ART 420: History of Greek Art and Architecture
Fall 2015
Prof. Owen Doonan
Office hrs.: Office hrs.: T 12:30-3:30
e-mail owen.doonan@csun.edu
Time: T 4:00-6:45 pm
Place: SG 103
Office: SG 238
Tel. 677-6753
Class Syllabus
Catalog description:
Prerequisite: Upper division standing. Art and architecture of the Aegean area from the
early Archaic to the end of the Hellenistic Periods.
Art Department SLOs met by this course (see: http://www.csun.edu/art/overview.html)
1. Acquire a basic knowledge, theories, and concepts about art; communicate ideas and
concepts through writing.
2) Broadening knowledge of ancient through contemporary art and to develop an
understanding of art within theoretical, cultural, and historical contexts.
3) Analyzing, interpreting, and questioning traditional methodologies and pre-conceived
notions of art and art making through the process of generating and solving problems.
5) Promoting an appreciation and tolerance of diverse perspectives dealing with art,
culture, teaching and learning.
6. Become involved in both individual and collaborative art experiences with other
students, faculty, and community.
Course SLOs:
A. To identify and characterize the art the Bronze Age, early urban, Classical and
Hellenistic cultures of ancient Greece
B. To interpret the art works of ancient Greeks with an awareness of their cultural
contexts; to understand the social/ cultural implications of Greek visuality through
analysis and practice
C. To characterize the western artistic, intellectual and political roots in ancient Greek
culture.
D. To critique and assess the cultural and political agendas of those who see antiquities
as their unique cultural heritage.
E. To understand how information is generated about ancient Greek material culture and
how the process affects our understanding of art, culture and history
Course related activities: how will these goals be achieved?
Readings, lectures and discussions: each week readings will be due from the primary text
and supplementary texts on reserve at the library. All readings are required. Whenever
appropriate we will be using information from the Internet in support of class activities, so
all students should have access to a computer with Explorer/ Firefox or a similar browser
program. If you do not have a computer available at home the public computing sites in
the library and in other locations around campus will be available. Discussions in class will
be based on the readings due each week.
How to study: Learning is a social process and we do it best when we work with other
people. If possible I suggest that you meet regularly in small study groups (3-4 people)
and go over the material covered in class. Make this fun yet serious – get together over
coffee or pizza, in a relaxed but focused session. Come to class prepared and take notes;
if you have time rewrite your notes after class or following your discussions with your study
groups. Ask questions and participate in discussions- this helps keep you focused during
the long evening sessions.
Behavior: Students are expected to behave courteously and pay attention in class.
Students who engage in disruptive behavior such as talking, making noise or other actions
that distract other students will be given a warning and if the behavior persists, the student
will be asked to leave the class for the day. Class-related activities may not be made up if
a student has been dismissed from class. Cheating will not be tolerated – use of
unauthorized sources of information during an exam or class activity will result in a grade
of 0 for the assignment with no make-up option. Plagiarism on a paper or project will be
treated in a similar manner (see below). If you have any questions about whether you
might be plagiarizing, ASK ME FIRST.
How will student performance be evaluated?
Mastery of Content: you are expected to learn about the works we study in a number of
different ways in pursuit of the course goals and department SLOs:
1) Identify images and terms by culture, importance, relevant physical or other
properties. (Course goal A, SLO 2).
2) Compose essays on set topics (Course goal B, C, SLO 3)
3) Complete activity assignments (Course goal D, SLO 4, 5)
4) Discussion and analysis of images (Course goal , SLO 3)
Exams (two exams, 25% each): students will complete midterm and final exams as part of
the fulfillment of class requirements. These exams cannot be made up except by prearrangement with the instructor or presentation of a doctor's note or similarly documented
serious excuse. I see exams as an opportunity to pull together the information and ideas
covered over several weeks. Each exam will consist of half discussion questions (both
images from the book and images not previously seen) and half essay. The discussion
portion of the exam will be open book, while the essay portion will be closed book on a
topic chosen from a set of previously announced alternatives.
Project/Paper (25%): Each student is required to complete a project, either a paper of
eight or more double spaced pages in length (including notes and bibliography but
excluding illustrations) or a creative project involving a similar amount of research, but
presented in a different format. Topics will be chosen in consultation with the instructor by
week 2. Projects need not take the form of written essays. In recent classes students
have developed a series of drawings that tell a story in the manner of Greek vases or
architectural sculptures, develop a typeface based on Greek handwriting, and adapted
ancient Greek plays for presentation as videos. Each project must involve research by the
student and careful documentation of the sources of information used and original thinking
in a brief (two –page) artist’s statement and bibliography. A step-by-step process will be
followed by each student in completing this assignment, including initial proposal and
bibliography, an abstract, and the final paper. Each step in the process is an important
opportunity for feedback that will improve your paper/ project in the end. Late submissions
of the final paper/project will not be accepted without a serious documented excuse
(similar to missing an exam).
