ARTH 253. Buddhist Art & Architecture. Fall 2020.
Professor Lara Blanchard
tel: x3893
Art & Architecture Department, 208 Houghton House

Lectures: MWF 11:00am–12:00pm. This is a *hybrid* course, meaning that I am meeting with small discussion groups in person in 112 Houghton House once per week (group designations are forthcoming) and with students remotely once per week via Zoom, at our regular class time. Some class sessions will be remote for everyone.

Virtual office hours: by appointment only, via Zoom

 

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 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:
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:

  • Leidy, Denise Patry. The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2008. (REQUIRED.)
  • Lopez, Donald S. Jr. The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. (REQUIRED.)
  • Barnet, Sylvan, ed. A Short Guide to Writing about Art. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2015. (RECOMMENDED for students new to art history.)

Certain supplementary materials, including readings, prerecorded lectures, and discussion questions, are organized in Canvas Modules that are linked from the Canvas Syllabus under the Weekly Schedule. In addition:

  • Handouts will be posted on Canvas, in the folders Files | Handouts (parts 1 and 2).
  • Powerpoint files will be posted on Canvas, in the folders Files | Image presentations (parts 1 and 2).
  • Assignments will be posted on Canvas, in the folders Files | Assignments.

 

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

INTRODUCTION TO MAINSTREAM BUDDHISM.


Aug. 24 (M).        Overview of the course—via Zoom.

Aug. 26 (W)–31 (M).        The early life of the historic Buddha, his teachings, and mainstream Buddhism. [Group A meets in-person on Wednesday; Group B meets in-person on Friday; remote students meet via Zoom on Monday.]

  • Denise Patry Leidy, The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2008), 1–5.
  • Donald S. Lopez Jr., The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001), 19–59.

Sept. 2 (W)–Sept. 7 (M).        Ancient Indian Buddhist art and architecture: aniconic art; stupas at Bharhut, Sañci, and Amaravati; early caitya halls at Bhaja, Karli, and Ajanta. [Group A meets in-person on Wednesday; Group B meets in-person on Friday; remote students meet via Zoom on Monday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 9–29.
  • Susan L. Huntington, “Early Buddhist Art and the Theory of Aniconism,” Art Journal 49, no. 4 (Winter 1990): 401–8.
  • Balkrishna Govind Gokhale, “Theravada Buddhism in Western India,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 92, no. 2 (1972): 230–36.

Sept. 9 (W).        Research in art history—via Zoom.

Sept. 11 (F)–16 (W).        Mainstream Buddhism outside of India: architecture and sculpture in Sri Lanka; Burmese art and architecture; Thai art and architecture. [Group A meets in-person on Friday; Group B meets in-person on Monday; remote students meet via Zoom on Wednesday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 141–45, 164–69, 266–75.

THE DEVELOPMENT AND SPREAD OF MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHISM.

Sept. 18 (F).       Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism—via Zoom.

  • Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 59–83, 103–29.
  • RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL due, Sept. 18.

Sept. 21 (M)–25 (F).       Mahayana Buddhism in ancient and medieval South Asia: Ku?a?a period sculpture and royal patronage of Buddhism; Gupta period sculpture from Mathura and Sarnath; Mahayana caitya halls and murals at Ajanta. [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 31–55, 57–62.

Sept. 28 (M)–Oct. 2(F).       Mahayana Buddhism in Central Asia and middle imperial China: the colossal Buddhas at Bamiyan; early art from the caves at Miran, Kizil, and Dunhuang; royal patronage and Buddhist icons at Yungang and Longmen grottoes. [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 65–82.

Oct. 5 (M)–9 (F).       Mahayana Buddhism in middle imperial China: Chinese sculptures of Maitreya, Sakyamuni, and Amitabha; the debate between Vimalakirti and Mañjusri in Chinese art; imperial patronage of Buddhist arts in China’s Tang dynasty. [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 77–99.
  • 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: 379–82.
  • Kumarajiva, The Vimalakirti Sutra, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), 64–74, 104–11.
  • RESEARCH WORKSHEETS due, Oct. 9.

