ARTH 101: Ancient to Medieval Art
Houghton House Room 211
Telephone: (315) 781-3489
Email: tinkler@HWS.edu
Fall 2011 office hours - Houghton House - Wednesday 10.10-12.00
Houghton House - Friday 10.10-12.00
Scandling Center Cafe - Tuesday, 11.30-12.30
or by appointment
This course offers a chronological study of principal monuments and developments in painting, sculpture, and architecture from prehistoric to medieval times in Europe.
Students will work to acquire the skills of visual analysis of art objects in different media. They will learn to discuss and to write about art using technical terminology and demonstrating clear thought.
This course will help students address Goal 1 (Develop skills for effective communication: listening, reading, writing, speaking.), Goal 6 (Develop an intellectually grounded foundation for understanding differences and inequalities of gender, race and class.), and Goal 7 (Acquire critical knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures.).
"In the introductory 100-level courses required of Art History majors, students will perform formal analyses of art objects in a variety of media. They will display familiarity with the technical and critical vocabulary of the history of art. Students will distinguish between media and historic periods and cultural traditions. Students choose two from four 100-level courses in which they develop visual literacy, analysis of form and composition, art historical concepts, principles, and contexts."
required:
Stokstad, History of Art, vol I, 4th ed. (only this edition!)
Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art
Typical TEST format
How to do image identifications
Typical WRITING assignments
Of course if you don't attend you won't do very well. Visual material will often seem very different in color and in large scale on the wall from its appearance in black and white in a small paperback book, so if you don't see both, your work will suffer.
There will be no make ups for in class work based on attendance other than religious holidays or via notification from the deans. It's up to you. However, if you miss class repeatedly I will notify the Dean's Office of your college.
Attendance and Religious Holidays: "The Colleges accept the responsibility of making available to each student who is absent from class because of religious obligations and practices an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement missed." To take advantage of this opportunity you must inform me in advance of any religious holidays when you will be out of class. I do my best to avoid religious holidays with regard to tests and due dates, but there are times when that it impossible. Please talk to me if you have any difficulties!
Here are some typical paper assignments
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Content Grade Distribution
(before my comments on grammar and style)
A - excellent analysis of the work of art showing thought beyond the assignment to engagement with the artist’s decision-making process. Fluent expression, especially in the apt use of the technical terms of art history.
B - good analysis of the work of art and clear engagement with the assignment.
C - competent completion of the assignment, but no more. Many aspects of the assignment dealt with in one sentence.
D - partial completion of the assignment, without evidence of thought or analysis. If the assignment demanded that you write about an object the paper shows signs that you wrote about a photograph or paid a very cursory visit.
F - no sign of effort or engagement with a real object.
I do not give early final examinations except for CTL accommodation purposes. Make your travel arrangements accordingly.