Western Art History (Theory)

Paper Code: 
VHA 123
Credits: 
5
Contact Hours: 
75.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course will enable the students to-

  1. Develop an understanding of the historical origins of Western art history.
  2. Analyze, interpret and evaluate the form and content of works of Western artists.
  3. Acquire art vocabulary associated with the analysis and interpretation of works.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

Course

 

   Course Outcomes

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Paper Code

Paper Title

VHA 123

 

 

Western Art History

 

 

 

The students will-

CO13: Acquire an in-depth knowledge of Western art history by remembering various artist and their art works.

CO14: Develop skills to appreciate Western art considering its subject, style and techniques.

CO15:  Understand major monuments, artists, methods and theories and to assess the qualities of work of art in their historical and cultural settings.

CO16: Develop understanding of visual and verbal communication skill relevant for career in art history.

CO17:  Evaluate the significance of

context in informing the interpretation of art works to contextualize their own

artworks and those of their peers.

CO18: Distinguish between the works of each era with respect to their style and aesthetic so they can build and hold conversations at museums, art galleries and art meetings.

 

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures, Discussion, Tutorials, Reading assignments, Demonstration of writing and visualizing.

 

Learning activities for the students:

Self-learning assignments, Effective questions, presentation, Giving writing tasks.

 

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects, regular submission.

 

COURSE CONTENT:

This paper of Western art is the art of European Countries, and works created in the high art forms accepted by those countries. The art of Ancient Egypt represented the dominant high culture in the Mediterranean and exerted a strong influence on Minoan art. Egypt was a civilization with very strong traditions of architecture and sculpture (both originally painted in bright colours) also had many mural paintings in temples and buildings, and painted illustrations on papyrus manuscripts. Egyptian wall painting and decorative painting is often graphic, sometimes more symbolic than realistic. Around 1100 B.C., tribes from the north of Greece conquered Greece and the Greek art took a new direction. Ancient Greece had great painters, great sculptors, and great architects. Roman art was influenced by Greece and can in part be taken as a descendant of ancient Greek painting and sculpture, but was also strongly influenced by the more local Etruscan art of Italy. The other major influence upon Western art has been Christianity, the commissions of the Church, architectural, painterly and sculptural, providing the major source of work for artists.

 

15.00
Unit I: 

Egyptian Art: Introduction (Old, Middle And New)

Relief- Hierakonpolis, Pallate of king Narmer

The Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, and the smaller pyramids and tombs of Ancient Egypt, Temple of Hatshipsut

Portraitures

 

15.00
Unit II: 

Greek Art: Ancient Greek pottery: Geometric and Proto Geometric pottery

Archaic Period: Black figure and red figure vases

Sculptures (Kouros and Kore)

 

15.00
Unit III: 

Greek Art: Classical Period Architecture (Orders- Doric, Ionic and Corinthian)

Classical Period Sculpture Kritios Boy and Sculptor Policlitus

Classical Painting

15.00
Unit IV: 

Hellenistic Period: Sculptors Prexitilis, Scopas, Lyssipus

Sculptures Dying Gaul, Barberine Faun, Alter at Pergamum, Nike of Samothrace, Laocoon

 

15.00
Unit V: 

Roman Art: Architecture: (Temple of Fortuna Virilis, Temple of Sibyl, Sanctury of Fortuna

Primigenia, Colloseum)

Sculpture: (Portraits, Narrative Relief- Ara Pacis, Arch of Titus, Column of Trajan, Arch of Constantine

Painting

Early Christian Art: Mosaics and there contrast with Greco- Roman Painting (Good Shepherd mosaic, The parting of lot and Abraham mosaic),

Catacombs (Catacomb of SS. Pietro e Marcellino),  

Sculptures (Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus)

Illustration

 

References: 

BOOKS RECOMENDED:

  • H.W. Janson, History of Art, Thames & Hudson, 1991 Revised reprint
  • Werner Keller, The Etruscans, Albert L. Knopf, Inc., 1974
  • Mario Moretti & Guglielmo Maetzke, The art of the Etruscans, Harry N. Abrams & Thames &             Hudson, 1970
  • Francesco Abbate (Ed.), Roman art, Octopus books, 1972
  • Heinz Kahler, Rome& her Empire, Methuen Books, 1963
  • Moses Haddas, Imperial Rome, Time-Life International, 1966
  • Michael Vickers, The Roman world, Elsevier-Phaidon, 1977
  • TrewinCopplestone, Pompeian Frescoes, Batchworth Press, 1961
  • Rene Huyghe, Larousse Encyclopaedia of Byzantine and Medieval art, Paul Hamlyn, 1968 reprint
  • Jean Lassus, The Early Christian and Byzantine world, Paul Hamlyn, 1966

 

Academic Year: 
2022-2023
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