Class participation (maximum 25%: 10% attendance + 15% class-related activities) is an
important component of this course. You are expected to attend class regularly and to
contribute in an informed and productive manner to class discussions. Attendance will be
taken at the teacher's discretion through the course of the term. Attendance at each of
these classes counts towards your class participation score of 25 points. Discussions and
in-class activities will make up the balance of the class participation grade. Readings
should be completed before the class in which they are discussed; from time-to-time I will
announce a discussion, quiz or other activity that is worth between 1-3 points. A high
quality understanding of the material and the readings provided during such a discussion
will be awarded points. Other in-class assignments include short essays and
presentations on pre-arranged topics. Although more than 15 points will be available
based on the various class-related activities, no more than 15 points will be applied to your
grade (i.e. no "extra credit" for ordinary class activities).
Weighting of class assignments will be as follows:
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Project
Class Participation (10% attendance + 15% other)
Total
25 %
25 %
25 %
25 %
_____
100%
Schedule of readings and lectures (subject to change)
Week 1: Introduction to the course; History of Greek archaeology; basic concepts in Greek
archaeology; Third millennium BCE.
readings: Neer, Introduction.
Week 2: Minoan art and architecture; the Late Bronze Age; assignment of student papers
readings: Neer, Ch. 1; Ulu Burun web site (se below)
Class discussion, the masks of the early Mycenaean kings:
http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/mask.html
Week 3: Troy and the Trojan War; reconstruction of the “Shield of Achilles;” project
proposal due on MOODLE.
Readings: Neer, Ch. 2; liad, excerpts (Moodle);
Week 4: The great crash: a Dark Age and the Geometric Period
readings: Neer, Ch. 3; Osborne Ch. 2 (pdf on-line)
Week 5: Awakening: the Orientalizing Period
readings: Neer, Ch. 4, 6; Boardman, 1999: ch. 5; Osborne Ch. 3-4 (pdf on-line).
Week 6: Workshop on library research, CSUN Library. Class meets in Computer lab
(TBA), Oviatt library. Development of project bibliography during class.
Week 7: Archaic Period
readings: Neer, Ch. 5, 7; Hurwit 1999: ch. 6; Cultural Map of Hellas: Olympia; Delphi (esp.
Siphnian Treasury); Athens, Acropolis Museum. Project bibliography due.
Week 8: Midterm examination
readings: none.
Week 9: Greek women and the arts
readings: film in class, Pandora’s Box
Week 10: Towards a Greater Greece: the early Fifth century; Athenian Agora
readings: Neer, Ch. 8, 9; Boardman, Diffusion, ch. 5; Camp 1986: ch. 4; Miller in Cohen;
Cultural Map of Hellas: Olympia.
Week 11: Athens of Perikles; Elgin marbles (discussion);
Readings: Neer, Ch. 11, 12; Hurwit, Acropolis, selections; Elgin marbles internet links (see
Moodle).
Week 12: Greek drama; Greek Religion
readings: Simon, 55-72; Oakley in Cohen; Aylen 41-83.
Week 13: The Fourth century
readings: Neer, Ch. 13; Stewart, Desire, selections; Boardman 1994: ch. 6 Focus on:
Priene, Didyma (links on Moodle site).
Week 14: Hellenistic Art
readings: Neer, Ch. 14; Pollitt, Hellenistic Age: Introduction; Ch. 1; Ch. 11; Pergamon
Homepage
Week 15: Student presentations. Student papers due.
Week 16: Final Examination Dec. 15 5:30-7:30 pm.
Bibliography:
Main course text (for sale at the bookstore):
Neer, R., Greek Art and Archaeology, (Thames and Hudson 2012). This is the
primary text for the course. It is extremely valuable because it attempts to integrate the
study of visual arts with the study of culture, and it takes into the account the incredible
geographic and chronological diversity of ancient Greek culture.
Readings available through MOODLE or on reserve:
Aylen, L. 1985. The Greek Theater (Cranbury NJ: Associated University Presses). A
recent summary of one of the most important expressions of Greek artistic and intellectual
life.
PA 3201 .A95 1985
Boardman, J. 1999. The Greeks Overseas: their early colonies and trade 4th ed. (New
York, Thames and Hudson). This is the most comprehensive text treating the cultural and
economic consequences of Greek colonization.
DF251 .B6 1999
Boardman, J. 1994. The Diffusion of Greek Art (Cambridge 1994). A somewhat biased
(Helleno-centric) study of how Greek styles were used and adapted by other cultures in
Eurasia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
N5340 .B59 1994
Cohen, B. 2000. Not the Classical Ideal (Leiden, Brill). A collection of essays on the
representation of marginalized groups in Greek culture.
N 7625.5 .N68 2000
Hurwitt, J. 1985. Art and Culture of Early Greece (Cornell 1985). An important study
drawing together mythological, artistic and archaeological sources to synthesize a
comprehensive picture of early Greek Art.
