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Lectures: MWF 11:15am-12:10pm, 212 Houghton House
Office hours: M 1:15-2:15pm, Th 2:00-3:00pm, or by appointment, 208 Houghton House
Course description:
This course will examine Buddhist architecture, painting, and sculpture from South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Silk Road, and East Asia. We will consider five important movements in Buddhist practice: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Esoteric, Pure Land, and Zen. Topics will include images of the life of the historic Buddha and tales of his previous lives; the role of the stūpa in Buddhist worship; the expansion of the Buddhist pantheon; associations between art and patronage; representations of multiple realms of existence; the development of the mandala; and the role of meditation in artistic practice. When appropriate, students will read Buddhist texts in translation. The course is cross-listed with Asian Studies, Architectural Studies, and Media & Society. It addresses Goal 6 partially (an intellectually grounded foundation for the understanding of differences and inequalities of gender, race, and class), Goal 7 substantially (knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures), and Goal 8 partially (an intellectually grounded foundation for ethical judgment and action).
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. More conceptual learning objectives include understanding how works of art and architectural sites operate as historical artifacts that reveal current ideas on religion, politics, and society; and broader knowledge of the connections between and dissimilarities of South Asian and East Asian art, architecture, religious practices, philosophies, and politics.
Books:
- Denise Patry Leidy, The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2008)--REQUIRED.
- Donald S. Lopez, Jr., The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001)--REQUIRED.
- Sylvan Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 11th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015)--RECOMMENDED for students new to art history.
Weekly schedule:
INTRODUCTION TO MAINSTREAM BUDDHISM.
Jan. 21 (W). Overview of the course.
Jan. 23 (F). The early life of the historic Buddha.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 1-3.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 19-42.
Jan. 26 (M). Teachings of the historic Buddha and mainstream Buddhism.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 3-5.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 42-59.
Jan. 28 (W). Ancient Indian Buddhist art and aniconic art.
Jan. 30 (F). Stūpas at Bhārhut and Sāñcī.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 13-23.
Feb. 2 (M). Art and architecture from Amarāvati.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 23-29.
Feb. 4 (W). Early caitya halls at Bhāja, Karlī, and Ajānta.
Feb. 6 (F). Research in art history.
Feb. 9 (M). Architecture and sculpture in Sri Lanka.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 141-45.
Feb. 11 (W). Burmese and Thai art and architecture.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 164-69, 266-75.
THE DEVELOPMENT AND SPREAD OF MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHISM.
Feb. 13 (F). Introduction to Mahāyāna Buddhism.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 59-83, 103-29.
Feb. 16 (M). Kuṣāṇa period sculpture and royal patronage of Buddhism.
Feb. 18 (W). Gupta period sculpture from Mathurā and Sārnāth.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 49-55.
Feb. 20 (F). Mahāyāna caitya halls and murals at Ajānta.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 57-62.
Feb. 23 (M). The colossal Buddhas at Bamiyan.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 65-67.
Feb. 25 (W). Early art from the caves at Miran, Kizil, and Dunhuang.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 68-76.
Feb. 27 (F). Royal patronage and Buddhist icons at Yungang and Longmen grottoes.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 77-82.
Mar. 2 (M). The debate between Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī in Chinese art.
- Kumarajiva, The Vimalakirti Sutra, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), 64-74, 104-111.
- RESPONSE PAPER due.
Mar. 4 (W). Chinese sculptures of Maitreya, Śākyamuni, and Amitābha.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 82-91.
Mar. 6 (F). Imperial patronage of Buddhist arts in China’s Tang dynasty.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 91-99.
- Emperor Wuzong, “Emperor Wu-tsung’s Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism,” in Sources of Chinese Tradition, comp. Wm. Theodore de Bary et al. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1960), 1: 379-382.
Mar. 9 (M). Early Buddhist sculpture and architecture in Korea.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 101-108.
Mar. 11 (W). Architecture, sculpture, and painting at Horyūji.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 108-14.
Mar. 13 (F). Temples in Nara: Yakushiji and Tōdaiji.
[Mar. 14-22, Spring Recess]
Mar. 23 (M). Temples in Nara: Tōshōdaiji and Murōji.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 116-19, 120-21.
Mar. 25 (W). Late Buddhist art in India.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 127-41.
Mar. 27 (F). Angkor temple complexes in Cambodia.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 172-78.
- FIRST TEST due.
Mar. 29 (Sun.). Field trip to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Optional.
Mar. 30 (M). Bodhisattvas, arhats, and kings of hell in Chinese and Korean art.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 189-99, 205-207.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESOTERIC BUDDHISM.
Apr. 1 (W). A mandala in stone: Borobudur in Indonesia.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 178-87.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 213-30.
Apr. 3 (F). An esoteric temple in Kyōto: Tōji.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 121-25.
- “Kūkai and His Master,” in Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., comp., Sources of Japanese Tradition, 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001), 162-65.
- RESPONSE PAPER due.
Apr. 6 (M). Writing workshop.
Apr. 8 (W). Early Nepalese Buddhist art and architecture.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 147-51.
Apr. 10 (F). Alchi Monastery in Ladākh.
Apr. 13 (M). The arts of Sino-Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, Tibet, and China.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 231-45, 287-89.
Apr. 15 (W). Dalai Lamas and the arts in Tibet.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 247-61.
PURE LAND AND CHAN/ZEN BUDDHISM.
