81723 - History of Indian Art (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student will have acquired a thorough knowledge of the main art-historical topics regarding South Asia. He will be able to discuss them effectively orally and/or in writing, using the appropriate terminology and with suitable bibliographic references. He will be in possession of the skills required to place artworks from the area in question in their proper context.

Course contents

Monumental Indian sculpture (300 BC–1200 AD)

The course will discuss monumental Indian sculpture from the early Maurya-period to developments in medieval regional art. The lectures will provide students with a detailed understanding of the distinctive features of ancient Indian (mainly Buddhist and Hindu) statuary and its regional variants, concentrating on the analysis of the works in relation to their architectural context and the aesthetic considerations that informed them. A number of topics that are central to ongoing debates in Indian art history will also be addressed.

Course timetable:

From MONDAY 25th September 2017

MONDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

TUESDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

THURSDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

Readings/Bibliography

- S. Huntington, The Art of Ancient India, New York–Tokyo, Weatherhill, 1985, pp. 41-183; pp. 187-219; pp. 239-260; pp. 265-319; pp. 322-337; pp. 341-350.

- P. Mitter, Indian Art, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 13-82.

- P.P. Dhar (a cura di), Indian Art History. Changing Perspectives, New Delhi, D.K.Printworld, 2011, pp. 1-32 (scaricabile online: https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/indian-art-history.pdf)

The PDF course tools made available to students are required reading for the exam. They will be put online at the beginning of each week (every three lessons).

All the books above are found in the library of the Dept. of History and Civilization, Via Zamboni, 33.

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.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Celli