48
History of Modern Art
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course aims to provide—also through the use of the most up-to-date textbooks—a post-secondary level knowledge of the visual arts in Italy and Europe from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The objective is to equip students with the tools to recognize the main historical developments in the artistic production of the period and to critically engage with key themes in the scholarly debate.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Assessment will require the ability to analyze works of art in terms of their formal, iconographic, typological, and technical-material characteristics, demonstrating an understanding of their placement both in the spatial and temporal context of the artist or artistic milieu, and within the broader historical and cultural framework.
FURTHER EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Independent judgment: particular value will be placed on the ability to identify historical connections between works of art and to critically rework the course content, including through direct experiences such as visits to museums or significant artistic sites.
Communication skills: clarity and effectiveness of presentation will be appreciated, along with the ability to develop and express independent conceptual insights.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Euro-Mediterranean modern history, as covered in high school curricula, is required.
Teaching Methods
The course is structured around lectures, delivered in Italian, and based on the direct analysis of visual materials through slide presentations, examination of primary sources, and critical engagement with scholarly literature.
By selecting and discussing the most significant works of art, the course will provide participants with essential methodological tools for the historical interpretation and understanding of artworks, with particular attention to stylistic, technical, and iconographic aspects.
Assessment Methods
Type of exam: oral examination.
Language of the exam: Italian.
Assessment criteria: the final grade will be expressed on a scale of 30, with a minimum passing grade of 18/30.
The final mark will be based on the following criteria:
- knowledge and understanding of the course content;
- ability to communicate clearly and accurately, using the discipline’s specialized vocabulary;
- ability to apply acquired knowledge and skills, particularly in recognizing and critically contextualizing works of art;
- ability to formulate independent evaluations based on analytical and interpretive evidence.
Assessment grid
The examination board will refer to the following scale:
< 18 [fail]: fragmented or disorganized knowledge, difficulty applying fundamental concepts and basic skills, unclear exposition, inadequate use of specialized vocabulary.
18–20: basic but accurate knowledge, some uncertainty in applying core concepts, simple reasoning, generic use of disciplinary language.
21–23: appropriate but not yet consolidated knowledge, correct application of basic concepts, linear reasoning, partial use of specialized vocabulary.
24–25: solid knowledge, good ability to apply both primary and secondary concepts and skills, structured reasoning, adequate use of technical language.
26–27: broad and in-depth knowledge, confident application of fundamental concepts and skills, clear and well-organized argumentation, command of specialized vocabulary.
28–29: comprehensive and well-structured knowledge, effective and independent application of skills, articulate reasoning, terminological precision, strong analytical and synthetic abilities, critical independence.
30–30 with honors: exhaustive and in-depth knowledge, mature and versatile application of concepts and skills, complex and well-developed argumentation, full mastery of specialized terminology, strong analytical, synthetic, and interdisciplinary abilities, and fully demonstrated independent judgment.
Texts
1. Salvatore Settis, Tomaso Montanari, Arte. Una storia naturale e civile. Edizione blu, vol. II: Dal Quattrocento al Rococò, Milan, Einaudi Scuola, 2020 (any choice of alternative textbooks must be discussed and agreed upon with the instructor).
Moreover, only for the 9-CFU course (2025-2026 cohort), the following readings are also required:
2. Federico Zeri, Rinascimento e Pseudo-Rinascimento, in Storia dell’arte italiana. II. Dal Medioevo al Novecento. I. Dal Medioevo al Quattrocento, Turin, Einaudi, 1983, pp. 543-572;
3. Alessandro Morandotti, Caravaggio e Milano. La Canestra dell’Ambrosiana, Milan, Scalpendi, 2017.
There is no distinction between attending and non-attending students regarding the required readings.
Contents
LIST OF TOPICS
- International Gothic in Europe and Italy
- The birth of the Renaissance style in Florence
- Italy and Flanders in the fifteenth century
- “Painting of light” and the spread of perspective in Italy
- The “modern manner”: Florence and Rome between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
- Sixteenth-century art in papal Rome: the apex and crisis of the Renaissance style
- Naturalism and its diffusion in Italy and Europe
- The Baroque
- Classicism
- Artistic centers between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Course Language
Italian
More information
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