HISTORY OF ART CRITICISM

Antonella TROTTA HISTORY OF ART CRITICISM

0312800041
DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Bachelor or equivalent first cycle
CULTURAL HERITAGE SCIENCES
2025/2026

OBBLIGATORIO
YEAR OF COURSE 3
YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2017
SPRING SEMESTER
CFUHOURSACTIVITY
630LESSONS
Objectives
THE COURSE PRESENTS THE FUNDAMENTAL TOPICS AND TEXTS OF THE DISCOURSE ON ART FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT DAY, WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO ANALYSE THEM AS EVIDENCE OF THE WAYS OF LOOKING AT, DESCRIBING, INTERPRETING, DISPLAYING AND APPRECIATING WORKS OF ART AND TO TRACE THEM BACK TO THE HISTORICAL, CULTURAL CONTEXT THAT HAVE DETERMINED THEM.
KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS. THE STUDENT
- WILL KNOW THE FUNDAMENTAL TOPICS IN THE DISCOURSE ON ART FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE 20TH CENTURY; - WILL UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE HISTORY OF ART CRITICISM AND THE NETWORK OF PROFESSIONAL FIGURES (E.G. ART HISTORIANS, ART CRITICS, CONNOISSEURS, ARTISTS, RESTORERS) AND INSTITUTIONS THAT ANIMATE THE ART WORLD (E.G. MUSEUMS, EXHIBITIONS, ACADEMIES); - WILL UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE HISTORY OF ART CRITICISM AND THE HISTORY OF ART
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO:
- ORGANIZE AND PROCESS INFORMATION AND CONTENT REGARDING WORKS OF ART FROM A HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE; - RECONSTRUCT THE CRITICAL FORTUNES OF WORKS AND ARTISTS AS THE HISTORY OF CRITICAL JUDGEMENTS, IDENTIFYING THEIR HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MOTIVES.
AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT. THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO
- EXPRESS CONTENT AND INFORMATION ON WORKS OF ART AND ARTISTS IN AN ACCOMPLISHED MANNER AND WITH APPROPRIATE VOCABULARY, WITH AWARENESS AND AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO
- COMMUNICATE, BY MEANS OF WRITTEN TEXTS OR VIRTUAL TOOLS, THE RESULTS OF BASIC RESEARCH OR THEIR OWN ELABORATIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF WORKS OF ART OR ARTISTS.
Prerequisites
THE COURSE REQUIRES A BASIC AWARENESS OF THE HISTORY OF ART FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE 20TH CENTURY.
Contents
THE COURSE WILL COVER THE FOLLOWING CONTENTS:
- WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ART CRITICISM? LIONELLO VENTURI AND THE "CONCISE HISTORY OF AESTHETIC-CRITICAL IDEAS ON ART";
- JULIUS VON SCHLOSSER AND ART LITERATURE AS "SCIENCE OF THE SOURCES OF ART HISTORY";
- "AN ANTHOLOGY OF GOOD ART CRITICISM": ROBERTO LONGHI'S PROPOSALS FOR ART CRITICISM. TEXT ANALYSIS;
-THE LIVES OF VASARI: HISTORY AND MEMORY OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTSMEN;
- THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ARTS AND THE SYNTHESIS IN DRAWING;
- THE DISPUTE OVER THE "RIGHT OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT PAINTERS TO JUDGE A WORK OF PAINTING": GIULIO MANCINI AND CONSIDERATIONS ON PAINTING;
- THE ASSEMBLAGE OF PAINTINGS AND THE INVENTION OF COMPARISON;
- THE THOUSAND "PARTICULAR STORIES" OF ARTISTIC LITERATURE IN THE XVII CENTURY: THE LIVES OF GIOVANNI BAGLIONE AND GIOVAN PIETRO BELLORI;
- THE THOUSAND "PECULIAR STORIES" OF XVII CENTURY ART LITERATURE: MARCO BOSCHINI AND THE REVENGE OF COLOUR;
- THE THOUSAND "PARTICULAR STORIES" OF XVII CENTURY ART LITERATURE: CARLO CESARE MALVASIA'S FELSINA PITTRICE;
- FROM ANTIQUARIANISM TO ART HISTORY: JOHANN JOACHIM WINCKELMANN'S HISTORY OF ART IN ANTIQUITY;
- ART HISTORY IN THE 'CENTURY OF COMPENDIA': LUIGI LANZI AND PICTORIAL HISTORY;
- ART HISTORIOGRAPHY FROM LIVES TO SCHOOLS: THE FORTUNE OF THE NOTION OF SCHOOL IN ART LITERATURE;
- THE HISTORICAL-CRITICAL METHOD AND CONNOISSEURSHIP: GIOVAN BATTISTA CAVALCASELLE'S HISTORY OF ITALIAN PAINTING;
- GIOVANNI MORELLI, THE 'SCIENCE OF ATTRIBUTION' AND THE 'CIRCUMSTANTIAL PARADIGM';
-MUSEUMS, EXHIBITIONS AND THE INSTITUTIONALISATION OF ART HISTORY IN GERMANY, THE 'HOLBEIN CASE' IN DRESDEN;
- THE INVENTION OF THE RENAISSANCE IN THE XIXTH CENTURY: JACOB BURCKHARDT, WALTER PATER AND JOHN RUSKIN;
- FOR A HISTORY OF ART WITHOUT 'BEAUTY': ALOIS RIEGL AND THE VIENNA SCHOOL;
-BERNARD BERENSON AND THE "GLOBAL " LURE OF ITALIAN PAINTING OF RENAISSANCE.
Teaching Methods
THE COURSE CONSISTS OF FORMAL LECTURES (30 HOURS). STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO TEST THEIR ACQUISITION OF THE LECTURES' CONTENT THROUGH WEEKLY EXERCISES (10 MULTIPLE-CHOICE AND/OR OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS) IN E-LEARNING MODE (MOODLE). THE EXERCISES ARE NOT OBLIGATORY BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ATTENDANCE AT LECTURES IS AS WELL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Verification of learning
THE EXAMINATION CONSISTS OF AN ORAL TEST LASTING APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. DURING THE EXAMINATION, THE FOLLOWING WILL BE ASSESSED: THE KNOWLEDGE AND DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE COURSE CONTENT, STARTING WITH A TOPIC FREELY SELECTED BY THE STUDENT; THE ABILITY TO BOTH PRESENT AND APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED WITH AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT AND APPROPRIATE EXPRESSION.
Texts
LA STORIA DELLE STORIE DELL'ARTE, A CURA DI O. ROSSI PINELLI, TORINO, EINAUDI 2014, PP. 3-319; R. LONGHI, PROPOSTE PER UNA CRITICA D'ARTE (1950), A CURA DI G.AGAMBEN, URBINO 2014.
ALL CLASS MATERIALS (PPTS) WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS IN E-LEARNING MODE (TEAMS).
More Information
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO CONTACT THE PROFESSOR
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