ARTH/ASN 103. Introduction to Asian Art. Spring 2015.
Professor Lara Blanchard
tel: x3893
Art & Architecture Department, 208 Houghton House

Lectures: MWF 10:10-11:05am, 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 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 Goal 6 partially (an intellectually grounded foundation for the understanding of differences and inequalities of gender, race, and class) and Goal 7 substantially (knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures).

 

Learning objectives:
One objective is for students to gain practical skills useful in any study of art history, including how to analyze works of art or architectural sites 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 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.

 

Books:

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

 

Weekly schedule:

INTRODUCTION.


Jan. 21 (W).     Overview of the course.

Jan. 23 (F).      Analyzing two-dimensional art.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, xviii-xx.
  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, chaps. 3-4.

Jan. 26 (M).     Analyzing three-dimensional art.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, xx-xxi.

Jan. 28 (W).     Analyzing architecture.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, xxi-xxii.

Jan. 30 (F).      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, chaps. 1-2, 12.

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

Feb. 2 (M).       The development of Indian Buddhist architecture and early Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.

Feb. 4 (W).      Early Buddhist and Jain temple art in India.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 14-22.

Feb. 6 (F).        Ancestor worship and Zhou dynasty elite arts in China.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 127-38.

Feb. 9 (M).       The tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 138-39.

Feb. 11 (W).    Proto-Daoist and Confucian art in Han-dynasty China.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 140-45.

Feb. 13 (F).      Early artifacts and tombs in Korea and Japan.

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

Feb. 16 (M).     Shinto shrines in Japan.

Feb. 18 (W).    Early Hindu art and architecture in India.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 25-34.

Feb. 20 (F).      Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu temples in medieval India.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 34-44.
  • QUIZ this week.

ART AND THE CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF ASIAN CULTURES.

Feb. 23 (M).The spread of Hindu and Buddhist art and architecture to Southeast Asia.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 110-20.

Feb. 25 (W).The entry of Buddhism into China and Korea.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 150-55, 165-67, 248-49.

Feb. 27 (F).      The entry of Buddhism into Japan.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 288-97.

Mar. 2 (M).      The entry of Islam into South and Southeast Asia.

Mar. 4 (W).      East Asian decorative arts from the 8th through 13th centuries.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 167-69, 177-78, 251-55, 300.

Mar. 6 (F).       Review.

  • Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, chap. 15.

Mar. 9 (M).      FIRST TEST.

ARTISTIC PRACTICE AND PATRONAGE.

Mar. 11 (W).    Chinese arts and criticism from the Six Dynasties through the Tang dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 147-50, 155-57, 160-63.

Mar. 13 (F).     Imperial patronage in China’s Tang dynasty, Korea’s Unified Silla period, and Japan’s Nara period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 157-60, 163-65, 249-51, 299-300.

[Mar. 14-22, Spring Recess]

Mar. 23 (M).    Buddhist art and architecture in Japan’s Nara and Heian periods.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 300-14, 321-22.

Mar. 25 (W).    Arts of Japan’s Heian court.

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

Mar. 27 (F).     Film: The Genji Scrolls Reborn.

Mar. 29 (Sun.). Field trip to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Optional.

Mar. 30 (M).    Art, politics, and religion in China’s Song dynasty.

Apr. 1 (W).      Mongol rule and the arts in China’s Yuan dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 185-93.

Apr. 3 (F).        Art and political upheaval in Japan’s Kamakura period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 325-34.

Apr. 6 (M).      Zen Buddhism in Japan’s Muromachi period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 334-43.

Apr. 8 (W).      Art, architecture, and social context in Japan’s Momoyama period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 343-53.

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.

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

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 195-202, 256-60, 355-57, 364-68.
  • QUIZ this week.

Apr. 17 (F).      Professional and literati painting of China’s Ming dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 202-13.

Apr. 20 (M).    Painting in China’s Qing dynasty and Korea’s Joseon dynasty.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 2013-19, 261-66.

Apr. 22 (W).    Painting and textiles in Japan’s Edo period.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 357-64, 368-72.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES AND MOVEMENTS IN THE MODERN PERIOD.

Apr. 24 (F).      Interactions of European and Indian culture in art and architecture.

  • Neave et al., Asian Art, 81-91.

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.), 1:30pm.  SECOND TEST.

 

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.         Quizzes (5%). Quizzes will be administered online, on Canvas. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

3.         In-class writing (15%). Occasionally I will be asking you to write short, impromptu essays on something being discussed in class or one or two works of art or architecture.

4.        Looking paper (15%), due Monday, Mar. 2. 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.

5.        Comparative paper (20%), due Monday, Apr. 27. In this longer paper (900-1500 words) you will compare two Asian objects to each other. More details to follow.

6.        First test (15%), Monday, Mar. 9. The first test, covering material through Mar. 6, will last for 50 minutes and will consist of slide identifications and short, timed essays.

7.        Second test (15%), Saturday, May 9, 1:30pm. The second test, covering material from Mar. 11 through May 4, will last for 50 minutes and will consist of slide identifications and short, timed essays.

 

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. (See A note about cheating and plagiarism below.) Make sure that you follow one of the documentation styles explained in A Short Guide to Writing about Art (Chicago Manual of Style or Art Bulletin Style).
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, quizzes, and papers receive numerical grades. In-class writing 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:

 

 

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 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/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 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