The student is expected to acquire a thorough grasp of the content of the class and its theoretical implications. More specifically, to obtain a thorough understanding of the modern era and/ through its works as presented; to develop a substantial viewpoint of architecture in its now more complex role, i.e., as both theory and practice thus constituting the basis of the contemporary architectural profession.
A second, equally important objective of the course, is to acquaint the student with both the tools and the ethics of historical research; that is, how to use the historical sources properly, how to search for literature (primary and secondary), how to develop a historical-theoretical question and pursue it through research.
The course undertakes a critical introduction to the so-called ‘modern era’ in the Western world as based on an old and dormant cultural model for over a millennium, i.e., the classical (Rome, Greece). This era is commonly thought to be covering three sub-periods: the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Enlightenment. The course gives prominence to the first two, that is, the Renaissance and the Baroque, both considered the ‘gate’ to the Enlightenment. The latter is the subject of a special class which is offered at a later stage of the school curriculum under the heading “Space and Culture”.
Of the three sub-periods, the Renaissance occupies the largest part of the course not only because of its significant time-length (15th-16th centuries), but mainly because it is the one that bridges two largely diverse worldviews, the Christian and the modern, and therefore, it addresses the change of orientation of the western world as a whole. The latter affected most particularly the fields of architecture and the arts. It is the effects on these fields that the course particularly addresses in close interconnection with the socio-cultural context of the period, in general.
The core subject of the course can be expressed in the form of the following questions:
- What are the new avenues of thought that the modern era opens for architecture and the arts?
- How does this era take into account the classical world (i.e., the Greco-Roman antiquity)?
- How does architecture interact with the arts, for example, how does architecture become a subject for the arts and viceversa?
- Which conceptual tools develop in this era (either as revivals of older ones or not) serving as design tools for architecture and the arts?
- What is the role of the human body as both object and subject of the new architecture and the arts?
The course encompasses the following subjects (or periods):
- The transition from the Italian Middle Ages to the Renaissance
- The Age of the Renaissance in Italy (Early, High, Late/Mannerism)
- The expansion of the Renaissance in France
- The Age of the Baroque in Italy
- The Baroque in France & England
- The Rise of the Enlightenment in France and England
MEETINGS WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
May be scheduled online through one of the common digital platforms (Ms-Teams, Skype).
Contact tel. no.: 210-6547659 / 6972011756 / e-mail: idfatsea@uth.gr
COURSE PROCEDURES AND EXAMINATION / EVALUATION
The course sets priority to the close collaboration of the instructor with the students. It consists of a sequence of thematic weekly lectures / presentations, undertaken either by the instructor in full or by the instructor and the students, as based on their special research project.
The student's obligations/responsibilities for the course include:
1) The regular attendance of the class.
2) The development of a written research paper on a topic of the student’s choice, the subject of which is set in cooperation with the instructor, who offers general guidance throughout its development (70% of the grade).
3) The participation in a short writing examination on a series of critical questions pertaining to the content of the class and the instructor’s lectures (with open books) (30% of the grade). Obtaining the basis of at least 4.5 is required.
Note: Erasmus students are released from requirement (3), i.e., the written exam, in which case their written project counts as 100% of the grade. A class presentation is optional.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER
(a) The student’s paper topic is based on his/her personal choice but the special focus and the research approach is formulated in close cooperation with the instructor. The subject of the paper should be decided on during (and not after) the first four weeks of the course.
(b) The student should stay in touch with the instructor through the entire semester and arrange progress report meetings with her (1 or 2 at least).
(c) The student should be prepared to present his/her project at an intermediate state of its development on a given date during the final 2 or 3 weeks of the semester.
(c) The final submission of the project should be in the form of a research paper (A4 page size), of modest size (i.e., 2,500-3,000 words, or 8-10 page long) with adequate margins (5 cm at least on all four sides), and fully illustrated with images and drawings/ diagrams. The project should follow the specifications of a standard academic paper, i.e., use of scholarly and widely recognized sources (not random / anonymous pages from the Internet), it should be properly footnoted, as well as clearly formatted in paragraphs and distinct parts/ chapters (Introduction – Main Part – Epilogue / Conclusions). All the images should be accompanied by captions, numbering, and source (where available).
Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 11th edition, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publ., San Diego, etc., 2000.
Trachtenberg, M. & Hyman, I., Architecture from Pre-History to Postmodernism, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1986 (ήμεταγενέστερο)
Watkin, D., A History of Western Architecture, Barrie & Jenkins, London, etc., 2000.
Stokstad, Marilyn, Art History (in 2 volumes), Prentice Hall, Inc., and Harry N. Abrams, Publishers, New York, 1995
Janson, H. W., History of Art, 3rd edition, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1986.
Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture, Dan Cruickshank (ed.), 20th edition, Architectural Press, Oxford, Boston, etc., 1996 (orig. 1896)
Kostof, Spiro, A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals, Oxford, New York, 1985 (ήμεταγενέστερο).
A. Richard Turner, Renaissance Florence; the invention of a new art, New York : Harry N Abrams ; London : Laurence King, c1997
FURTHER BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harris, Cyril, Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture, Dover Publ., Inc., New York, 1984.
Grove's Dictionary of Art (34 τόμοι), New York, 1996 [πολύ βασικό εγκυκλοπαιδικό και βιβλιογραφικό βοήθημα]
Roth, Leland M., Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning, Icon Edit., 1993.
Fleming, J., Honour, H., Pevsner, N. The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture (3rd edition), Penguin Books, London, England /New York, N.Y., 1980.
Stevens,Curl James,A Dictionary of Architecture, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, 1999.