Ateneo - UPO

CONTEMPORARY ART IN ITALY AND IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION FROM 1870 TO 1945

Giulio Carlo Argan, L’arte moderna 1770-1970, Florence 1970 or later editions, chapters from Impressionism to the Second World War; to be integrated, if possible, with Anty Pansera and Maurizio Vitta, Guida all'arte contemporanea, Casale Monferrato 1986. For further consultation, the monographs on XIX- and XX-century artists from the Rizzoli Classici dell’arte series, Milan 1966-1981. More literature will be given during the lessons. An additional text to read will be suggested to non-attending students.

Educational objective A: Knowledge
• Knowledge and understanding: at a basic level, a general knowledge of the main artists, styles and art movements between the last third of the nineteenth century and the central decades of the twentieth century. At an advanced level, a good knowledge also of the work and personalities of non-prominent artists, as well as of the fundamental relationships between the visual arts and contemporary culture, considering the motivations which lay behind artistic creation.
Educational objective B: Skills
• 1. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: at a basic level, to place single works of art in time, placing place them in the context of an artistic and cultural movement;
• 2. Autonomy of judgement: at an advanced level, to evaluate the role and importance, within European culture between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, of a single work of art, of the general production of a given artist and of an artistic movement as a whole, independently making connections with their geographical and cultural contexts;
• 3. Learning skills: at a transversal level, to elaborate critically the notions and essential concepts learnt, in order to cope with in-depth study of any further personalities and artistic movements characterising the late-nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century.
Educational objective C: Communication
• Communication skills: at a basic level, to describe the personality of a given artist in general and the fundamental characteristics of art works with essential properties of language; at an advanced level, to be able to explain, with clarity and full mastery of terminology, the style and the various levels of interpretation of a single work of art or of an entire movement.

A basic knowledge of world political and cultural history from 1848 to 1945.

Oral lessons and, if possible, one or more visits to museums, for instance, the Modern Art Gallery in Turin, and/or temporary exhibitions. Some time will be devoted to innovative teaching methods, including search of visual, documentary and literary materials on the internet and an introduction to the use of most common databases.

Those with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities. Once they have contacted the University Staff, persons with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.
Those who cannot attend are invited to contact the teacher at least one month before the exam to agree on the texts of study and to receive any material electronically. In case of failure to register for exams electronically, will be eligible to take the test ONLY those who have, at least three days in advance, contacted the teacher personally or sent a message to his email address. No exceptions will be allowed.

Oral exam, c. 20/30’ long, consisting of four questions, at least one of which will be a general one on the course contents and at least two will concern the analysis and commentary of single works of art, through the observation of digital images on the computer or transmitted via whatsapp on the mobile phone. For the purposes of the learning objectives, the following will be assessed in particular:
Educational objective A: Knowledge
• Knowledge and understanding: to know basically the most important painters, sculptors and architects from the years of Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism, also in relation to other cultural expressions of the time and, more generally, to contemporary thought (this aspect will be awarded 40% of the overall assessment).
Educational objective B: Skills
• 1. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: to recognise and relate a work of art to a specific author and cultural context (20% of the overall assessment);
• 2. Autonomy of judgement: to analyse and evaluate critically art works of the studied period, making independent critical observations (20% of the overall assessment).
Educational objective C: Communication
• Communication skills: being able to use a clear, appropriate and correct terminology (20% of the overall assessment).
An exam demonstrating a knowledge of the programme limited to a brief exposition of the main topics, without personal critical evaluations and using essential and only partially appropriate and correct terminology, will be considered sufficient.
The exam will be judged excellent if it demonstrates an articulate, detailed and precise knowledge of the programme and the topics discussed along the course, excellent judgement and synthesis skills, a full command of terms and fluency of language.

Teaching Units:
Unit 1: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
Unit 2: The age of Symbolism.
Unit 3: Expressionism.
Unit 4: Cubism, Futurism and Abstract Art.
Unit 5: Art between the First and the Second World War.
Within the course, a lesson will be devoted to gender integration, considering the role of women artists in the frame of Twentieth-century art.

Educational objective A: Knowledge
• Knowledge and understanding: at a basic level, to know the main artists and movements of the last two centuries; at an advanced level, to navigate with ease in the relationships between the figurative arts and general contemporary culture, grasping in depth the motivations underlying artistic creation.
Educational objective B: Skills
• 1. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: at a basic level, to place individual works of art in time, placing them in the context of an artistic and cultural movement;
• 2. Autonomy of judgement: at an advanced level, to elaborate critically the learned concepts connecting them to the age in which they were expressed, in order to consider how the interpretation of works and events of the past evolved with the passing of time, thus acquiring a deeper critical awareness of European history and culture of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries.
• 3. Learning skills: at a transversal level, to acquire the critical and methodological tools needed to pursue studies on the period not only in art history, but also in any other field relating to cultural history.
Educational objective C: Communication
• Communication skills: at a basic level, to acquire a minimum mastery of art-historical terminology in relation to late-nineteenth- and twentieth-century art; at an advanced level, to apply with autonomy and ease the technical language of the discipline, modulating it appropriately according to the different movements and kinds of the artistic production of the period in question.