Class meetings: TuTh 1:30–3:00pm. This is a *hybrid* course, meaning that I am meeting with students in person in 112 Houghton House *and* via Zoom, at our regular class time. I will determine a schedule of when students may attend in person in the first week of class. Some class sessions will be remote for everyone, including the first day.

Virtual office hours: by appointment only, via Zoom.

Course description:
Written histories of art before the modern era have too often overlooked or marginalized women artists, even though they worked in the same media as men (painting, printmaking, illustration, calligraphy) and depicted similar subjects (portraits, religious themes, still lifes, and nature). This course examines European and Asian women artists between 1300 and 1750, with particular attention to the cultures of Italy and China after 1500. Topics will include the reasons for women’s omission from the canon of art history; women’s status as amateur or professional artists; and their identities as court artists, members of artistic families, courtesans, or nuns. The course is cross-listed with Media & Society, European Studies, Asian Studies, and Women’s Studies. It addresses two of the aspirational goals of the curriculum: a critical understanding of social inequalities (substantially), and a critical understanding of cultural difference (substantially).

Learning objectives:
One objective is for students to gain practical skills useful in any study of art history, including an understanding of how meaning can be encoded in visual media and improved proficiency in writing and research. More conceptual learning objectives include understanding how works of art operate as historical artifacts that reveal current ideas on politics, religion, and society; as well as broader knowledge of women’s roles in early modern Europe and Asia.

Books (available in the Library):

• Bal, Mieke, ed. The Artemisia Files: Artemisia Gentileschi for Feminists and Other Thinking People. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. ISBN-13: 9780226035826 (REQUIRED)
• Barnet, Sylvan, ed. A Short Guide to Writing about Art. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015. ISBN-13: 9780205886999 (RECOMMENDED for students new to art history).

Certain supplementary materials will be available via Canvas:

• Class lectures will be recorded as they are delivered and linked from the Canvas Syllabus under the Weekly Schedule. (I plan to make each day’s topic a hyperlink that connects to the recording.)
• Some discussion questions may be posted on the Canvas Discussion Board.
• Image sheets and other daily handouts will be posted in the folders Files | Handouts (parts 1 and 2).
• Supplementary readings will be posted in the folder Files | Readings.
• PowerPoint files will be posted in the folders Files | Image presentations (parts 1 and 2).
• Assignments will be posted on Canvas, in the folder Files | Assignments.

Supplemental readings (available in the Library):

• Addiss, Stephen. “The Three Women of Gion.” In Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting, edited by Marsha Weidner, 241–63. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 1990.
• Alpers, Svetlana. “Art History and Its Exclusions: The Example of Dutch Art.” In Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, edited by Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard, 183–99. New York: Harper & Row, 1982.
• Brusati, Celeste. “Stilled Lives: Self-Portraiture and Self-Reflection in Seventeenth-Century Netherlandish Still-Life Painting.” Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 20, no. 2/3 (1990–91): 168–82.
• Eck, Xander van. Review of Judith Leyster: A Dutch Master and Her World, by James A. Welu. Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 22, no. 1/2 (1993–94): 105–9.
• Even, Yael. “Judith Leyster: An Unsuitable Place for a Woman.” Konsthistorisk Tidskrift 71, no. 3 (2002): 115–24.
• Fister, Patricia. Japanese Women Artists, 1600–1900. Lawrence, Kans.: Spencer Museum of Art, 1988.
• Gellman, Lola B. Review of Judith Leyster: A Woman Painter in Holland’s Golden Age, by Frima Fox Hofrichter. Woman’s Art Journal 13, no. 1 (Spring–Summer 1992): 34–36.
• Honig, Elizabeth Alice. “The Art of Being ‘Artistic’: Dutch Women’s Creative Practices in the 17th Century.” Woman’s Art Journal 22, no. 2 (Autumn 2001–Winter 2002): 31–39.
• National Museum of Women in the Arts. Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque. Milan: Skira, 2007.
• Neri, Janice. “Stitches, Specimens, and Pictures: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Processing of the Natural World.” Chapter 5 of The Insect and the Image: Visualizing Nature in Early Modern Europe, 1500–1700, 139–80. University of Minnesota Press, 2011.
• Russell, Margarita. “The Women Painters in Houbraken’s Groote Schouburgh.” Woman’s Art Journal 2, no. 1 (Spring–Summer 1981): 7–11.
• Weidner, Marsha. “The Conventional Success of Ch’en Shu.” In Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting, edited by Marsha Weidner, 123–56. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 1990.
• Weidner, Marsha, Ellen Johnston Laing, Irving Yucheng Lo, Christina Chu, and James Robinson. Views from Jade Terrace: Chinese Women Artists 1300–1912. Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1988.
• Winston-Allen, Anne. “Observant Sisters.” Frieze, Sept. 8, 2016, https://frieze.com/article/observant-sisters.

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

Jan. 26 (Tu). Overview of the course—via Zoom.

Jan. 28 (Th).     Women in art histories: Europe.

• Jordana Pomeroy, “Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque (Milan: Skira, 2007), 19–22.
• Svetlana Alpers, “Art History and Its Exclusions: The Example of Dutch Art,” in Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, ed. Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard (New York: Harper & Row, 1982), 183–99.

Feb. 2 (Tu).     Women in art histories: East Asia.

• Marsha Weidner, “Women in the History of Chinese Painting,” in Marsha Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace: Chinese Women Artists 1300–1912 (Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1988), 12–29.
• Patricia Fister, “Introduction: The World of Women in Japan, 1600–1900,” in Japanese Women Artists, 1600–1900 (Lawrence, Kans.: Spencer Museum of Art, 1988), 9–16.

Feb. 4 (Th).     Research in art history—via Zoom.

Feb. 9 (Tu).     Women artists, pre-1500.

• James Robinson, “Attributed to Guan Daosheng,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 66–70.
• Irene Graziani, “Caterina Vigri,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 84–89.
• Anne Winston-Allen, “Observant Sisters,” Frieze, Sept. 8, 2016, https://frieze.com/article/observant-sisters.

Feb. 11 (Th).    Sofonisba Anguissola (1532–1635), daughter of an artistic family.

• Stefania Biancani and Ann Sutherland Harris, “Sofonisba Anguissola,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 106–21.

Feb. 16 (Tu).    Diana Mantuana (ca. 1547–1612), daughter of an engraver.

• Silvia Urbini and Jordana Pomeroy, “Diana Scultori (aka Ghisi),” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 126–33.

Feb. 18 (Th).    Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614), daughter of a painter.

• Caroline P. Murphy et al., “Lavinia Fontana,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 134–65.
• RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL due.

Feb. 23 (Tu).    Miss Qiu (fl. ca. 1576), daughter of a professional artist.

• Ellen Johnston Laing, “Miss Qiu,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 70–72.

Feb. 25 (Th).    Ma Shouzhen (1548–1604), courtesan.

• James Robinson, “Ma Shouzhen,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 72–81.

Mar. 2 (Tu).    Xue Susu (fl. 1601–33), courtesan.

• James Robinson, “Xue Susu (Wu),” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 82–88.

Mar. 4 (Th).    Wen Shu (1595–1634), a literary wife.

• Ellen Johnston Laing, “Wen Shu,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 88–91.

Mar. 9 (Tu).    Liu Yin, a.k.a. Liu Rushi (1618–64), a secondary wife.

• Marsha Weidner, “Liu Shi (Yin),” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 99–102.
• RESEARCH WORKSHEETS due.

Mar. 11 (Th).  Female subjects in Artemisia Gentileschi’s paintings (1593–1656).

• Mary D. Garrard, “Artemisia’s Hand,” in The Artemisia Files: Artemisia Gentileschi for Feminists and Other Thinking People, ed. Mieke Bal (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005), 1–32.
• Elena Ciletti, “‘Gran Macchina è Bellezza’: Looking at the Gentileschi Judiths,” in Bal, The Artemisia Files, 63–106.

Mar. 16 (Tu).  Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1656) in art history.

• Mieke Bal, “Introduction,” in The Artemisia Files, ix–xxv.
• Nanette Solomon, “Judging Artemisia: A Baroque Woman in Modern Art History,” in Bal, The Artemisia Files, 33–62.

Mar. 18 (Th).  Giovanna Garzoni (1600–70), niece of a painter.

• Stefania Biancani, Ilaria Rossi, and Jordana Pomeroy, “Giovanna Garzoni,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 220–39.
• FIRST TEST due.

Mar. 23 (Tu).  Elisabetta Sirani (1638–65), daughter of a painter.

• Fiorella Frisoni, Nathalie Strasser, and Jordana Pomeroy, “Elisabetta Sirani,” in National Museum of Women in the Arts, Italian Women Artists, 241–55.

