Art 301:

Early Medieval Art            

Fall 2005

 

 

Course Instructor:

Dr. Heather Holian       email: hlholian@uncg.edu

Office: Cone 229          office phone: 334-5884

Office Hours: M 9:30-10:30, W 4:00-5:00, and by appt.

 

Required Textbook:

Lawrence Nees, Early Medieval Art, Oxford University Press, 2002 (ISBN #: 0192842439)

 

This text is available at the UNCG Bookstore. A copy of this book is also on closed reserve at Jackson Library for this course. Many of the assigned readings and exam images for this course will come from Nees’ text, and therefore access to this book is crucial for success in Art 301.

A number of required readings will also be drawn from other books and articles, available either through closed reserved at the library or via Blackboard as an e-reserve. These readings are also required and will be just as important as the readings from the textbook.

 

Course Description:

This course will, for the most part, chronologically survey the art and architecture produced in Western Europe, and in the Byzantine and Islamic Empires, during approximately the first 1000 years after the birth of Christ. At times, we will deviate from a strict chronological approach to address thematic or topical issues directly relevant to the course, such as the cult of martyrs, or the art of monasteries. Attention will not only be given to the major media of sculpture, painting and architecture, but also the so-called “minor arts,” which as we will discover, were highly prized by their individual cultures. Each structure and work of art will be analyzed not only in terms of style, but will also be discussed within the cultural, social, religious, and political environment to which it is inextricably connected, providing a deeper understanding of the work’s important place within its culture. Emphasis will also be given to patrons of the arts and the methods and materials employed by early artists, as well as their artistic sources.

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this course a successful student will be capable of—

1.      discussing the major architectural and artistic monuments of Early Medieval art and their connection to the social and cultural environment which produced them.

2.   comparing and contrasting works of art verbally and through written words.

3.   thinking critically about art.

 

Course Requirements:

1.      Attend lectures. Some of the material discussed in class can not be found in the course textbook, yet it will be included on exams, therefore, regular attendance is essential to success in the course. Attendance will count towards the final grade for the course.

 

2.      Read assigned readings and come prepared to contribute to class discussions.

 

3.      Complete the required assignments.

 

4.      Take and pass all three exams.

 

5.      Take five of six quizzes.

 

Grades:

Grades will be composed of the following components:

 

            Two exams                                                                   200 (100 points each x 2)

            Final exam                                                                    125

            Quizzes                                                                        75 (15 points each x 5)

            Attendance                                                                   75                               

            Major-specific assignments (see below)                        130                 

                                                                                                __________

            Total:                                                                            605 points

 

            Art History Majors

            One short research paper (5-6 pages)                           130

 

            All other Majors*

            Two written analyses of reading                                    130 (65 points each x 2)

           

*Please note that any student who is not an art history major, but who wishes instead to complete the research paper may do so with the advance permission of Dr. Holian. This permission must be sought BEFORE Week 4 of the semester has concluded. See below for description of assignments.

Final grades will be assigned according to the following grading system:

100-97=A+, 96-93=A, 92-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-73=C,

72-70=C-, 69-67=D+, 66-63=D, 62-60=D-, 59 and below is an F

 

Classroom Etiquette:

Remember to turn off all cell phones and pagers before lectures begin as a courtesy to those around you, as well as the instructor. CD players and tape recorders are also not allowed.

 

Please be punctual for class and remain seated for the duration of class time. Class will begin promptly at 3:00, the door will be locked at 3:10 and class will end no later than 3:50. Latecomers will not be admitted after 3:10. Tardy students distract others as well as the instructor, as do students who pack up early and prepare to leave. Please refrain from doing either. If you should leave during class, you will not be allowed to re-enter the classroom until the lecture is over.

 

Since art history classes are taught with the lights turned down you may be tempted to sleep. Please do not do that in class. Nor should you be reading the newspaper or other material not relating to class. Instead, come prepared, take notes and be ready to engage in the course material

 

Please also note, food and drink are not permitted in Cone 103.

 

Course Materials on Blackboard:

Information for this course will be posted on Blackboard, including lists of terms given in lecture, all assignments, select required readings, exam study guides, a copy of the syllabus, and all required images not reproduced in the textbook. The site will be updated as the semester progresses to correspond with lecture. Obviously the site should not be considered a substitute for attending class, but you will find that printing out the terms, or copying them down before lecture, and bringing them with you, will make note-taking easier. These terms are provided on Blackboard not only as a study aid, but also as a way of saving valuable class time, and will therefore not be spelled again in lecture.

 

Address to access Blackboard: http:blackboard.uncg.edu

Items to keep in mind when accessing Blackboard—

1. You will need to know your Novell password. This is the password used to log into campus computer labs. You do not have to access Blackboard only from a campus lab, but you will need the Novell password to get onto the page, regardless of your computer’s location.

