ARTH 420: Advanced Studies in Ancient Art

ARTH 420-001: Roman Sculpture: Imperial Monuments and Portraiture
(Fall 2011)

04:30 PM to 07:10 PM T

Section Information for Fall 2011

Sculpture was a significant and ubiquitous element of Roman visual culture, manifesting in both lavish public and private displays. This seminar will begin by exploring the connections between Greek sculptural style and Roman adaptation, as well as delving into some of the technical aspects of quarrying and sculpting. We will then focus our attention on the ideological and political function of sculpture in the public sphere, primarily in the Imperial period spanning 31 BCE to 300 CE. In the Imperial period, portraits of the principes (emperors) and the imperial family were significant conveyors of meaning that communicated both to the Roman people and modern scholars much of the “propagandistic” intent of the emperor and his programs. We will also analyze major sculptural monuments associated with these emperors, such as the Ara Pacis, the Arch of Titus, and the Column of Trajan, which taken in conjunction with imperial portraiture elucidate the programmatic nature of Roman public sculpture. Course requirements will include weekly writing assignments, at least two oral presentations, and an extended scholarly research paper. Research topics will include both public and private/decorative sculpture as potential subjects. Attendance and participation will also impact the final grade. Required texts are Diana Kleiner’s Roman Sculpture and Eve d’Ambra’s Roman Art in Context. These texts will be supplemented by JSTOR articles and pdf readings on Blackboard or Reserve material.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Studies a particular area of ancient art of the Mediterranean, Near East, or Middle East. Topics may be art form or medium, geographical area, theme, function, or context. Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic is different. May be repeated within the term.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies, Writing Intensive in Major
Recommended Prerequisite: ENGH 302 and 6 credits in Art History at the 300 level, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lec/Sem #1, Lec/Sem #2, Lec/Sem #3, Lec/Sem #4, Lec/Sem #5, Lec/Sem #6, Lec/Sem #7, Lec/Sem #8, Lec/Sem #9, Sem/Lec #10, Sem/Lec #11, Sem/Lec #12, Sem/Lec #13, Sem/Lec #14, Sem/Lec #15, Sem/Lec #16, Sem/Lec #17, Sem/Lec #18, Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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