Mar. 25 (Th).  17th-century Dutch artists.

• Elizabeth Alice Honig, “The Art of Being ‘Artistic’: Dutch Women’s Creative Practices in the 17th Century,” Woman’s Art Journal 22, no. 2 (Autumn 2001–Winter 2002): 31–39.
• Margarita Russell, “The Women Painters in Houbraken’s Groote Schouburgh,” Woman’s Art Journal 2, no. 1 (Spring–Summer 1981): 7–11.

Mar. 30 (Tu).   Writing workshop—via Zoom.

• ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY due.

Apr. 1 (Th).  Clara Peeters (1594–after 1657), still-life painter.

• Celeste Brusati, “Stilled Lives: Self-Portraiture and Self-Reflection in Seventeenth-Century Netherlandish Still-Life Painting,” Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 20, no. 2/3 (1990–91): 168–82.

Apr. 6 (Tu).  Judith Leyster (1609–60), professional artist.

• Yael Even, “Judith Leyster: An Unsuitable Place for a Woman,” Konsthistorisk Tidskrift 71, no. 3 (2002): 115–24.
• Xander van Eck, Review of Judith Leyster: A Dutch Master and Her World, by James A. Welu, Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 22, no. 1/2 (1993–94): 105–9.
• Lola B. Gellman, Review of Judith Leyster: A Woman Painter in Holland’s Golden Age, by Frima Fox Hofrichter, Woman’s Art Journal 13, no. 1 (Spring–Summer 1992): 34–36.

Apr. 8 (Th).  Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717), naturalist and illustrator.

• Janice Neri, “Stitches, Specimens, and Pictures: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Processing of the Natural World,” Chapter 5 of The Insect and the Image: Visualizing Nature in Early Modern Europe, 1500–1700 (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011), 139–80.
• RESEARCH PAPER DRAFT due.

Apr. 13 (Tu).    Chen Shu (1660–1736), a Chinese official’s mother.

• Marsha Weidner, “Chen Shu,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 117–20.
• Marsha Weidner, “The Conventional Success of Ch’en Shu,” in Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting, ed. Marsha Weidner (Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 1990), 123–56.

Apr. 15 (Th).    Yun Bing (fl. ca. 1747), daughter of a Chinese artistic family.

• Marsha Weidner, “Yun Bing,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 122–29.

Apr. 20 (Tu).    Ma Quan (fl. ca. 1723–46), daughter of a Qing artistic family.

• Marsha Weidner, “Ma Quan,” in Weidner et al., Views from Jade Terrace, 130–36.

Apr. 22 (Th).    Seventeenth-century Japanese women artists.

• Fister, Japanese Women Artists, 25–46.
• RESEARCH PAPER due.

Apr. 27 (Tu).    Yamazaki Ryujo and Ohashi, Japanese courtesans.

• Fister, Japanese Women Artists, 47–52, 69–71, 76–77.

Apr. 29 (Th).    Kaji, Yuri (1694–1764), and Tokuyama Gyokuran (1727/28–1784): a female lineage.

• Stephen Addiss, “The Three Women of Gion,” in Weidner, Flowering in the Shadows, 241–63.
• Fister, Japanese Women Artists, 69–90.

May 4 (Tu).    SECOND TEST due, 4:30pm.

Communications:
I am happy to meet with you outside of class at a mutually convenient time, via Zoom (see Virtual office hours above). The best way to reach me to set up an appointment is by e-mail, but please note that I regularly read e-mail only between 9:00am and 4:30pm. If I need to contact students, I generally will do so via HWS e-mail and through Announcements on Canvas (see Websites below). You should develop the habit of checking both on a regular basis (I recommend doing so daily).

Attendance policy:
I expect you to attend class regularly. In this class, attendance expectations can be met by attending in-person sessions and/or attending remote sessions synchronously via Zoom. Art history is a challenging subject; attending and engaging in class time with me and your peers is important for your learning. If, however, you need to miss a class (for reasons including celebration of your religion, athletic participation, or illness), I expect you to notify me as soon as possible.

Whether we meet in person, on Zoom, or in other digital formats, we are in a professional community. As professionals, we are expected to:

• show up on time;
• be prepared for our collective work;
• engage professionally in all aspects of our presentation; and
• try to limit distractions in our individual workplaces.

