Prof. Philip Jacks (pjacks@gwu.

edu)

GWU –– Spring 2011

Office Hours Tues 11–12, 2–3, Th 11–12

AH2121 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY, 1250-1485

Course outline
A survey of painting, sculpture, architecture and urban form in Italy from the early 13th
to late 15th centuries. Art 31/32 prerequisite. No knowledge of Italian required. Lectures
focus on interpreting artistic monuments within their social, political, and religious context.
Course begins with a re-evaluation of the concept of the Renaissance as a revival of
classical antiquity and the cult of individualism. From Florence, the cradle of humanism,
lectures proceed to competing Tuscan schools (Siena, Pisa), and the diffusion of the new
style around Italy (Assisi, Padua). We then compare the patterns of private and public
patronage in these communal city-states with the artistic efflorescence of the despotic
courts (Malatesta in Rimini, d’Este in Ferrara, Gonzaga in Mantua, Sforza in Milan,
Montefeltro in Urbino), the papal court in Rome, and the independent maritime republic of
Venice, marked by its long contact with the imperial tradition of Byzantium. Readings
explore the relationship between artist and patron, the emergence of the artistic profession
within the late-medieval guild structure, the impact of artistic theory, and the nature of
workshop practice.

Course requirements
Two exams (75” each), comprising slide identification and comparative analysis. Attendance
at lecture is required. No make-up exams except with medical excuse submitted before the
time of exam.
Research paper (8–10 pp. including notes). Guidelines to follow.

Grade distribution

Exam (short answer and multiple choice) Feb 10 Mar 4 FINAL

60%
Research paper due April 26
30%
Class participation + attendance 10%

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Required texts (available at GWU Bookstore)

*Frederick Hartt, History of Italian Renaissance Art , 7th ed. (Prentice Hall–Abrams, 2007).
*Michael Baxandall, Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy, 2nd ed. (Oxford,
1991).
*Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, trans. Gaston
du C. de Vere, ed. and notes by Philip Jacks (Modern Library Classics, Random House:
2006).

Research and Writing

Students are expected to base their reading for research papers on original scholarship
in books and journal articles. Sources on the web such as Wikipedia are fine to get started
with basic facts. But the internet does not provide interpretation and generally should not be
cited in your bibliography. Use your own words. Students are strongly discouraged from
paraphrasing published sources or quoting verbatim (with or without quotation marks).

Learning Outcomes
1. Understand how to read Renaissance art & architecture within its religious, political
and social context .
2. Develop visual literacy, to recognize characteristic forms, concepts and stylistic
relationships.
3. Articulate an idea or a point of view through clear and well-structured writing.
4. Enjoy and benefit from physical immediacy with works of art in local museums and
galleries.

Academic Integrity
We support the GW Code of Academic Integrity and will pursue sanctioning of any student
who is in violation of the code. The code states: “Academic dishonesty is defined as
cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of
others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of
information.” For the remainder of the code, see: http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html

Support for Students Outside the Classroom

Disability Support Services (DSS)
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a
disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the
Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable

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 accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/
University Counseling Center (UCC)
The UCC offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students' personal, social, career,
and study skills problems. Services for students include crisis and emergency mental
health consultations, confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small
group), and referrals
Contact: 202-994-5300 or
http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/CounselingServices/AcademicSupportServices

Security
In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the
building is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation,
seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.

Jan 11 Renaissance, Renascence, Rinascita: A Definition of Terms

Periodization of the Renaissance (Ghiberti, Vasari). “Culture” of the Renaissance:
Jakob Burckhardt and his critics. Patronage of the guilds and conditions of art
market.
Optional: Hartt, pp. 17–36.

Jan 13 Maniera Greca and the Byzantine Tradition

Pietro Cavallini and Jacopo Torriti in Rome. Coppo di Marcovaldo, Bonaventura
Berlinghieri and Cimabue in Florence. Panel painting in Lucca, Pisa, Siena, Assisi.

Hartt, pp. 41–57. Vasari, Lives, introduction.

Jan 18 Rise of the Mendicant Orders

Sculpture of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano (Pisa, Siena). Franciscan and Dominican
churches in Florence (S. Croce, S. Maria Novella), Todi (S. Fortunato). Civic
architecture (Palazzo Vecchio, Bargello).
Hartt, pp. 57–71.

Jan 20 ‘A Shadowed Fame’: Giotto and his Followers

Fresco cycles in Arena Chapel in Padua. Upper and Lower Church of San Francesco,
Assisi.
Hartt, pp. 73–95. Vasari, Life of Cimabue and Life of Giotto.

Jan 25 The Guilds, Artistic Commissions, Ancestral Chapels

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 Private chapels in Santa Croce (Giotto, Taddeo Gaddi, Maso di Banco, Bernardo
Daddi), development of altarpiece. Giotto’s campanile and reliefs; South doors of
Baptistry (Andrea Pisano). Cennino Cennini’s Libro dell’Arte.
Hartt, pp. 96–101.

Jan 27 VISIT TO NATIONAL GALLERY

Feb 1 Siena – City of the Virgin

Duccio’s Maesta. Decoration of the Palazzo Pubblico (Simone Martini, Pietro and
Ambrogio Lorenzetti).
Hartt, pp. 103–129.

Feb 3 The Great Cathedrals

Building and liturgy in the cathedrals of Pisa, Florence, Siena and Orvieto (Lorenzo
Maitani).
Hartt, pp. 129–133.

Feb 8 The Black Death

Francesco Traini in Pisa (Camposanto). Andrea Orcagna and Nardo di Cione at S.
Maria Novella, Or San Michele. Lorenzo Monaco. Visconti patronage in Milan, Scaliger
patronage in Verona.

Hartt, pp. 134–156.