            2. Use Internet Explorer when accessing Blackboard. Problems occur with Netscape.

            3. You will need Microsoft Word on your computer to view items posted on Blackboard. If your computer does not have Word, you may download a free viewer for Word on the Blackboard page. Go under “Student Resources,” and then click on “hardware and software.”

            4. Any e-communication you may want to do within the Blackboard system can only be sent to UNCG email addresses.

 

Academic Honor Code:

Students are required to sign the Academic Integrity Policy on each exam, and are expected to follow these guidelines when completing any written work. Please refer to the UNCG Undergraduate Bulletin.

 

Exam Format:

All exams are “closed book.” All three exams will consist only of essay questions, illustrated with slides taken from the exam review sheet. The correct identification of these slides will be necessary for full credit on each essay. The final exam will follow the same format and will not be cumulative except for one, 25-point essay question, which will deal with a broad coarse topic.

 

Cumulative Essay: Two possible topics for this essay will be provided along with the final exam review sheet. Only one of these two topics will appear on the final exam. Each student will be able to prepare an 8” x 11” sheet of paper (front and back) with handwritten or typed notes to bring to the exam to aid in the writing of the cumulative essay portion of the final exam. These notes will then be turned in with the final exam.

 

Exam 1 and 2 will take approximately 45 minutes to complete, while Exam 3 will take longer. All students will be given the full 3 hours allotted for the final to complete Exam 3, however, the exam will take most students approximately 90 minutes to finish.

 

Material for all three exams will be taken from lectures and assigned readings. Review sheets will be posted on Blackboard one week prior to each exam.

 

All exams must be written in a blue book with a blue or black pen, no pencil please. Blue books are available at the UNCG Bookstore, as well as Addams Bookstore on Tate Street, and you should come prepared with at least one blank blue book for each of the three exams. For the final exam each student will be required to turn in two bluebooks; one for the exam and the other for the two cumulative essays.

 

Mandatory “Progress Meetings” with Dr. Holian:

Students who receive a failing grade on EXAM 1 will be required to meet with Dr. Holian during the week following the return of the graded exam. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of 20 points from the student’s earned grade on EXAM 2. Sign-up sheets for meeting times will be available in class. It is the student’s responsibility to make the appointment and attend the meeting. The only acceptable, documented excuses for missing appointments are those accepted for missed exams (see below).

 

These meetings are in place to aid struggling students early in the semester with study skills, note-taking, attendance problems, or other issues preventing a student from performing in the course.

 

Quizzes:

Six short, 5-8 minute quizzes will be given throughout the semester. These will be “closed-book” quizzes, which will test each student’s understanding of important course-related terms. Terms tested on these quizzes will come from the lecture term sheets available on Blackboard and may also test knowledge of course reading. The format of these quizzes will vary and may include fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice or definitions.

 

Quiz dates:

August 26                     Quiz #1                                    October 24                  Quiz #4

September 14               Quiz #2                                    November 9                 Quiz #5

October 5                    Quiz #3                                    December 1                 Quiz #6

 

Make-up quizzes will be given with a valid excuse (namely a documented illness or family emergency). Dr. Holian must be notified within 24 hours of the missed quiz by email or office phone. The lowest quiz grade for each student will be automatically dropped when final grades are calculated.

 

Policy Regarding Missed Exams:

Make-up exams will not be given. Should you miss Exam 1 or Exam 2 due to illness or family emergency you must notify Dr. Holian, by email or office phone, within 24 hours of the missed exam, and produce documentation of your illness or personal emergency. If you must miss an exam for one of these documented reasons, your final grade will be averaged minus the points of the missed exam. Should you miss both exams you will receive a grade of zero for the second missed exam. The final is required of all students (see the Undergraduate Bulletin under “Grading Policies and Grades”).

 

Art History Research Paper Assignment:

A five to six page, double-spaced paper in 12-point font, with one-inch margins (on all sides), will be due at the beginning of class on Nov. 21. This paper assignment will be posted on Blackboard during the fifth week of the semester, including information on proper source citation for this paper.

 

During Week 11 (Oct. 24-28) all students writing research papers must meet with Dr. Holian to discuss the progress of their projects. Preparation for and attendance of this meeting will count towards five points of the total paper grade of 130. It is strongly encouraged, although not required, that students meet with Dr. Holian regarding their papers more than once. Anyone seeking feedback on a rough draft must have that draft turned in by Nov. 7.

