ARTH/ASN 103. Introduction to Asian Art. Spring 2020.
Professor Lara Blanchard
tel: x3893
Art & Architecture Department, 208 Houghton House

Lectures: MWF 11:00am–12:00pm, 112 Houghton House
Office hours: Tu 10:00–11:30am, F 1:15–2:45pm, or by appointment, 208 Houghton House

 

Course description:
This course presents a topical study of the arts and architecture of China, Japan, India, and (to a lesser extent) Korea, with some comparisons to the arts of Central Asia, Europe, and America. We will examine developments in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, prints, and installations, through a series of case studies. Broad topics will include connections between art, politics, philosophy, and religion; text-image relationships; artistic practice, patronage, and collecting; and international art movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition, students will learn to analyze two- and three-dimensional works of art and architecture. There are no prerequisites, and no previous exposure to the arts of Asia is necessary. The course is cross-listed with Asian Studies and Media & Society. It addresses two of the aspirational goals of the curriculum: a critical understanding of social inequalities (partially), and a critical understanding of cultural difference (substantially).

 

Learning objectives:
Students in this class will hone their critical thinking, research, and writing skills. They will also learn how to analyze art and architecture and develop their visual memory. More conceptual learning objectives include understanding how works of art and architectural sites operate as historical artifacts that reveal current ideas on politics, religion, and society, and broader knowledge of the connections between and dissimilarities of East Asian and South Asian art, architecture, literature, politics, philosophies, and religious practices.

 

Required books:

  • Neave, Dorinda, Lara C. W. Blanchard, and Marika Sardar. Asian Art. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015.
  • Barnet, Sylvan, ed. A Short Guide to Writing about Art. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015.

 

Weekly schedule (please note: schedule may be subject to minor changes):

 

INTRODUCTION.

Jan. 22 (W).     Overview of the course.

Jan. 24 (F).      Analyzing two-dimensional art: medium, composition, color, line.

  • Dorinda Neave, Lara C. W. Blanchard, and Marika Sardar, Asian Art (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015), xviii–xx.
  • Sylvan Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 11th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015), 69–97.

Jan. 27 (M).     Analyzing two-dimensional art: representing mass, recession into depth, and vantage point.

Jan. 29 (W).     How to study for art history classes and how to write about art.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, xii–xviii, xxii–1, 103–104, 124–25, 240–41.
  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 1–68.

Jan. 31 (F).      Analyzing three-dimensional art.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, xx–xxi.
  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 97–109.

Feb. 3 (M).       Analyzing architecture.

ART, POLITICS, PHILOSOPHIES, AND INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS IN EARLY ASIA.

Feb. 5 (W).      The development of Indian Buddhist architecture.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 3–14.

Feb. 7 (F).        Early Buddhist and Jain temple art in India.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 14–22.

Feb. 10 (M).     Early Hindu art and architecture in India.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 25–34, 36–37.

Feb. 12 (W).    Ancestor worship and bronze vessels in China.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 127–38.

Feb. 14 (F).      Chinese concepts of the afterlife and the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi.

Feb. 17 (M).     Art and the beginnings of Daoism in China’s Han dynasty and the Six Dynasties period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 140–43, 147–50.

Feb. 19 (W).    Confucian art in China’s Han dynasty and the Six Dynasties period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 143–45, 148, 150.

Feb. 21 (F).      Shamanism, early artifacts, and tombs in ancient Korea and Japan.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 243–48, 277–87.

Feb. 24 (M).     Shinto shrines in Japan.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 287–88.

ART AND THE CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF ASIAN CULTURES.

Feb. 26 (W).The spread of Buddhist art and architecture to Southeast Asia.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 110–13, 116–20.
  • LOOKING PAPER due.

Feb. 28 (F).The spread of Hindu art and architecture to Southeast Asia.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 114–16.

Mar. 2 (M).The entry of Buddhism into China and Korea.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 150–55, 165–67, 248–51.

