Romanesque Art

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This advanced lecture course examines the architecture, sculpture, painting, manuscript illumination, and luxury arts of the Latin West during the High Middle Ages. We will consider artistic, religious, and historical developments in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, England, and other regions. Emphasis will be given to primary sources, and to current issues in and approaches to the interpretation of medieval art of the period ca. 900-1200 CE.

PREREQUISITES:

V43.0001, V43.0200, or permission of the instructor.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

**St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, trans. from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1948, available at the NYU Bookstore.
**Coursepack of readings, available at Unique Copy Center (252 Greene Street).

Recommended (and on reserve in the Grey Fine Arts Library and Bobst):

**Snyder, James. Medieval Art. Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, 4th-14th Century. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, and New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1989.
**Stokstad, Marilyn. Medieval Art. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1986; 1988.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Article critiques/responses:

Short (ca. 1-1/2-page, typed) analyses of the articles in the coursepack, due on the dates indicated in the Course Outline.

Midterm exam:

Monday, March 8th, full class period.

Paper:

A ca. 10-12-page typed, double-spaced proposal for a thematic exhibition of Romanesque art (including wall labels for the works to be exhibited), composed of objects on display in the Cloisters Collection and the Metropolitan Museum's medieval galleries, due Wednesday, April 28th, in class.

Final exam:

Monday, May 10th, 2:00-3:50 PM (date and time to be confirmed)

NATURE OF THE REQUIREMENTS:

Readings and lectures:

Students should do the assigned reading for each class before coming to the lecture, and should come to class prepared to discuss the articles or primary sources assigned for each session. Students may do the suggested readings from Snyder or Stokstad either before each lecture, to gain familiarity with the works to be discussed; or after the class as a review.

It is the student's responsibility to be sure that he/she has received any photocopy hand-outs or other materials distributed in class. If a student misses a lecture, he/she should arrange to photocopy another student's lecture notes. Students may not "borrow" the professor's lecture notes.

Slides:

The slides for each lecture will be on reserve and available for study in the Grey Fine Arts Library.

Website:

There is a website for the course on which the syllabus, paper assignment, and main images for each lecture will be posted. Its address is: www.nyu.edu/classes/finearts/smith/romanesque. Details concerning the website will be given in class.

Article critique/responses:

For each of the articles in the coursepack (but not for the primary sources), students should write a short (no more than 1-11/2-page, typed) analysis, to be handed in during class on the date indicated in the Course Outline. This analysis should not be a summary of the article (although you certainly may refer to the author=s findings in your analysis). Rather, you may discuss or critique the author=s method or use of evidence; you may explain why you found the argument convincing or unconvincing; you may discuss a theme or issue (or two) raised in the article that you found particularly interesting (and explain why); or you may discuss what you learned from the article about Romanesque art or medieval society which you hadn't known before, or which you found surprising or illuminating. The article critiques will be graded on a √- ( check-minus), √ (check) √+(check-plus) basis.

Exams:

The midterm and final exams will consist of some combination of single slide identification questions, two-slide comparison/contrast questions, or two-slide identification questions requiring longer essays. For all types of question, you are expected to provide the name(s) of the artist(s), if known, title, date, medium, location made for (or in), and style-period, including region (i.e., Ottonian, Mozarabic, English Romanesque). Your answers should address the main features of style, iconography, patronage, function, and religious, historical, political, and social context, as relevant.

You will receive an exam study guide one week before each exam. You may bring one (1) 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper with notes on either side to the exams.

Make-up policy for midterm exam:

Make-ups for the midterm will be given only in cases of proven, documented medical or personal emergencies. You must contact me either before or within 48 hours of the exam to schedule a make-up. Failure to do so will result in a grade of "F" for the exam.

Make-up policy for final exam:

In accordance with University and Department of Fine Arts policy, make-up exams for the final will not be given during the regular exam period. The rules above regarding documentation of medical and personal emergencies apply.

Paper:

Detailed instructions concerning the paper will be given in class, after the midterm. The paper should be typed (12-point font), double-spaced, paginated, have standard (one-inch) margins, and be stapled in the upper left corner. Your paper should be proof-read for grammar and spelling before being handed in.

Penalty for late papers:

There will be a grade penalty for papers received late. The rules above regarding documentation for medical or personal emergencies apply.

Proper citation/ Plagiarism:

References to ideas or information from books, class notes, museum wall labels, audio tours, or websites or other sources should be properly documented with footnotes or endnotes, and direct quotations from any written source should be enclosed in quotation marks as well. Not to do so, as you already know, is to commit plagiarism. Any student who is found to have committed plagiarism will receive an "F" on their paper. There will be no opportunity to rewrite a plagiarized paper. Furthermore, a plagiarized paper may be referred to the University disciplinary committee. Your papers should include a bibliography of works cited. Please see the guidelines concerning proper citation at the end of this syllabus.

**All components of the course requirements must be completed in order to pass the course.
**Failure of two or more components of the course requirements will result in failure of the course in its entirety.

Other:

Please refrain from eating and drinking in the classroom. If you must imbibe or take nourishment, please clean up after yourself! Please turn off all cellphones and pagers. Students may not tape-record lectures. Please arrive promptly. If you must leave early or arrive late, please do so with as little disruption as possible.

Museum locations, directions, hours (for paper):

The Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park, NY
By subway: Take the IND Eighth Avenue A train to 190th Street; exit the station by the elevator and follow Margaret Corbin Drive or take the M4 bus one stop to the Museum. By bus: M4 (Fort Tryon Park-The Cloisters) to the last stop. By car: Henry Hudson Parkway North to first exit after the George Washington Bridge (Fort Tryon Park). To return to Lower Manhattan, exit park via Fort Washington Avenue, turn right onto 181st Street, and follow signs to Henry Hudson Parkway South.

Admission: There is a suggested student admission, but you may pay what you wish.

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday (9:30 AM-5:15 PM)
CLOSED MONDAY

Metropolitan Museum of Art,1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd-84th Street
By subway: 4, 5, or 6 subway to 86th Street and Lexington Avenue, or the 6 train to 77th Street and Lexington Avenue.

There is a suggested admission for students, but you may pay what you wish.

Hours: Friday-Saturday 9:30 AM-9:00 PM
Sunday 9:30 AM-5:30 PM
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday-Thursday 9:30 AM-5:30 PM