NX551.A1 H87 1985
Hurwit, J. 1999. The Athenian Acropolis : history, mythology, and archaeology
from the Neolithic era to the present. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press).
A thorough study of one of th4e most important sites of ancient Greek culture.
DF287.A2 H87 1999
Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae (Zurich, Artemis 1981-).
*Available at LACMA and the Getty Research Institute.
THE fundamental resource for studying images of myths in Greek art.
Palagia, Olga and J J Pollitt. Personal styles in Greek sculpture (Cambridge ; New
York : Cambridge University Press, 1996).
Studies of six major ancient Greek sculptors by leading experts.
Pollitt, J. J. 1986. Art in the Hellenistic Age (Cambridge UP). (on reserve). This is a
rich exploration of how Hellenistic artistic culture was entangled with contemporary
political and philosophical developments.
N5630 .P55 1986
Pollitt, J. J. 1990. The Art of Greece: Sources and Documents (Cambridge UP).
Many of the most important documentary sources relevant to the study of Greek art are
collected in this useful volume.
N5630 .P56 1990
Simon, E. 1983. Festivals of Attica (Madison WI: University of Wisconsin Press). An
investigation of the archaeological evidence pertinent to some of Athens’ most important
religious festivals.
DF123 .S55 1983
Stewart, A., Greek Sculpture, an Exploration (Yale UP 1990). (on reserve). A rich
and sophisticated look at Greek sculpture from multiple standpoints (artists/ producers;
viewers/ consumers; political and social contexts).
NB90 .S74 1990 vols. 1-2
Stewart, A., Art, Desire and the Body in Ancient Greece (Cambridge UP 1997). A
new look at this controversial topic- did the Greeks represent beautiful bodies in
response to rarified aesthetic sensibilities or did they respond to this kind of beauty in a
more physical way? Extends the debate about art and pornography into pre-modern
art.
N5633 .S74 1997
Van Keuren, Frances, Guide to research in classical art and mythology (Chicago :
American Library Association, 1991).
Articles for review listed on each week’s handout
Internet sites :
J. Rutter's outstanding course on Bronze Age Greece at Dartmouth
http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/
Ulu Burun Bronze Age Shipwreck Excavation web page: an engaging introduction to
one of the most important monuments for the study of Bronze Age trade.
http://inadiscover.com/projects/all/southern_europe_mediterranean_aegean/uluburun_t
urkey/introduction/
PERSEUS (preeminent site on Greek art and literature: 1000's of images, excellent
searchable database)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu
Cultural Map of Hellas (clickable map w/ links to many sites & museums) Outstanding
site that gives basic introductory information about many of the major monuments, sites
and museums of Greece.
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/maps/hellas.html
Elgin marbles controversy (week 10)
D. Shapiro, "Repatriation: A Modest Proposal," International Law and Politics 31
(1998): 95-108 available at:
http://www.nyu.edu/pubs/jilp/main/issues/31/pdf/31f.pdf
The Elgin Marbles (Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Australia)
http://www.phm.gov.au/pdf_publications/parthenon_marbles_seminar.pdf.
Hellenic Ministry of Culture's position on the return of the Elgin Marbles
http://www.culture.gr/6/68/682/index.html
Pergamene altar, Telephos frieze (illustrated tour of one of the most important
Hellenistic monuments)
http://www.1stmuse.com/Pergamon/frieze.html
Focus on Home Page (Anatolian Civilizations page):
http://www.focusmm.com.au/
Diotima (Materials for the study of women and gender in the ancient World.)
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/whither.html
Grading principles on exams (discussions and essays)
"A": Outstanding
Well-founded original thinking; well organized; superior understanding of the subject
matter leading to strong analysis and synthesis; shows broad and deep knowledge
base.
"B": Very Good
Good understanding of the subject matter; some capacity to analyze and synthesize;
basic understanding of the relevant knowledge base.
"C": Average passing
Basic understanding of the subject matter; limited ability to analyze and synthesize.
"D": Barely passing
Limited familiarity with the subject matter; little or no ability to analyze or synthesize
information.
"F": Failing
Some familiarity with fragments of the subject matter; attempts to synthesize/ analyze
show confusion or limited familiarity with the knowledge base.
Grading criteria for written assignments/ projects/ artists’ statements





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Has a clear purpose/ goal that is stated from the outset and fulfilled
Organization, including effective introduction and conclusion
Statements are backed up with well-explained specific examples (papers)
Sources of ideas and information are documented and acknowledged
Language is well-chosen; spelling and grammar have no errors
Well-founded original and creative approaches to the topic
"A" projects are nearly perfect in all of these respects
"B" projects do a good job at 1-5; little originality in thesis or approach
"C" projects generally decent but show errors; need revision; lack a clearly defined
thesis
"D" projects have serious flaws.
"F" projects show little or no understanding of the subject matter; overall weak structure
and documentation; plagiarism