Mar. 4 (W).      The entry of Buddhism into Japan.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 288–303.

Mar. 6 (F).       The entry of Islam into South Asia.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 51–57.

Mar. 9 (M).      Review.

  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 345–50.

Mar. 11 (W).    FIRST TEST.

 

ARTISTIC PRACTICE AND PATRONAGE.

Mar. 13 (F).     Calligraphy and painting in China’s Six Dynasties and Tang dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 155–63.

[Mar. 14–22, Spring Break]

Mar. 23 (M).    Art and politics in China’s Song dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 171–77, 178–85.

Mar. 25 (W).    Mongol rule and the arts in China’s Yuan dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 185–93.

Mar. 27 (F).     How to do research in art history.

  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 226–43, 270–306.

Mar. 28 (Sat).   Field trip to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Optional.

Mar. 30 (M).    Aristocratic patronage of Buddhist art and architecture in Japan’s Heian period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 307–14, 321–22.

Apr. 1 (W).      Arts of Japan’s Heian court.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 315–21, 322–23.

Apr. 3 (F).        Film: The Genji Scrolls Reborn.

Apr. 6 (M).      Art and political upheaval in Japan’s Kamakura period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 325–34.

Apr. 8 (W).      Zen Buddhism and artistic practice in Japan’s Muromachi period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 334–43.

Apr. 10 (F).      Architecture of India’s Mughal and Rajput courts.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 64–67, 76–77.

Apr. 13 (M).    Painting of India’s Mughal, Rajput, and Pahari courts.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 68–71, 74–76, 77–78.

Apr. 15 (W).    Aesthetics and architecture in China’s Ming dynasty, Korea’s Joseon dynasty, and Japan’s Edo period.

Apr. 17 (F).      Aesthetics and ceramics in China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, Korea’s Joseon dynasty, and Japan’s Momoyama and Edo periods.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 200–202, 259–61, 349–53.

Apr. 20 (M).    Woodblock printmaking in China’s Ming dynasty and Japan’s Edo period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 201, 364–67.

Apr. 22 (W).    Professional painters in China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, Korea’s Joseon dynasty, and Japan’s Edo period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 202–205, 210–12, 261–65, 357–61.

 

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES AND MOVEMENTS IN THE MODERN PERIOD.

Apr. 24 (F).      Interactions of European and Asian culture in 18th-and 19th-century art and architecture.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 81–91, 213–15, 361–62.

Apr. 27 (M).    Modernity in early 20th-century Asian art.

Apr. 29 (W).    Art and revolution in mid-20th-century Asia.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 93–96, 225–30, 266–70, 374–76.

May 1 (F).        Globalization and tradition in contemporary Asian art.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 96–101, 230–39, 270–75, 376–81.

May 4 (M).      Review.

May 9 (Sat).     SECOND TEST, 7:00pm.

 

Communications:
I am happy to meet with you outside of class during my office hours (see top of syllabus), or at another time that is convenient for you, in 208 Houghton House. The best way to reach me to set up an appointment is by e-mail, but please note that I might not check my e-mail before 9:00am or after 4:30pm. If I need to contact students, I generally will do so via HWS e-mail and Announcements on Canvas (see Websites below). You should develop the habit of checking both on a regular basis.

 

Attendance policy:
I expect you to attend class regularly. Asian art history is a challenging subject; don’t make it impossible by skipping class! If, however, you need to miss a class (for reasons including celebration of your religion, athletic participation, a field trip for a different course, or illness), I expect you to notify me as soon as possible and to turn in a one- to two-page essay on the topics covered on the day of your absence, within a week of your return to class. Not doing so will directly impact your participation grade. If you are absent four times or more, I will contact the Deans about your performance.

