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Description:
The Early Renaissance - also known as the Quattrocento - usually denotes the period from circa 1400 to circa 1500. In Italy those one hundred years (particularly in Florence) witnessed an extraordinary coming together of artistic talent, a passionate interest in the art and culture of Greek and Roman antiquity, a fierce sense of civic pride and an optimistic belief in the classical concept of "Man as the measure of all things". This course examines the principal artists - sculptors, painters and architects - who contributed to this cultural revolution. In order to take full advantage of the special experience of studying the Renaissance in the very city of its birth, the stress is mainly, although not exclusively, on Florentine artists who include: the sculptors Donatello and Verrocchio, the painters Masaccio, Fra Filippo Lippi and Botticelli, the architects Brunelleschi and Alberti. Visits to museums, galleries and key Renaissance monuments are an integral part of this course. These visits are timed to coincide with the material covered in the lectures so that, for example, an introductory lecture on the sculptor and architect Arnolfo is followed by visits to Florence Cathedral and the museum of the Opera del Duomo where the student will have the first hand experience of seeing some of the main works by this artist. These Renaissance artists are never examined in isolation but continual reference is made to the social and political conditions of the time, to patronage - the dominance of the Medici family as arbiters of artistic taste receives particular attention here-, to the artists' personalities, to their training and the materials they used. Broader issues such as Humanism, the philosophical school of Neoplatonism and Penitential religious movements - for example that led by the charismatic monk Savonarola - are also examined in relation to their impact on the visual arts.

Objective: This art history course is intended to provide students - whether they are majors in art history, non-majors or those who have never previously taken an art history course - with a detailed introduction to Italian - specifically Florentine - Renaissance art of the fifteenth century. The approach is to focus on a select group of major artists rather than proposing a more generalised overview of a large number of artists. This means that by the conclusion of the course the student will be able to recognize and discuss the style of the work of 10 key Renaissance artists and will have a more general familiarity with the work of 8 others. The student will be able to relate the individual works to patronage conditions and to pertinent social, religious and philosophical movements. On site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed at providing the student with the incomparable experience of studying important works of art and architecture at first hand. Freed from the purely academic constraints of the lecture room it is hoped that the student will learn the skill of how to look truly at a work of art. The expression of subjective and personal responses by individual students to the works of art is never undervalued - indeed is greatly encouraged. Through studying the Renaissance period in situ the student will also become uniquely aware of the day-to-day problems of conservation and restoration allied to the astoundingly rich cultural heritage of Florence.

Requirements:
There are no prerequisites for this course. While a background of 'Introduction to Art History' would be useful it is by no means essential. The instructor never assumes knowledge therefore, for example, when a work of art of religious subject matter is discussed the Christian story it relates will always be explained. The course will be taught in English. Much of the course is given over to museum visits and other on site teaching involving much walking and, often, steep stairs. Because of the antiquity of many of the buildings visited elevators are a rare commodity. This course is therefore only suitable for those who have a fair degree of physical mobility.

Method:
The teaching is divided equally between lectures with slides and on site teaching (that is: guided visits to museums, galleries, churches and other monuments). For every lecture a handout is provided. Each work is dated and its location indicated. The handout also contains notes relating to historical events, foreign terms, art historical or unusual terminology, useful quotations and so on.

Attendance and participation:
- Every absence will lower the attendance grade. - After the third absence the student may receive an automatic failure.

Tests:
Midcourse exam: Slide test: 20 slides - 20 points Final exam: Slide test: 20 slides - 20 points Questionnaire: 3 questions - 15 points Paper (5 pages): 35 points There will be other short tests during the course. These are meant to help students to understand what is expected of them in the midterm and final exams. Although the results of these short tests will not be counted as points towards the final grade, they may be important for decision making whenever a student is between grades.

Grading system:
Attendance and class participation 10% Midcourse exam 20% Final exam 35% Paper 35% Attendance is mandatory. Students who miss three or more of the scheduled classes during this course may receive an automatic failure. All forms of Academic Dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism) are at odds with the mission of FUA and the educational experience and are amongst the graves offences a student can commit.

Bibliography:
Textbook: Laurie Schneider Adams, Italian Renaissance Art See assigned readings from textbook in course schedule. Students are invited to read the parts not assigned as part of the course. Later in the course students will receive photocopies with selected readings. Further readings: . C.Avery, Florentine Renaissance Sculpture, John Murray, chaps.1-7; . K.Clark, The Nude, Penguin; (Not exclusively concerned with the Renaissance but very useful for an important Renaissance theme) . J.Hall, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, Harper & Row; (Essential for those unfamiliar with religious subject matter - Old and New Testament - which constitutes most of the subject matter of early Renaissance art. Also useful for mythological subject matter) . F.Hartt, A History of Italian Renaissance Art, Prentice Hall & Abrams, part 2; . F.W. Kent, Lorenzo de' Medici & the Art of Magnificence, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2004; . Lauro Martines, April Blood, Jonathan Cape, London 2003; . P.Murray, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, Thames & Hudson, chaps.2-4; . R.Olson, Italian Renaissance Sculpture, chaps. 1-6; . J.T.Paoletti & G.H.Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy, Laurence King; . Giorgio Vasari, The Lives of the Artists, Penguin, vol.1; . E.Welch, Art and Society in Italy 1350-1500, Oxford University Press; . Brian Tovey with Andrea Gáldy and Hilary Hunt (eds.), The Pouncey Index of Baldinucci's Notizie, Centro Di, Florence 2005;

Additional Fees:
Textbook, lab fee.

Visits:
Please note that all State Museums are free for those who have the 'Friends of the Uffizi' pass. However, when a reservation has been made to a State Museum, a reservation fee of 3 Euros will have to be paid.

Important Guidelines for Visits:
. Make sure you know the exact meeting point each week and how to get there; be aware that there might be changes in the visit schedule. . Please dress decently at all times. If we are visiting a church remember to dress appropriately (no short pants, no sleeveless tops/dresses for women, men should uncover their heads when entering a church). . Dress comfortably, especially with regard to footwear - there is a lot of walking and standing for long periods. Do not burden yourselves with heavy bags - there is not always a place to check them in. No food or drink (not even a small water bottle) allowed inside museums and churches. . Please do not be late at the meeting point, as the class cannot wait for you to start a visit. This is especially so when we have reservations for State Museums. . If you miss a visit you must go independently and as soon as possible to the museum in question with the appropriate explanatory handout. Also please inform yourselves of any instructions for the following week. . A late show will be treated as an absence; this applies to both lectures and guided visits. MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR MAP AND KNOW WHERE TO GO.