36
History of Modern Art
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course provides an introduction to the main methods of art-historical research, through the analysis of key developments in the discipline and the definition of fundamental concepts for the study of artworks: from iconography to style, from function to context, from technical execution to conservation. Alongside traditional approaches, the course explores the role of digital tools in the advancement of the field, with particular attention to photographic documentation, cataloguing resources, and critical editions of sources. The overall aim is to develop the skills necessary to critically navigate the field of artistic production and to formulate and/or apply original ideas, including within research contexts.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
By the end of the course, participants will be able to analyse artworks and contexts—whether familiar or not—from a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, taking into account formal, iconographic, typological, and technical-material aspects, and employing the methodologies and digital tools introduced during the course.
FURTHER EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Critical thinking
- Ability to establish historical and visual connections—even based on limited or fragmentary information—between objects and artistic phenomena, and to engage critically with disciplinary themes and issues, including through direct experience in museums, archives, libraries, and other cultural institutions.
- Communication skills
- Ability to present conclusions, as well as the knowledge and reasoning behind them, with clarity and precision, addressing both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Learning skills
- Ability to autonomously apply acquired methodologies to new or unfamiliar materials, and to pursue further study or research independently.
Course Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of historical and cultural contexts is required, sufficient to ensure understanding of the topics covered.
Teaching Methods
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
The course consists of lectures delivered in Italian, focusing on the analysis of visual works and their transmission contexts, the examination of primary sources, and critical literature. These activities are supported by slide presentations and the use of specialized digital resources. The course also includes seminar sessions for in-depth study.
Assessment Methods
Exam format: oral exam
Language of the exam: Italian
Evaluation criteria: the grade is expressed on a 30-point scale; the exam is considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30.
The grade is assigned based on the following criteria:
- Knowledge and understanding of the course content;
- Ability to communicate knowledge using the discipline’s specialized vocabulary;
- Application of knowledge and, where possible, acquired skills (in particular, in recognizing and critically contextualizing works of art);
- Ability to formulate independent judgments based on evidence.
In assigning the oral exam grade, the examination committee refers to the following grading scale:
< 18 [fail]: disorganized or incomplete knowledge of the content, errors in applying key concepts and basic skills, poor presentation, use of non-specialized vocabulary;
18-20: appropriate but not in-depth knowledge, uncertainties in applying key concepts and basic skills, elementary argumentation, use of non-specialized vocabulary;
21-23: appropriate but not in-depth knowledge, ability to apply key concepts and basic skills, simple argumentation, fragmented use of specialized vocabulary;
24-25: appropriate but not in-depth knowledge, ability to apply primary and secondary concepts and skills, structured argumentation, use of specialized vocabulary;
26-27: broad and in-depth knowledge, ability to apply primary and secondary concepts and skills, structured argumentation, mastery of specialized vocabulary;
28-29: broad and in-depth knowledge, ability to apply primary and secondary concepts and skills, structured argumentation, mastery of specialized vocabulary, analytical and synthetic skills, independent judgment;
30-30 with honors: complete and thorough knowledge, consolidated ability to apply primary and secondary concepts and skills, structured argumentation, mastery of specialized vocabulary, analytical, synthetic, and interdisciplinary linking skills even on materials different from those studied during the course, independent judgment.
Texts
REQUIRED READINGS
1. Alessandro Angelini, Il primato dell’occhio. Temi e metodo della storia dell’arte in età moderna, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2019 («Quodlibet Studio. Storia dell’arte»); also available as an e-book.
2. Matteo Provasi, Federica Veratelli, Fonti per la storia dell’arte moderna. Metodi e strumenti per un approccio storico, Milan, Mondadori Università, 2024.
3. Roelof Van Straten, Introduzione all’iconografia, Milan, Jaca Book, 2009; e-book reprint, 2021.
4. Antonella Sbrilli, La storia dell’arte e il digitale, in Digital Humanities. Metodi, strumenti, saperi, edited by Fabio Ciotti, Rome, Carocci, 2023 (Studi superiori), pp. 299–311.
Further readings will be indicated during the course.
Contents
- Fundamental concepts and terminology of the discipline: periodization, geography, historical-artistic labels
- Sources for art history
- Description and interpretation of the artwork: material aspects, iconography, style, connoisseurship
- Art history and the digital realm
- Digital reproduction of artworks
- Data collections
Course Language
Italian
More information
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