OVERVIEW

The course is articulated in a series of classes that address aspects and issues inherent to the definition of art history and its methodologies with a focus on the agents and social factors that contribute to the production of the work in its historical and cultural context.

Through a review of emblematic examples that intends to present a wide variety of production situations, artefacts and events, the course then leads to a more specific discussion focusing on the role of the object and space in contemporary art in the second half of the 20th century, and on the systems of relations that define its value.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide a basic historical-critical knowledge of the following issues:

- the evolution of the figure of the artist over the centuries, with particular regard to his involvement in the design of events and the production of applied arts;

- the materials and processes of 19th and 20th century art;

- museum standards and the conservation of artistic artefacts and design.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Awareness of the evolution of the paradigms of Western art history, also with regard to the progressive expansion of its object of study, highlights the merits and limits of traditional models with respect to the consideration of the plurality of factors that contribute to the creation of a work and the interpretation of its meaning with respect to a given context.

The examination of the role of patrons, collectors and the public, the social position of the artist in relation to institutions, the way in which his work is presented, exhibited and conserved, but also the way in which it acquires value, conducted in the course of the lectures, is intended to develop a methodology that considers the historical narrative as a system in continuous evolution within which the work of art is configured as the centre of an articulated system of relationships.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to analyse and contextualise different works and artefacts, highlighting the connections between art and society that were the subject of the classes.

PREREQUISITES

A good knowledge of the history of Western art, in particular modern and contemporary art, is required; for this reason, a recent and comprehensive textbook should be consulted.

TEACHING METHODS

Classes will be held in presence. 
Please refer to the teaching-specific AulaWeb forum for any updates on days, times and classrooms.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to the lecture content (shared by the lecturer on the Aulaweb), students are required to study the following texts in order to take the examination:

• Bologna, Ferdinando, Dalle Arti minori all'industrial design. Storia di un'ideologia, Paparo Edizioni, Napoli 2017;
• Castelnuovo, Enrico, Bignamini Ilaria, Arte e società entry, in Enciclopedia delle scienze sociali, 1991,  on-line: <https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/arte-e-societa_(Enciclopedia-delle-scienze-sociali)/)>;
• Baxandall, Michael, Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1988;
• Gombrich, Ernst H., The Uses of Images. Studies in the Social Function of Art and Visual Communication, Phaidon, London, 2002.

For non-attending students, in addition to the texts common to attending students,  the study of:

• Spear, Richard E.; Sohm, Ph., Painting for Profit: The Economic Lives of Seventeenth-Century Italian Painters, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 2010.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes will be held in the first semester and will begin on 23 September, 2.30-16.30 p.m., in Lecture Hall OA, lot P [stradone di S. Agostino 37].

The course,  held on Mondays and Wednesdays, always at 14.30-16.30, will be given with the collaboration of Dr Andrea Paolini.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination is held orally and includes an interview aimed at testing learning of the lecture topics and knowledge of the texts listed in the bibliography.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam consists of a number of questions, some of which are wide-ranging and some specific, involving the use of iconographic aids specially selected from those shown in the course of the lectures, in order to enable candidates to demonstrate the critical skills they have acquired and to make connections between the topics of the syllabus. Questions are weighted equally and answers are graded in thirtieths. The final mark is the average of these questions. The assessment of each answer is determined by the degree of acquisition of the expected knowledge, based on the following criteria:

- level of knowledge and in-depth study of the subject matter, including the correct place in the historical and geographical context of the facts discussed; 
- capacity for analysis and critical evaluation, as well as for linking and comparing the various artistic phenomena addressed;
- mastery of expression and acquisition of the appropriate terminology conveyed during the course.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography, and take the examination in English (or French).

Students with disabilities or learning disorders.
Students with disabilities or learning disorders are entitled specific adjustments, provided they upload the relevant certifications and documents on the University's dedicated webpage. See http://servizionline.unige.it under rubric 'Students'. The documents will be validated by the relevant office within the University (Settore servizi per l’inclusione degli studenti con disabilità e con DSA dell’Ateneo) (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

At least 10 days before the exam, students will have to email the Professor, Cc'ing the aforementioned office, as well as the School's deputy for matters concerning students with disabilities and learning disorders (elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it). Please specify the following in your email:

- name, surname, student number
- course name and number
- date of your exam
- adjustments required

Once the School's representative confirms your eligibility, you will liaise with your Professor to finalize the details. The final decision on what adjustments are acceptable rests with your instructor.

Please note that any request must be sent at least 10 days before your exam, to successfully complete the process in time. Please also note that the mind maps to be used on the day of your exam have to be significantly more concise than those you use when you study.

For further information, please see:
https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf