N.Y.U. Freshman Seminar Syllabus, 2014
THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF PAPAL ROME: MICHELANGELO AND
CARAVAGGIO
FRSEM-UA 366.001
Instructor: Prof. Emeritus Guy Walton; Email: gw1@nyu.edu
Class location: 302 Silver, Department of Art History. Wednesdays: 9:30
to noon.
Notices posted by Email
Instructor’s Office hours: Tuesday 5-6 PM and Wednesday before and
after class, but appointments must be made in advance for these times,
in person, or by Email. Thursday mornings are also possible.
(Consultations on class presentations and papers before they are given
or submitted are strongly suggested.)
Recent biographies of Michelangelo by Antonio Forcellino
(Michelangelo, A Tormented Life), by John Spike (Young Michelangelo),
and of Caravaggio by Andrew Graham-Dixon (Caravaggio, a Life Sacred
and Profane), will provide the basic material for this course, along with
early biographies of the artists and other modern studies. [The books
are available at the N.Y.U. bookstore in paperback, or through Amazon
and some may be available on Kindle, though the paperback versions
should prove more convenient for this course. The illustrations are far
better.] Students should try to read through these 3 books over the
course of the term. There will be two short quizzes on the biographies
of Michelangelo and Caravaggio in class in October that will presume
some study of these works. The books should also provide a jumping off
point for both the class presentations and the research for the term
papers required by the course.
Note: The class is scheduled from 9:30 to noon. Our class time will
generally be organized in two parts with a five or ten-minute break. The
class sessions will include movie videos and a museum visit. Some class
time will also be given to the discussion of issues about research and the
writing and the preparation of research papers. There will also be some
short written assignments, including the handing in of class notes on the
films viewed and short exercises related to special skills relevant to the
study of the history of art, such as writing descriptions of works of art.
Library of the Department of Art History: The Reserve Reading Room
of the Art History Department, located on the third floor of Silver, is,
exceptionally, open to the students of this seminar, both for convenience
and to supply additional material beyond that available at the
University’s Bobst Library. It is located at the South end of the corridor
beyond 303 Silver and our classroom, #302. While this material does
not circulate and must be used in the reading room, many important
books, some not easily available elsewhere, may be studied there. (The
books must be requested from the student monitor and ID cards should
be left as security, and their use must be on the premises.) The monitors
will have lists of the books and articles on the reserve for this course.
There will also be some photocopies on the reserve. Exceptionally, these
copies may be taken out for copying, ask the monitor. The instructor
will provide copies for the class of some articles.
PLEASE NOTE: Given the limited number of class meetings (only
14) students are required to attend all class meetings and the field
trips. In the event of unavoidable absence the instructor should be
informed in advance, in person or by Email, or as soon as possible
afterwards. He can also be reached on his home phone at (646) 486
6986 on Wed. mornings. For those who cannot be at the Metropolitan
Museum with the class-- for a good reason explained to the instructor in
advance-- short papers and make up visits will be required. Students in
the past have found the visit a high point of the course.
Content of the course: The course will focus at the start on the
biographies of Michelangelo and of Caravaggio, thus covering more than
a century of the history of the art of Renaissance Rome, from the High
Renaissance though the Counter-Reformation. Special stress will be on
these two unique personalities and on their lives in the context of the
unusual culture of papal Rome-- a city at once a secular state and the
world center of the Catholic Church-- during a time of crisis about the
issue of papal power and prestige.
These artists’ powerful personalities and the artistic achievements of
their careers will be examined during the weekly meetings of the class
through the close study of works of art and by class discussions of these
works.
Participation in class discussions will be an important component of
students’ course grade, as will two quizzes and a few short exercises (1
to 5 pages) related both to the classes and to the development over the
course of the term of substantial Term Paper Essays.
A term paper, roughly 10 to 12 pages in length, due at the end of
the term, will be the final goal of the course. The paper should
reflect the material studied in class and demonstrate both the
research done for the project as well as students’ ability to write
clear academic English supporting a central thesis or argument.
The term paper should include both a commented bibliography
and foot or end notes-- both bibliography and notes rendered in
the current manner used in serious academic publications in the
history of art.
The topics of these papers will generally be studies in depth of aspects
of major works of art (either individual paintings or sculptures, or multi
media art projects including architecture).
There will be a discussion at the end of each calendar month about
whether the course is meeting the expectations of the class, and all
students will be asked to submit to the instructor their individual
written evaluations of how things are going for both the class and with
their their research and writing at that time.
Each student will be expected to make a ten to 15 minute power point
presentation to the class on some subject related to his/her research for
the term paper that she/he feels is particularly interesting or relevant
for the class. The week before the power point presentation appropriate
readings in the texts should be recommended to the class to facilitate a
discussion by the class of the topic to be presented. Each presenter will
also be expected to lead a class discussion about her/his topic after
his/her talk. The class will be expected to prepare for each discussion
by doing the recommended readings.
Class descriptions and assignments to follow:
1. September 3
First hour; Personal introductions; Course goals outlined;
discussion of the syllabus.
Second hour: Background lecture: Why study the art from so
long ago? Why Michelangelo and Caravaggio? What was the art of
this time all about?
Assignment for class #2, #3: Study Giorgio Vasari’s Life of
Michelangelo Buonarroti 1568 and study Giovanni Baglione’s Life
of Michelangelo da Caravaggio (distribution of the texts in class).
2. September 10
First hour: Talk: Preparation for the film biographies of our
artists to be viewed in class: short talk on taking notes on motion
pictures;
Second hour: Introduction to and viewing the first part of the
Michelangelo film by Irving Stone and others, The Agony and the
Ecstasy. Submission of notes on the film at the end of class.
.
3. September 17
First hour: Continue viewing the Agony and the Ecstasy.
Continue taking notes.
Second hour: Introduction to Simon Schama’s Caravaggio.
Viewing the film. Taking notes on the film.
Assignment to be completed by Sept. 24: A 2 to 3 page paper
discussing the use of the early (16th/17th century biographies) by
the modern film makers while also comparing the different
approaches to a film biography of 1) the maker of a popular film
of the 1950’s with 2) another popular work but one by a reputable
art historian.
4. September 24
First hour: Discussion of the two films and the information
they provide about the works of these artists.
Background talk by the instructor: The two artists in their
historic context as we see them today: The High Renaissance and
the Counter Reformation in Rome.
Second Hour: Workshop on writing descriptions of works of
painting and sculpture.
Assignment: Due Oct. 1: a 2 page paper describing 1) an early
sculpture by Michelangelo and 2) a secular (mythological, genre,
still life, etc.) painting by Caravaggio. Students’ choice.
5. October 1
Class visit to the Metropolitan Museum, ancient Greek /Roman
and Italian Painting Collections.
Distribution: List of some possible TP subjects
Assignment: For class of October 8: Student evaluation of the
Class so far. ½ page. AND a perusal of our texts for topics that
would be of interest for further study, and a page long paper
about both the character and the usefulness of
these books for this course by reading their introductions.
6. October 8
First hour: Class visit to Bobst Library for session on resources
for research in art history and on art works.
Second hour: Class discussion of topics for class presentations
and term papers. The instructor will provide some suggestions
and some parameters of these topics. Assignment of presentation
dates.
Assignment (for class #7 October 15): A short, 1 page, paper
proposing 3 research topics that might be of interest for further
research. At least one must be about each of the artists we are
studying.
7. October 15
First hour: Discussion of the research topics proposed by
students and the assignment of topics & presentation dates.
Discussion of the form and content of a bibliography appropriate
to the assignment below and of the research appropriate for this
assignment.
Second hour: Short quiz on the Michelangelo Biographies.
Discussion of the Life of Michelangelo
Assignment: Submission of a bibliography of at least 16 items
on the research topics. Due either Oct. 27 or Oct. 29.
8. October 22
First hour: Short quiz on the G. Dixon Caravaggio biography.
Second hour: Discussion of the life of Caravaggio.
Assignment: Prepare for class presentations, and submit a short
paper on a possible thesis or idea of your term paper, due Nov. 5.
Complete background readings for the presentations of October
29.
9. October 29
First hour: Presentations #1 and #2, followed by a class
discussion of each.
Second hour: Presentation #3, followed by a class discussion.
Assignments: Background readings for the discussions of topics
#4, 5,and 6.
Submit evaluation of the course so far, ½ page.
10.November 5
First Hour: Presentations #4, #5, followed by a class discussion
of each.
Second hour: Presentation #6, followed by class discussion.
Assignment: Background readings for the Nov. 12 discussions.
11. November 12
First hour: Presentations #7, #8 followed by class discussions.
Second hour: Presentation # 9 followed by discussion.
Assignment: Readings for Nov. 19 discussions.
12. November 19
First hour: Presentations # 10 and #11, followed by discussions.
Second hour: Presentation #12, discussion.
Assignment: Readings for Dec. 3 discussions.
13.November 26
Open class. Meetings with students; Caravaggio film?
14. December 3
First hour: Presentations #13 and #14 and discussions.
Second hour: Presentations #15 and # 16 and discussions.
The Term Paper is due during the final examination period. There
will be no final exam.