 

Guided Written Analysis of Two Readings:

During Week 6 and Week 11 guidelines and a list of questions and/or issues to consider when reading the articles listed below will be posted on Blackboard, along with the article’s text. There is no page requirement for these typed analyses, but rather a content requirement, that is to say that these should be thoughtful, articulate, thorough and well-reasoned analyses based upon the questions and issues provided. Discussion with other colleagues in the course regarding these readings is encouraged, although each student must write his/her own, original analysis. Identical or nearly identical papers will result in a grade of zero for each of the guilty parties.

 

Assignment #1 Posted on Sept. 12—Analysis of the Emperor’s adventus as a source for Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem

Readings: Thomas Mathews, Clash of Gods (e-reserve)

Andrè Grabar, Iconography of Early Christian Art (e-reserve)

Gertrud Schiller, Iconography of Early Christian Art (on reserve for course)

 

**DUE at the beginning of lecture Sept. 30

 

Assignment #2 Posted on Oct. 21—Analysis of issues surrounding icons

Readings: To be announced

 

**DUE at the beginning of lecture Nov. 7

 

Policy on Late Assignments:

Late assignments will be deducted the number of points equaling half of a letter grade for each day they are late. No exceptions. Late assignments may be turned into Dr. Holian’s mailbox in the Art Department’s main office, McIver, Room 158-A. **Make sure they are dated by the secretary before placing them in Dr. Holian’s box. This is your responsibility. The secretary will not date it automatically.

 

301 Early Medieval Art

Lecture Topics and Schedule of Required Readings

 

PLEASE NOTE: Readings should be completed prior to class meetings

 

Week 1

 

AUG.  15                     Introduction to Course

 

AUG.   17                    The Language of Roman Art after 100 A.D.

Reading: Nees, pp. 9-15, 17-22

 

AUG.   19                    Continue Late Roman Art

Reading: Nees, pp. 22-mid p. 27

 

Week 2

 

AUG. 22                      Finish Roman, Begin Language and Sources of Early Christian Art         

Reading: Nees, pp. 31-top of 39, pp. 1-3 of xeroxed handout, J. Snyder,

Medieval Art, pp. 15-top of 2nd column, p. 16 (on reserve), J.

Gordon Melton and M. Baumann, “Christianity,” Religions of the World, pp. 282-mid 288 (e-reserve)

 

AUG. 24                      Continue Language and Sources of the Earliest Christian Art

                                    Reading: Robin Margaret Jensen, Understanding Early

Christian Art, pp. 32- mid 46 (e-reserve)

 

AUG. 26                      Finish Language and Sources of the Earliest Christian Art

                                    Reading: review assignments from Monday and Wednesday

 

Week 3

 

AUG.   29                    Dura-Europos: Early Jewish and Christian Art in context

                                    Reading: Nees, 27-29, 39-40, J. Gordon Melton and M. Baumann,

“Judaism,” Religions of the World, pp. 730-mid. 734 (e-reserve)

                                    **QUIZ 1**

 

AUG. 31                      The Jewish and Christian Catacombs in Rome       

Reading: on reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 16-20, P. Pergola,

Christian Rome: Early Christian Rome, Catacombs and Basilicas pp. 6, 8-11 (e-reserve)

 

 

 

 

SEPT. 2                       Finish Catacombs, Begin Religious art of Pagan Cults in the Roman

Empire

Reading: Nees, pp. 40-44, on reserve, A. Tripolitis, “Mithraism,” from

Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age, pp. 47-59 (e-reserve)

 

           

Week 4

 

SEPT. 5                       NO CLASS—Labor Day                                          

 

SEPT. 7                       Finish Pagan Cults, Begin Constantine and the Birth of Christian

Architecture

Reading: Nees, pp. 47-50, and on reserve J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 27

top of 33

 

SEPT. 9                       St. Peters and the Cult of Martyrs

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 117-23, and on reserve J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp.

top of 33-36

 

Week 5

 

SEPT. 12                     New Iconography of the 4th Century

                                    Reading: Nees, 52-61, and on reserve, R.M. Jensen, Understanding Early

Christian Art, pp. 59-63

 

SEPT. 14                     Finish New Iconography, Begin Architecture if time

                                    **QUIZ 2**

 

SEPT. 16                     Specialized 4th C. Architecture of the Roman Capitals and the

Holy  Land                                         

Reading: On reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 66-top 68, 72

(Jerusalem)-74

 

 

Week 6

 

SEPT. 19                     Finish Specialized Architecture

                                    Reading: On reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 38, 68 (Milan)-top 70,

and M. Stokstad, Medieval Art, pp. 26-27 (Sta. Costanza)

 

SEPT. 21                     Art for Aristocrats

                                    Reading: Nees, 63-73

 

SEPT. 23                     “Barbarians” and their Art

                                    Reading: Nees, 75-top of 83

 

