ART, CONTEXTS AND SOCIETY IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

Art, Contexts and Society in the Early Modern Period [FM0689] is a 6 CFU course offered as one of the historical-artistic training activities in the Modern curriculum of the Master's Degree Programme in History of Arts and Conservation of Artistic Heritage. The course aims to provide advanced training centered on a core theme, structured around a series of case studies and models that empower participants to acquire analytical tools and develop cross-disciplinary critical skills. These skills foster in-depth reflection on artistic processes and the essential connections between artistic production and society, helping to better address today’s challenges involving our cultural heritage.

- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and ability to understand the topics developed during lectures, and also to understand the social, anthropological and theoretical implications underlying the genesis and the reception of works of art;
- To be able to apply the acquired knowledge and understanding in a different context and in a new situation, and to problematise using the tools of study and analysis acquired during lectures;
- To acquire a learning ability and an autonomy of judgement such as to be able to develop in a coherent and original way a personal reflection, also extended to an interdisciplinary context;
- To be able to communicate clearly, using the appropriate terminology relating to the work of art, to relate to teachers and peers through an authentic and constructive dialogue and a collaborative attitude, as well as to demonstrate ability in the exposition of complex reasoning relating to the themes dealt with in the lessons.

Appropriate knowledge of the art history from the 15th to 18th centuries acquired during the Bachelor’s Degree Programme is desirable.

The course focuses on the figure of the artist in its many aspects, favouring an approach that begins with the artwork itself to explore the context of its creation and reception and to identify the various factors that may influence the final result, from technical issues to the relationship with the patron and the public. The course takes into account theoretical debates and attempts to define the ideal artist, a topic on which Paolo Pino provocatively commented as follows: “Who could distinguish a man from a painter, if a painter must necessarily be a man? […] Are painters perhaps miraculously promised by God, or awaited by men as the Messiah was by the Jews?” Throughout this course, a series of paradigmatic case studies will be presented, explained, and discussed, with particular attention to sixteenth-century artistic production. This will involve revisiting some of the essays that have shaped art history, beginning with the seminal 1968 essay Born Under Saturn by Rudolf and Margot Wittkower, as well as the updates that have emerged in subsequent studies and more recent research. The examples examined will serve to encourage fundamental reflection and stimulate discussion during the seminar sessions on the relationship between the artist and their audience, between the artwork and its context, and on systems of self-promotion and mechanisms of myth-construction.

The main reference text for the exam is the book by Rudolf e Margot WITTKOWER, Nati sotto Saturno: la figura dell’artista dall’Antichità alla Rivoluzione francese (ed. or. London, 1963), Torino: Einaudi, 1968. Additional bibliographic references will be provided at the beginning of the course, and teaching materials will be uploaded to the Moodle platform.

The course includes two complementary ways of assessing learning. In view of the seminar activity of the course, students will be asked to choose a topic to study and present in the classroom that will allow them to feed and continue the group reflection. Students will be asked to provide the teacher, at least one week before the day of the oral final exam, with a short written paper presenting this personal research, following the instructions given at the beginning of the course. In the overall assessment, this personal research paper accounts for 40% of the total mark. The oral examination will consist of the discussion of this paper (20%), supplemented by two questions on the content of the lectures (40%).

written and oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

Regarding the grading scale for the oral exam:
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned for:
- Sufficient knowledge of the textbooks and related topics
- Limited ability to use data and form independent judgments
- Sufficient communication skills.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned for:
- Fair knowledge of the textbooks and related topics
- Fair ability to use data and form independent judgments
- Fair communication skills.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned for:
- Good or excellent knowledge of the textbooks and related topics
- Good or excellent ability to use data and form independent judgments
- Fully appropriate communication skills.
D. The “laude” will be awarded to students with excellent knowledge and comprehension of the textbooks and related topics.

In addition to the lectures, there will be seminar sessions in which students, in groups or individually, will present a short paper on a topic agreed with the lecturer at the beginning of the course. Possible external visits and interventions will be proposed.

Ca' Foscari applies Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support and accommodation services available to students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties.
For any questions or information, please visit the Inclusion and Accessibility Office page at https://www.unive.it/pag/9227 .

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development