In the event that you find yourself experiencing symptoms of illness, I request that you do the following:

• Stay home! This is best way to prevent spreading COVID-19 as supported by scientific evidence.
• Follow any guidance you may receive from the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker.
• While ill, if you are able to, you should plan to attend class remotely as indicated in this syllabus.
• It is my expectation that you will follow the syllabus guidelines and/or contact me to discuss missed coursework. In the case that you are not able to make up missed coursework by the end of the semester, we will need to consider options that may include a medical withdrawal or incomplete for the semester, which will be done in consultation with your class Dean.

Those of us meeting in person all share responsibility for the health and safety of all in the classroom environment. Maintain social distances, wear a face cover, and quarantine when ill are directives that we all must follow until further notice. Specifically, in our classroom we will mitigate the risks of virus transfer by abiding by the following safety directives:

• maintain at least 6 feet of social distance at all times in the classroom environment;
• use the disinfecting materials (available in each classroom) on personal work spaces at the beginning and end of each class;
• wear a face covering (disposable or cloth) for the entirety of class; and
• stay home when sick.

In the classroom, any student who does not follow these provisions will be asked once to follow the safety directives. If the student does not comply, I will next ask the student to leave the class for that day. Should a student persist in ignoring these safety directives, I will refer the matter to Campus Life for review and possible disciplinary actions as described in the HWS Handbook of Community Standards, 2020–2021 and the HWS Campus Opening Community Standards Addendum.

Be assured that I will do what I can to work with students to facilitate their successful completion of the course. I encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

Course requirements:

1.         Class participation (30%). This includes participating in discussions in class meetings (either in person or via Zoom) and responding to questions on the Canvas discussion board. I grade participation weekly, 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 answering a discussion question very briefly or in a way that suggests some misunderstanding; check (75) for being a passive observer of class discussions; check-minus (65) for not paying attention or being disruptive or disrespectful in class; zero (0) for lack of participation in any modality.

2.         Research project (30%), with assignments due throughout the semester, culminating in a paper (1500–2100 words) focusing on a single woman artist from the period 1300–1750. More details to follow.

3.         First test (18%), due Thursday, Mar. 18. This take-home essay exam covers material through Tuesday, Mar. 9.

4.         Second test (22%), due Tuesday, May 4, 4:30pm. This take-home essay exam covers material from Thursday, Mar. 11 through Thursday, Apr. 29.

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

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.
7. If you cite another source, you must use a.) parenthetical references or footnotes, as well as
   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.)
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. 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, 26–29, 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 the research project assignments receive numerical grades. Class participationassignments 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 before the assignment is due.

My grading scale is as follows:

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 twelve 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 research paper will be extremely helpful to you, and I suggest that you make an appointment via StudyHub on the CTL website by Wednesday, Mar. 31 to begin work on the research paper draft.

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 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 and one at Canvas. This syllabus, paper assignments, and links to online resources can be found at both. The Canvas site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, discussions, and an online gradebook;I plan to post image presentations used in class 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 Canvas Student Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student) or—for visually oriented people—the Video Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/tkb-p/videos). Alternatively, contact the Help Desk of Instructional Technology through the Client Portal (https://hws.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1889/Portal/Home/), at x4357, or at helpdesk@hws.edu.

Technology policy:
Some learning materials will be provided via online platforms such as Canvas and Zoom, and we always face the possibility of a shift to remote learning only. Because of this, your access to a strong internet connection regularly is imperative to your success. I understand that we do not all have access to the same set of resources when not on campus. If this requirement sets up a currently unattainable goal for you, please contact me, your Dean, or the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs for additional assistance.

Because this class will periodically use Zoom, please be sure you have Zoom installed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Zoom classes may not be recorded or distributed by anyone other than me, the instructor. Below are tips for participating in a Zoom session:

• join the meeting early and test speaker, microphone, and camera settings;
• keep speakers away from microphones to avoid feedback;
• mute your microphones upon entry to the meeting; and
• do not join a meeting from multiple devices.

Group work in the classroom may incorporate the use of electronic devices to support your learning, given the requirements of social distancing in the space. I encourage you to bring your laptops, tablets, or smartphones with you to class as they may be useful to you in your navigation of group work in this space, but please remember: using personal electronic devices in the classroom can also be a distraction for you and for other students. Therefore,

• please silence notifications on all devices so that your work is not interrupted;
• please be respectful and do not use your devices for non-class related tasks, such as e-mail; and
• please minimize device use during whole-class, in-person discussions.
• Please let me know if there are reasons you cannot follow the above guidelines.