Week 7

 

SEPT. 26                    EXAM 1

 

SEPT. 28                     5th C. Art and Architecture in Rome

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 87-top 92

 

SEPT. 30                     5th C. Art and Architecture in Rome continued

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 93-97, on reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 60-62,

79-81, 91-top 94

                       

Week 8

 

OCT. 3                                    Finish Art of Rome, 5th C.-6th C. Art and Architecture of Ravenna

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 83-top 87, J. Lowden, Early Christian and Byzantine

Art, pp., 103-top 116, 118-125 (e-reserve)

 

OCT. 5                                    5th C. and 6th C. Ravenna continued

Reading: Review J. Lowden reading from Monday

                                    **QUIZ 3**

 

OCT. 7                                    Finish Art of Ravenna, Early Mosaics of the Eastern Empire                                                        Reading: On reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 106-8

                                   

Week 9

 

OCT. 10                      NO CLASS—FALL BREAK

 

OCT. 12                      Justinian and Early Byzantine Architecture

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 99-top of 104, on reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp.

99-101, on reserve, T. Mathews, Byzantium: From Antiquity to the

Renaissance, pp. 7-15, J. Lowden, Early Christian and Byzantine

Art, start pp. 125-mind 135 (e-reserve)

 

OCT. 14                      Finish San Vitale,  Begin 6th C. Byzantine Mosaics and Ivories

                                    Reading: Finish J. Lowden reading from Wednesday

 

Week 10

 

OCT. 17                      Finish Ivories and Metalwork

                                    Reading: J. Snyder, Medieval Art, bottom p. 103-105 (reserve),

J. Lowden, Early Christian and Byzantine Art, pp. 116-118 (e-reserve)

 

 

OCT. 19                      Early Byzantine Illuminated Manuscripts               

                                    Reading: On reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 82-top 90

 

OCT. 21                      Icons and the Cult of the Images

                                    Reading: Nees, pp. 137-top 146

 

Week 11

 

OCT. 24                      Icons and Iconoclasm

                                    Reading: Nees, bottom p. 146-151, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 126-29

(reserve)

                                    **QUIZ 4**

 

OCT. 26                      7th-8th  C. Art and Architecture of Islam

                                    Reading: All on e-reserve, J. Bloom and S. Blair, Islamic Art, 15-17, 20,

23, 25, 28, 30-33, top 35, and R. Hillendbrand, Islamic Art and Architecture, pp. 11-17

 

OCT. 28                      Art and Architecture of Islam continued

                                    Reading: All on e-reserve, J. Bloom and S. Blair, Islamic Art, chapter

entitled, “Pen and Parchment: The Koran and Early Writing,” pp. 59-60, 62-71, 73, 76-78 and 120-123 (metalwork), also and R. Hillendbrand, Islamic Art and Architecture, p. 38-top of 41.

 

Week 12

 

OCT. 31                      EXAM 2

 

NOV. 2                       Finish Art and Architecture of Islam

                                    Reading: On e-reserve, Ettinghausen, Grabar and Jenkins-Madina, Islamic

Art and Architecture, 650-1250, “Western Islamic Lands,” pp. 83-91.

 

NOV. 4                       Early Medieval Art in the West: Metalwork

                                    Reading: Nees, bottom of 104-115

 

Week 13

 

NOV. 7                       Art of the Vikings and of Monasteries

                                    Reading: Nees, p. 128-top of 133, Stokstad, Medieval Art, 86- top 89

(reserve), read about monasteries in course xerox packet

 

NOV. 9                       Art of the Monasteries continued

                                    Reading: J. Snyder, pp. 182-top 189 (reserve   )                      

**QUIZ 5**

 

NOV. 11                     Carolingian Architecture

                                    Reading: on reserve, M. Stokstad, Medieval Art, 101-109

 

Week 14

 

NOV. 14                     Frankish Illuminated Manuscripts of the late 8th and early 9th C.

                                    Reading: Nees, 182-top 184, on reserve, J. Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 203

208

 

NOV. 16                     Carolingian Metalwork and Ivories, Begin Later Carolingian

Illuminated Manuscripts

Reading: Nees, 184-top 189,  for manuscripts begin Friday’s reading

 

NOV. 18                     Continue with Late Carolingian Illuminated Manuscripts

                                    Reading: on reserve, Snyder, Medieval Art, pp. 208-224                                 

 

 

Week 15

NOV. 21                     Later Carolingian Metalwork and Ivories

                                    Reading: on reserve, Snyder, Medieval Art, p. 225-top p. 228

 

NOV. 23-25                NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING BREAK

 

Week 16

 

NOV. 28                     “Second Golden Age” of Byzantine Art