Feb 10 EXAM 1

Feb 15 The Competition of 1401

North doors of Baptistry (Ghiberti, Brunelleschi). Statues of Or San Michele

(Donatello, Nanni di Banco, Ghiberti). Jacopo della Quercia (Porta del Paradiso, Bologna).
Hartt, pp. 181–201. Vasari, Life of Ghiberti, Life of Donatello.

Feb 17 Brunelleschi’s ‘Cupolone’

Building of S. Maria del Fiore (Arnolfo di Cambio, Francesco Talenti), dome of
Filippo Brunelleschi. Early ecclesiastical commissions (Ospedale degli Innocenti, Old
Sacristy of San Lorenzo).
Hartt, pp. 155–179. Vasari, Life of Brunelleschi.

Feb 22 ‘Le cose d’arte’

Gentile da Fabriano (Venice, Florence). Masaccio and Masolino (Castiglione
d’Olona, Florence, Rome). Discovery of perspective (Brunelleschi).

Hartt, pp. 203–221. Baxandall, pp. 109–128. Vasari, Life of Masaccio.

Feb 24 Alberti and the Rules of Composition

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 Della Pittura (1436). Fra Angelico in Florence (S. Marco), Rome (Chapel of Nicholas V).
Fra Filippo Lippi. Maturity of Ghiberti, Michelozzo, and Donatello; Luca della
Robbia.
Hartt, pp. 223–237, 248–261. Leon Battista Alberti, On Painting, ed. C. Grayson,
excerpts.

Mar 1 ‘His Mistress la Prospettiva’

Domenico Veneziano, Andrea del Castagno, Paolo Uccello in Florence. Piero della
Francesca in Borgo Sansepolcro, Arezzo. Sienese painting (Sassetta, Giovanni di Paolo).

Hartt, pp. 265–278. *Baxandall, “The Period Eye,” pp. 29–108. Vasari, Life of
Uccello.

Mar 3 The New Architecture all’Antica

Late projects of Brunelleschi (Pazzi Chapel, Santo Spirito, S. Maria degli Angeli),
Michelozzo (San Marco, Tribuna of SS. Annunziata).
Hartt, pp. 173–179.

Mar 8 Building for Magnificence: Palaces in Medicean Florence

Civic palaces (Brunelleschi’s Parte Guelfa); Private palaces (Medici, Pitti, Rucellai,
Pazzi, Spinelli). Planning of Pienza under Pius II (Bernardo Rossellino).
Hartt, pp. 239–244.

Mar 11 – 15 SPRING BREAK

Mar 22 Edifices to Despotism

Alberti and Piero della Francesca at the court of Sigismondo Malatesta in Rimini;
Agostino di Duccio and Matteo de’ Pasti. Alberti at the court of the d’Este,
Ferrara.
Hartt, pp. 277–288. Vasari, Life of Piero della Francesca.

Mar 24 EXAM 2

Mar 29 The Pageantry of War – Naples and Urbino

Francesco Laurana at Naples (Aragonese Arch of Castello Nuovo). Patronage of
Federigo da Montefeltro in the Palazzo Ducale, Urbino (Luciano Laurana, Piero della
Francesca, Francesco di Giorgio Martini).

Hartt, pp. 288–293, 378–384.

Mar 31 Cult of the Antique – Verona and Padua

Pisanello and Mantegna at Verona (Sant’Anastasia, S. Zeno), sketchbooks after
the antique (Pisanello, Jacopo Bellini). Donatello at the Santo, Padua. Mantegna at Ovetari
Chapel, Padua.
Hartt, pp. 257–261, 389–410. Vasari, Life of Mantegna.

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Apr 5 The Court of the Gonzaga in Mantua
Mantegna’s paintings for Ludovico Gonzaga in the Castello Regia, Mantua
(Camera Picta). Studiolo of Isabella d’Este and collections of antiquities. Alberti’s
late church designs (S. Sebastiano, Sant’Andrea).
Hartt, pp. 405–411 , 245–247. *Baxandall, “Conditions of Trade,” pp. 1-27.

Apr 7 Lowlands in Venice – the Introduction of Oil Painting

Gentile Bellini; Antonello da Messina and introduction of oil medium to Venetian
painting; early career of Giovanni Bellini.
Hartt, pp. 393–420.

Apr 12 VISIT TO NATIONAL GALLERY

Apr 14 The Serenissima – Scuola and Campo in Renaissance Venice

Palazzo Ducale, Porta della Carta; Ca’ d’Oro (Bartolomeo Buon). Architecture of
Mauro and Tullio and Pietro Lombardi. Vittore Carpaccio and Narrative Cycles in
the Scuole.

Hartt, pp. 420–432.

Apr 19 Art for the Bourgeoisie – Florence in the last years of the Medici
Desiderio da Settignano, Bernardo & Antonio Rossellino, Mino da Fiesole,
Benedetto da Maiano. Benozzo Gozzoli (Collegiata, Medici Chapel). Chapel of the
Cardinal of Portugal, S. Miniato).

Hartt, pp. 299–323.

Apr 21 The Paragone of the Arts

Painting and sculpture of Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio (Florence,
Venice) and
early Leonardo da Vinci; cassoni (marriage chests).
Hartt, pp. 303–306, 312–332. Vasari, Life of Verrocchio.

Apr 26 Lorenzo il Magnifico and the Neoplatonist Circle

Mythological paintings of Sandro Botticelli; Domenico Ghirlandaio (Sassetti

Chapel, S. Trinita); Filippino Lippi (Strozzi Chapel, Santa Maria Novella). Architectural
projects of Giuliano da Sangallo and Giuliano da Maiano (Florence, Prato, Poggio a
Caiano).
Hartt, pp. 332–357–362. Vasari, Life of Botticelli.

Research paper due at beginning of class

tba FINAL EXAM