UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS – SIENA PROGRAM HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE SIENESE ART INSTRUCTOR: FEDERICA FISCALETTI
[email protected] CELL. +39 347 37 51 800 COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will trace the development of Sienese art through visual, historical, and critical analyses. Siena has a history steeped in art, religion and politics that makes it a fascinating place to study (and in which to live). Sienese artists were pivotal in shaping medieval and Renaissance Italian painting, sculpture and architecture. From the mid-13th century until the fall of the Sienese Republic to Florence in 1555, Siena experienced its own ‘renaissance’. Particular emphasis will be given to the ‘golden age’ of the Sienese Gothic (Duccio, Simone Martini, etc.) and to the special relationship that the city held (and still holds) with the Virgin Mary and its myriad of saints and blesseds (Saint Catherine of Siena, San Bernardino, the Blessed Agostino Novello, to name but a few). The course will also explore 15th and 16th century Florentine art, focusing on some of the most important paintings and sculptures …..carried out by great Renaissance artists such as Masaccio, Botticelli, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Lectures will be accompanied by PowerPoint presentations; on-site lectures and discussions will take place throughout the term. OVERALL GOALS OF THE COURSE Together with learning about developments in Sienese art from the 13th to 16th centuries, students will gain experience in visual analysis (style, iconography, etc.) and develop critical thinking through group discussions and presentations. GRADE BREAKDOWN 20% Attendance and Participation 25% Midterm Exam (in-class exam with slides identifications and multiple choice test) 25% Final Exam (in-class exam with slides identifications, multiple choice test, short essays) 30% Final Oral presentation (on-site presentation, each student will be asked to discuss a work of art in terms of style, iconography, historical context, comparative analysis).