69512 - Principles of Asian Art (1)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the student with a basic knowledge of the main topics and problems concerning the artistic traditions of South Asia and East Asia. By its conclusion, the student will be able to discuss the subjects both in writing and orally employing the appropriate terminology and displaying a critical appreciation of the bibliographical material.The student will be able to place the artworks in the cultural context of their provenance.

Course contents

Foundations of Indian Art

The aim of the course is to provide a basic grounding in the artistic traditions of ancient India up to the medieval period. The student will learn to identify and analyse artworks representative of the chief religions of the subcontinent (Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism), taking due account of the historical, social and cultural context in which they were created, and to distinguish their formal, stylistic and iconographic features.

The course will include an introductory lecture on the methods and approach of the discipline, while the final lecture will summarize the main themes and problems discussed during the course and prepare students for the final examination. The syllabus will be provided at the first lecture and will be included among the material available on the 'Virtuale' platform.

From Monday 18th march 2024.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending:

• J.C. Harle, The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, pp. 15-188 (chapters 1-13); pp. 245-310 (chapters 17-21). Download here [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.118068] .
• D. Patry Leidy, The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning, Boston–London, Shambala, 2009, pp. 9-79.

Bibliography for students NOT attending:

• J.C. Harle, The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, pp. 15-188 (chapters 1-13); pp. 245-310 (chapters 17-21). Download here [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.118068] .
• D. Patry Leidy, The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning, Boston–London, Shambala, 2009, pp. 9-79.
• P. Mitter, Indian Art, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 7-69.

 

 

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson: presentation, reading and analysis of selected works

Assessment methods

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The student will be asked to provide a commentary on images selected from among those found in the course texts and will be judged on his ability to summarise and critically discuss topics raised in the course, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

The assessment will thus consider the student's:
- competence in commenting on the images, i.e. in identifying, dating and contextualizing the works illustrated;
- knowledge and understanding of the topics covered;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an ability to provide a full description of the images and an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

There are 6 exam sessions per year, in principle distributed as follows:
- 2 between September and November
- 2 between January and March
- 2 between May and early July

Teaching tools

Power point presentations available on the 'Virtuale' platform.

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Celli