Oct. 12 (M)–16 (F).       Mahayana Buddhist art in Northeast Asia: sculpture and architecture in Korea; temples in Nara prefecture, Japan (Horyuji, Yakushiji, Todaiji, Toshodaiji, and Muroji). [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 101–21.
  • FIRST TEST due, Oct. 16.

Oct. 19 (M)–23 (F).       Later Mahayana Buddhist art: in North India and Bangladesh; Angkor temple complexes in Cambodia; bodhisattvas, arhats, and kings of hell in Chinese and Korean art. [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 127–41, 172–78, 189–99, 205–7.

Oct. 26 (M).       Writing workshop—via Zoom.

  • ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY due, Oct. 26.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESOTERIC BUDDHISM.

Oct. 28 (W).       Introduction to Esoteric Buddhism—via Zoom.

  • Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 213–30.

Oct. 30 (F)–Nov. 4 (W).       Esoteric art and architecture: Toji in Kyoto, Japan; early Nepalese Buddhist art and architecture; Borobudur in Indonesia. [Group A meets in-person on Friday; Group B meets in-person on Monday; remote students meet via Zoom on Wednesday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 121–25, 147–51, 178–87.
  • “Kukai 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.

Nov. 6 (F)–Nov. 11 (W).       Sino-Tibetan art and architecture: Alchi Monastery in Ladakh; arts of Sino-Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, Tibet, and China; Dalai Lamas and the arts in Tibet. [Group A meets in-person on Friday; Group B meets in-person on Monday; remote students meet via Zoom on Wednesday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 154–61, 231–61, 287–89.
  • RESEARCH PAPER DRAFT due, Nov. 9.

PURE LAND AND CHAN/ZEN BUDDHISM.

Nov. 13 (F). Introduction to Pure Land and Chan/Zen Buddhism—via Zoom.

  • Lopez, The Story of Buddhism, 230–53.

Nov. 16 (M)–Nov. 20 (F). Pure Land Buddhism in Japan: the Phoenix Hall in Kyoto; Japanese paintings of hells, hungry ghosts, and death and decay; images of Pure Land teachers. [Group A meets in-person on Monday; Group B meets in-person on Wednesday; remote students meet via Zoom on Friday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 208–10, 215–21.
  • 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: 217–22.

Nov. 23 (M). Chan masters and Chinese art in the Song through Qing dynasties—via Zoom.

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 199–203, 277–86.
  • RESEARCH PAPER due, Nov. 23.

[Nov. 25–29, Thanksgiving Recess]

Nov. 30 (M)–Dec. 2 (W). Zen masters and Japanese paintings and gardens in the Muromachi through Edo periods. [All meet via Zoom on both Monday and Wednesday.]

  • Leidy, The Art of Buddhism, 225–29, 277–79, 295–303.

Dec. 9 (W). 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.

 

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. Asian 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 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 being a passive observer of in-class or Zoom discussions; check-minus (65) for not paying attention or being disruptive or disrespectful in in-class or Zoom discussions; zero (0) for lack of participation in any modality.

2.         Research project (30%), with final paper due Monday, Nov. 23 and related assignments due earlier in the semester. In this project you will focus on a single Buddhist work of art or building. More details to follow.

3.         First test (20%), due Friday, Oct. 16. This take-home test covers material from Wednesday, Aug. 26 through Wednesday, Oct. 7.

4.         Second test (20%), due Wednesday, Dec. 9, 4:30pm. This take-home test covers material from Friday, Oct. 9 through Wednesday, Dec. 2.

 

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 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) 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’ 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. 11, 26–29, I define cheating as giving or receiving assistance on any assignment for this course, including all paper assignments 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 participation 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 12 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.

For Fall 2020, the Teaching Fellows, Writing Fellows, and Study Mentors will be available via both Zoom and, when possible, in-person meetings. If students choose an in-person meeting, it will be held in a classroom where social distancing can be practiced. All students will be required to wear masks throughout the meeting. All appointments can be booked through StudyHub on the CTL website (https://campus.hws.edu/StudyHub/Appointments/).

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 project will be extremely helpful to you, and I suggest that you make an appointment via StudyHub on the CTL website by Friday, Oct. 30 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 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/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 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.

 

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 is designed for 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.