COMPARATIVE LITERATURE FOR ARTS AND CULTURES

The course “Comparative Literature for Arts and Cultures” is part of the related/integrative educational activities of the MA program in Economics and Administration of Arts and Cultures. Its aims are: (1) to study literature in relation to visual culture, and (2) to develop the ability to situate a literary work or a work of visual art both within a theoretical framework and in its historical context.

Knowledge and understanding
(1) Knowledge and understanding of the main issues involved in the study of literature in relation to visual culture
(2) Knowledge and understanding of the historical and cultural context to which a literary work or a work of visual art belongs

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
(1) Ability to situate a literary work or a work of visual art within a theoretical framework and to place it in its historical and cultural context
(2) Ability to understand and comment on both a literary text and a work of visual art using appropriate terminology
(3) Ability to undertake further study independently

Independent judgement
(1) Ability to develop independent judgement with regard to the topics covered in the course

Communication skills
(1) Ability to communicate acquired knowledge effectively in spoken form, using appropriate terminology
(2) Ability to interact respectfully with peers and the instructor, both in person and online

Learning skills
(1) Ability to work critically with the texts on the syllabus and with the relevant bibliography

No prior knowledge is required.

Art and Empathy
The course explores the relationship between aesthetic experience, emotional engagement, and moral imagination in literature and the visual arts. Drawing on both classical and contemporary authors, it addresses both the general problem of empathy in art and the more specific question of negative empathy, that is, a distinctive form of empathetic involvement that works of art may elicit toward morally problematic characters or figures, or toward unsettling atmospheres. Particular attention will be devoted to the reading of Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Louis-Ferdinand Céline’s Journey to the End of the Night, as well as to the discussion of a dossier of iconographic materials. The aim of the course is to provide students with the conceptual and interpretive tools needed to understand how and why works of art shape our emotional, perceptual, and cognitive responses.

Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners. Trans. Margaret Mauldon. Intro. Malcolm Bowie. Nn. Mark Overstall. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004 [1857].
Céline, Louis-Ferdinand. Journey to the End of the Night. 1932. Trans. Ralph Manheim. Fwd. John Banville. Intro. André Derval. Richmond: Alma Classics, 2014 [1932].
Koss, Juliet. “On the Limits of Empathy.” The Art Bulletin 88.1 (2006): 139–157.
Maibom, Heidi L. Empathy. London and New York: Routledge, 2020.
Ercolino, Stefano and Massimo Fusillo. Negative Empathy in Literature and the Arts. Trans. Dylan J. Montanari. New York: Routledge, 2026 [2022]. (Introduction and Chapters 1, 2, 3.3, 4 & 5)
Ercolino, Stefano. “The Paradox of Negative Empathy.” Philosophy and Literature 50.2 (2026).

Part of the material for the exam will consist of a dossier of iconographic materials, which will be uploaded to the course Moodle page.

Students who are unable to attend classes are required to prepare the following text:
Freedberg, David. The Power of Images: Studies in the History and Theory of Response. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Assessment will consist of an oral examination lasting approximately twenty minutes. The examination will be divided into two parts: the first will assess knowledge of the literary works and works of visual art discussed in class, while the second will be devoted to assessing knowledge of the theoretical texts.

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.

Evaluation criteria:
28-30 cum laude: Students demonstrate an excellent command of the topics covered in the course and of the assigned readings. They are able to organize and prioritize information effectively and to use appropriate terminology with confidence.
26-27: Students demonstrate a good command of the topics covered in the course and of the assigned readings. They are generally able to organize and prioritize information effectively and to use appropriate terminology correctly.
24-25: Students demonstrate a fair command of the topics covered in the course and of the assigned readings. Their oral presentation is clear overall, although they do not always express concepts with precision or use appropriate terminology consistently.
22-23: Students demonstrate a limited and partly superficial command of the topics covered in the course and of the assigned readings. Their oral presentation is not always clear and shows an imprecise use of disciplinary terminology.
18-21: Students demonstrate a superficial command of the topics covered in the course and of the assigned readings. Their oral presentation is often unclear and does not make effective use of disciplinary terminology.

(1) Lectures
(2) In-class and online discussion