Apr. 17 (F). The Phoenix Hall and Japanese images of the Western Pure Land.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 208-10, 219-21.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 230-42.
Apr. 20 (M). Japanese paintings of hells, hungry ghosts, and death and decay.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 215-17.
- Genshin, “The Essentials of Salvation,” in Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., comp., Sources of Japanese Tradition, 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001), 1: 217-222.
Apr. 22 (W). Japanese images of Pure Land teachers.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 217-19.
Apr. 24 (F). Chan masters and Chinese painting in the Song through Qing dynasties.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 199-203, 279-86.
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 242-52.
- RESEARCH PAPER due.
Apr. 27 (M). Chan and Zen architecture.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 277-79.
Apr. 29 (W). Zen masters and Japanese painting in the Muromachi through Edo periods.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 225-29, 295-303.
May 1 (F). Two Kyōto gardens.
- Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 229.
May 4 (M). Conclusions.
May 10 (Sun.), 11:30am. SECOND TEST due.
Course requirements:
1. Class participation (15%). This includes regular and punctual attendance (see Attendance policy below) and participating in discussions in class or on the Canvas discussion board. I grade participation on a daily basis, as follows: check-plus (95) for speaking up in class or on the discussion board (even to ask a question or to answer one of my questions incorrectly), check (85) for showing up to class but not speaking, check-minus (75) for not paying attention or coming in late, zero (0) for not coming to class at all.
2. Response papers (15%). Throughout the semester you will write several 300-600-word papers responding to some of the assigned primary and secondary sources. More details to follow.
3. Research paper (30%), due Friday, April 24. In this paper (1500-2100 words) you will focus on a single Buddhist work of art or building. More details to follow.
4. First test (20%), due Friday, March 27. This take-home test covers material through Mar. 9.
5. Second test (20%), due Sunday, May 10, 11:30am. This take-home test covers material from Mar. 11 through May 4.
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 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.
Attendance policy:
I consider attendance at lectures to be mandatory. Asian art history is a challenging subject; don’t make it impossible by skipping class! That said, if you have a reasonable excuse for missing a class (including celebration of a religious holiday, athletic participation, a field trip for a different course, or illness), I expect you to notify me as soon as possible—preferably in advance—and to turn in a one-page essay on the topics covered on the day of your absence, ideally within a week. Not doing so will directly impact your participation grade. If you are absent four times or more, you should be prepared for me to notify the Deans about your performance. I will be taking attendance regularly.
Format for written
work:
One of the things you
will learn in an art history class is the importance of presentation.
This applies to your written work as well:
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 on every page, and the due date on the first page.
6. Please 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." Read it.
7. If you cite another source, you must use a.) either 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 if appropriate.
You can submit written work via Canvas. Please upload a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx), Rich Text Format file (.rtf), 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, to me 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. Not only does it destroy 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 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. See the Colleges’ Principle of Academic Integrity and General Academic Regulations (http://www.hws.edu/catalogue/policies.aspx) and the Handbook of Community Standards (http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/pdf/community_standards.pdf), pp. 38-40.
Now, just in case you are not
clear about what plagiarism is: plagiarism is the use of someone else's
words or ideas without giving that person credit. In application, this
means that in your writing assignments, 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, you don't need the quotation marks but you do
still need the parenthetical reference or footnote. 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 paper assignments receive numerical grades. Class participation and response papers will receive a check-plus (95), check (85), check-minus (75), or zero (0). Make-up written assignments, which count as part of your participation grade, will receive a check or check-minus. 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:
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A+ 97-100 |
A 93-97 |
A- 90-93 |
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B+ 87-90 |
B 83-87 |
B- 80-83 |
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C+ 77-80 |
C 73-77 |
C- 70-73 |
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D+ 67-70 |
D 63-67 |
D- 60-63 |
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F 0-60 |
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The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL):
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we encourage you 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: Study Mentors help you find more time and manage your responsibilities, Writing Fellows help you think well on paper, and professional staff members 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 resources of most use for this class include Teaching Fellows, Writing Fellows, and Study Mentors. CTL works with the Art & Architecture Department to offer one resource that will be essential to your learning in this course, the Art History Teaching Fellows. The Teaching Fellows are accomplished art history majors and minors who are now paid to assist other students. They hold regular study hours Sunday-Thursday (I will post this term’s hours as soon as they are available). To get the most out of this resource, I recommend that all students in this course begin attending the Teaching Fellow hours next week and attend once or twice weekly (to study, to ask questions) throughout the semester.
Disability accommodations:
If you are a student with a disability for which you may need accommodations, you should self-identify and register for services with the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and provide documentation of your disability. 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 David Silver, Coordinator of Disability Services, x3351.
Websites:
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage, http://people.hws.edu/blanchard/ARTH253/; 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 and review materials there as well.
To use Canvas, log in with your campus username and password. Once you have logged in, you should see, at the top left of the screen, a drop-down menu for courses you are enrolled in, as well as links to your assignments, grades, and calendar. At the top right, you should see links to your own Canvas inbox and your Canvas settings, as well as the Logout and Help links.
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 Settings link at the top right, 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 top right, where “Search the Canvas Guides” is probably the most useful option. You should look for the relatively short Canvas Student Quickstart Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470), the more thorough Canvas Student Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212), and – for visually oriented people – the Canvas Video Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/4210). 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 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays
- until 11 p.m. on Fridays
- until 11 p.m. on Saturdays
- until 1 a.m. on Sundays
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