develop visual description into art historical interpretation.
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You will gain exposure to some of the ways in which art historical scholarship relates visual objects to their historical contexts.
- You will develop critical thinking and analytical skills through class discussions of specific texts, by offering thoughtful observations and contributions to group conversations.
Grading
Exam (last day of classes): 20%
Papers (2): 45 %
Participation (including short quizzes): 35 %
Here attached you will find a list of School of Art + Art History + Design Policies
“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”
Current UW students can schedule Zoom or In Person Advising appointments (schedule online here), or stop by Art Rm 104 for drop-in advising, available Monday - Thursday, 9am - 3pm. Students can also email Advising at uaskart@uw.edu.
Covid guidelines are listed under Modules.
Student Health + Wellness Resources:
- UW Counseling Center offers multiple options for students seeking help coping with stress and mental health concerns.
- The Counseling Center is open M - F, 8am - 5pm, 206-543-1240, https://www.washington.edu/counseling/
- SafeCampus is dedicated to supporting anyone at the UW dealing with potentially difficult or dangerous situations including, but not limited to: resolving conflict, addressing concerning & prohibited behaviors, suicide / self harm, relationship violence
- Contact SafeCampus with any issues of concern 24/7 at 206-685-SAFE, http://www.washington.edu/safecampus
- Urgent Help Options for medical & mental health are available to students through UW and several off-campus organizations: https://wellbeing.uw.edu/mental-health/urgent-help/
- Call 911 in emergency situations. Reminder that emergency services that are dispatched also include medical professionals that can assess the situation and recommend resources and services.
Disability Accommodation
- To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Student Disability Services, 448 Schmitz, (206) 543-8924 (V/TTY) or uwdss@u.washington.edu.
- If you have a letter from Student Disability Services requesting academic accommodations, please present this to your instructor on the first day of class or as DRS to send the request directly.
Violence Awareness and Prevention
- Preventing violence, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation is everyone's responsibility.
- Call 911 for emergency help. Call 206-685-SAFE to report non-urgent threats or concerns.
- SafeCampus: washington.edu/safecampus.
- Concerns about sexual harassment: http://studentlife.washington.edu/?s=title+ix http://depts.washington.edu/livewell/saris/sexual-harassment/
- Don't walk alone. Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255).
Connect to UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online: www.washington.edu/alert
Voicing a Concern
As we begin the quarter, I as your instructor/professor want to inform you about how to voice concerns that may come up while you’re enrolled in this course. If your concern is something you feel you can discuss with me, I’m open to hearing about it. If it’s not something you feel you can discuss with me, or if we have a conversation about it that doesn’t successfully address your concern, there are other people available to help you resolve it. The nature of your concern can inform whom you should speak with about it: for example, I as your instructor am your first resource for discussing whether your DRS accommodations are being met, while students who are experiencing harassment from a faculty member, staff member, or student could reach out to SafeCampus immediately. The School of Art + Art History + Design Advising team is a fantastic resource for directing you where to go, and you can find a detailed explanation of the various pathways available to you on the School’s Voicing a Concern document. The link is available in our syllabus Here, or in the School’s website under the tab labelled “The School.”
The School of Art + Art History + Design believes that all students have the right to voice concerns that come up within the scope of their classes. We are here to support you and to work with you in building a positive learning environment.
Land Acknowledgment: I would like to acknowledge that I live and work in Salish territory, specifically the lands of the Suquamish and Duwamish and the shared lands and waters of the Tulalip and Muckleshoot. There is a long history of education on this land dating to long before the establishment of this university.