AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to analyze the wide range of medieval applied arts from a European perspective, so as to provide the tools to read their historical development, their technical and typological peculiarities, and their relationship with the monumental arts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The fundamental educational aims of the course are:

guiding student to learn the lines of development in the production of the main genres of sumptuary arts in the Medieval age, on a chronological basis and in different European contexts, with a relevant focus on other cultural realities; 

direct students to critically investigate artifacts, so that they can analyse and discuss technical and cultural aspects with the correct methodologies, in relation to the calss of similar objects and the general framework of Medieval artistic production;

convey to students the cultural necessity of integrating these artifacts into the frame of Medieval art, and consequently, stimulate them to consider the specific problems inherent to their production, in order to study the artistic civilisation of the Middle Ages more comprehensively.

By the end of the course, students will have understood the production methods of medieval European sumptuary works of art, their function, their symbolic role and their position in the "art system" of the period. 

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of 40 hours of live teaching. 

Classes are held in person. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. The lecturer, at the specific request of a student (by e-mail), may allow him/her to follow classes remotely via “Teams” platform.

All the materials used (texts and images) will be made available to students. It can be acquired at the end of the course, either by sending online or by going - with a usb memory stick - to the teacher's office during his office hours (by appointment).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The main sumptuary techniques of the European Middle Ages (Tapestries, Ivory carving, Miniature, Goldsmithing and goldsmithing techniques, Embroidery, Seal making);

Forms and types of Medieval furnishing;

The glyptic;

The book illumination: the techniques; book illumination in late antiquity and high middle ages.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

– Arti e storia nel Medioevo. II. Del costruire, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Einaudi, Torino 2003 (voci Arazzi, Avori, Miniatura, Oreficeria e tecniche orafe, Ricami, Sigilli);

– V. Elbern, Gemma, in Enciclopedia dell'Arte medievale, vol. VI, Treccani, Roma 1995, pp. 483-488 (anche online: https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/gemma_%28Enciclopedia-dell%27-Arte-Medievale%29/).

– M. Collareta, Arredi, suppellettili, decorazioni mobili, in Arti e storia del Medioevo. Vol. II. Del costruire: tecniche, artisti, artigiani, committenti, a cura di E. Castelnuovo, G. Sergi, Einaudi, Torino 2003, pp. 303-328.

La miniatura in Italia. Dal Tardoantico al Trecento con riferimenti al Medio Oriente e all'Occidente europeo, a cura di A. Putaturo Donati Murano, A. Perriccioli Saggese, vol. I, ESI, Napoli 2005, pp. 13-19, 37-57.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLARIO DI FABIO (President)

GIANLUCA AMERI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons will start on September 25, 2023.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For both attending and non-attending students the examination will be oral and will take the form of an interview on at least three examples relating to general or more specific course topics, based on the teacher's questions on the images commented on in the lecture and on the texts in the syllabus. 

Optional intermediate test (only for attending students): attending students will be given the opportunity, at an intermediate stage of the course, to take a written test focusing on the recognition of images shown in lectures (made available on AulaWeb). The positive result of this test will make it possible to capitalise on a partial grade on a portion of the topics that will no longer be verified during the oral examination.

*IMPORTANT*: Students are reminded of the entry into force of the following rule: from the moment one has taken the examination of one of the two modules that make up the course Medieval Art Themes, the examination of the second module (the one useful for recording the final grade in the career) must take place, necessarily, no later than the next three sessions of lectures.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination will test the student's ability to apply the knowledge learnt, to analyse the materials taught, to understand their characteristics in artistic and cultural terms, and to make connections and comparisons through the use of the concept and terms proper to the discipline. 

The main assessment parameters will be the degree of understanding of the materials taught (texts and images), the way in which categories or individual works are analysed, the ability to deal with the topic studied with an autonomous critical sense, and the appropriateness of exposition.

A sufficiency is considered to be achieved if the student demonstrates that he/she has mastered the fundamental notions conveyed during the course with regard to the main production processes of sumptuary works of art and their historical development, also in relation to the core works and general periodisation.

Excellence will be deemed to have been achieved if the student demonstrates a secure mastery of the syllabus outlined in class, showing that he/she has deepened and elaborated on the themes of the course with a personal critical contribution, argued with a proper language.  

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

It is strongly recommnded to attend the lessons. 

All materials used at lessons will be provided by the teacher.

Non-attendant students will contact the teacher to fix a specific syllabus.