Course requirements:

1.         Class participation (20%). This includes regular and punctual attendance and participating in discussions in class or on the Canvas discussion board. I grade participation on a daily basis, as follows: check-plus-plus (95) for thoughtful commentary in class or on the discussion board that is analytical in nature or synthesizes material from readings and/or other classes; check-plus (85) for speaking up in class or on the discussion board on a topic relevant to the course material (even to ask a question or to answer one of my questions incorrectly); check (75) for showing up to class but not speaking; check-minus (65) for not paying attention, coming in late, or being disruptive or disrespectful; zero (0) for not coming to class at all (but see the Attendance policy, above, for how to make up for missing class).

2.         Short writing assignments (10%). Occasionally I will be asking you to write briefly about ideas discussed in class or in the readings, or on one or two works of art or architecture. Some of these short writing assignments will be done in class, and some will be given as homework.

3.         Looking paper (15%), drafts due Monday, Feb. 3; Friday, Feb. 14; and Wednesday, Feb. 26. In this short paper (600–900 words) you will choose a Chinese, Japanese, or Indian painting to analyze in terms of its formal qualities. More details to follow.

4.         Analysis + research paper (20%), drafts due Friday, Apr. 3; Wednesday, Apr. 15; and Monday, Apr. 27. In this longer paper (1200–1500 words) you will analyze and research a work of Asian art that you see in person. More details to follow.

5.         First test (15%), Wednesday, Mar. 11. The first test, covering material through Monday, Mar. 9, will last for 50 minutes and will consist of slide identifications and short, timed essays.

6.         Second test (20%), Saturday, May 9, 7:00pm. The second test, covering material from Friday, Mar. 13 to Monday, May 4, will last for 70 minutes and will consist of slide identifications and short, timed essays.

 

Format for written work:
Please follow these guidelines when you write your papers.

  1. Type all work in a 12-point font.
  2. Double-space.
  3. Leave one-inch margins on all sides.
  4. Number your pages.
  5. Put your name and the date on the first page.
  6. Check that your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct—these are crucial to effective communication of your ideas. Your grade will drop if you have excessive errors. A Short Guide to Writing about Art has a helpful chapter titled “Manuscript Form” (chap. 14). Read it.
  7. If you cite another source, you must use a.) parenthetical references or footnotes, and
    b.) a list of works cited, as explained in The Chicago Manual of Style (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html), the documentation style typically used by art historians. (See A note about cheating and plagiarism below.) This citation system is explained in A Short Guide to Writing about Art.
  8. Include pictures (with captions) of works of art that you discuss.

You can submit written work via Canvas. Please upload a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx) or a Portable Document Format file (.pdf): these are the only formats that Canvas will accept. Alternatively, you can turn in a stapled hard copy, plus copies of any earlier drafts, during the class period. PLEASE NOTE: I do not accept papers via e-mail.

 

A note about cheating and plagiarism:
I will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. It destroys the trust that I have in you to do your best, it is unfair to the other students, and obviously you will not learn anything if you resort to cheating. If I find that you have cheated or plagiarized on a test or on a written assignment, you will receive a zero for the assignment and I will contact the Deans and/or the Committee on Standards about your case. If a case goes to the Committee on Standards, I follow the Committee's recommendation; if it also finds evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the recommendation is usually failure of the course at a minimum.

In accordance with the Colleges’ Academic Policies (http://www.hws.edu/catalogue/policies.aspx) and the Handbook of Community Standards (http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/pdf/community_standards.pdf), pp. 11, 25–28, I define cheating as giving or receiving assistance on any assignment for this course, including all papers and tests, except as directly authorized by me. The Colleges define plagiarism as “the presentation or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of another person as one’s own, without due acknowledgment.” In application, this means that in any written assignment, you need to cite your sources. When quoting directly from a text—say, five words or more in succession—you need to put those words in quotation marks and include a parenthetical reference or footnote citing the source. When rewriting a passage from a text in your own words, or including information from a text in your paper, you don’t need the quotation marks but you do still need the parenthetical reference or footnote. In addition, all sources that you cite need to be included in a list of works cited at the end of the assignment. If you don’t understand exactly what constitutes plagiarism, or how to use parenthetical references or footnotes, please ask me. I would prefer to explain what it is and how to avoid it before it happens rather than after.

 

Grading:
Tests and paper assignments receive numerical grades. Class participation, short writing assignments, and make-up written assignments will receive a check-plus-plus (95), check-plus (85), check (75), check-minus (65), or zero (0). If you are unsatisfied with a grade, please prepare a written statement explaining what grade you think you should have received and why, and submit it to me along with the assignment for review.

I mark down three points for each calendar day that an assignment is late. If you think you will need an extension, you should talk to me as early as possible.

My grading scale is as follows:

 

 

A+  97-100

A  93-97

A-  90-93

 

 

B+  87-90

B  83-87

B-  80-83

 

 

C+  77-80

C  73-77

C-  70-73

 

 

D+  67-70

D  63-67

D-  60-63

 

 

 

F  0-60

 

 

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL):
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we encourage you to learn collaboratively and to seek the resources that will enable you to succeed. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is one of those resources: CTL programs and staff help you engage with your learning, accomplish the tasks before you, enhance your thinking and skills, and empower you to do your best. Resources at CTL are many: Teaching Fellows provide content support in eleven departments, Study Mentors help you manage your time and responsibilities, Writing Fellows help you think well on paper, and professional staff help you assess academic needs.

I encourage you to explore these and other CTL resources designed to encourage your very best work. You can talk with me about these resources, visit the CTL office on the 2nd floor of the library to discuss options with the staff, or visit the CTL website at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx.

The CTL resource that will be most essential in enhancing learning in this course is the Writing Fellows program. Writing Fellows help students develop their writing by providing feedback on essay drafts, offering strategies for the writing process, and enhancing students’ understanding of what good college writing means. In this class, Writing Fellow assistance with our looking paper and analysis + research paper will be extremely helpful to you, and I suggest that you make an appointment via StudyHub on the CTL website by Monday, Feb. 10 to begin work on the looking paper.

 

Disability accommodations:
If you are a student with a disability for which you may need accommodations, you should self-identify, provide appropriate documentation of your disability, and register for services with Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Disability-related accommodations and services generally will not be provided until the registration and documentation process is complete. The guidelines for documenting disabilities can be found at the following website: http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/disability_services.aspx

Please direct questions about this process or Disability Services at HWS to Christen Davis, Coordinator of Disability Services, at ctl@hws.edu or x3351.

 

Websites:
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage, http://people.hws.edu/blanchard/ARTH103/; and one at Canvas, https://canvas.hws.edu/. This syllabus, paper assignments, and links to online resources for Asian art can be found at both. The Canvas site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, discussions, and an online gradebook; I plan to post presentations there as well.

To use Canvas, log in with your campus username and password. Once you have logged in, you should see, at the left of the screen, a link for Courses you are enrolled in, as well as links for your Account, Dashboard, Calendar, Inbox, Commons, and Help.

It is essential for you to get in the habit of logging into Canvas regularly, as one way I will communicate with the class is via Canvas announcements, and I will post assignments and other course materials there. If you click on the Account link and then on Settings, you can set up Canvas to notify your e-mail or your cell phone about recent activity. I strongly recommend that you set Canvas to send you notifications of announcements ASAP.

For further assistance with Canvas, click on the Help link at the bottom left, and then on “Canvas Resources for Students.” You should look for the relatively short Quick Reference Guides (https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers/guides/canvas-guide/getting-started/pages/student), the more thorough Canvas Student Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10701), and—for visually oriented people—the Video Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers/guides/video-guide). Alternatively, contact the Help Desk of Instructional Technology at x4357 or helpdesk@hws.edu. The Help Desk is located in the Library on the first floor in the Rosensweig Learning Commons and is staffed by students as follows: until 1:00am Sunday through Thursday, and until 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday.