DEPARTMENT OF ART

ART HISTORY & ART CONSERVATION

Fall Term 2014

ARTH 212
Medieval Art

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Matthew M Reeve

TIME: Wed 230-530
LOCATION: Dunning 14
OFFICE HOURS: To be announced in class
TA: Ashley Paolozzi 14ap11@queensu.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Beginning with the advent of Christianity under Constantine and the development of a
Christian tradition in art and architecture, this course explores in a chronological fashion the
arts of Europe and the Middle East from the Byzantine and Islamic worlds through to the
Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic periods. Working on art in all media, including painting,
textiles, architecture, metalwork, manuscript painting, etc, this course places major works of
art in their historical and social contexts. This course should be considered an important
preparation for all subsequent periods in Western art history through to modernity.
 

 
 

 
ARTH  212  Syllabus:  Medieval  Art  
Text  

H.  Luttikhuizen  and  D.  Verkerk  (eds),  Snyder’s  Medieval  Art,  2nd.  ed.  Prentice  Hall  
2006  (hereafter  listed  as  ‘Snyder’).  This  text  is  available  at  the  University  Bookstore.    
 

Syllabus  
Sept  10,  What  is  Medieval  Art,  when  did  it  begin,  and  what  else  do  we  need  to  
know?  
Readings:  Snyder  462-­‐72  (useful  as  an  introduction  to  “medieval”),  and  3-­‐16.  

Sept  17,  The  Emperor  Constantine,  Christianity  and  the  Arts  

Readings:  Snyder  17-­‐52  

Sept  24,  Byzantine  Art,  Byzantine  Empire  
Readings:  Snyder  55-­‐90    
October  1,  Byzantine  art  and  iconoclasm  

Readings:  Snyder  91-­‐132  

Oct  08,  Wrap  up  of  material  so  far  and  discussion  of  essay  critique  in  first  half  
*In  class  test  1  25%  in  second  half    

Oct  15,  Art  and  Conversion  

Readings:  Snyder  135-­‐63  
Oct  22,  *ESSAY  CRITIQUE  DUE  (at  beginning  of  class)    
The  Carolingians  and  the  New  Empire    

Readings:  Snyder  164-­‐192  

Oct  29,  Diffusion,  Diversity  and  the  Arts  of  the  Islamic  World  before  and  after  
the  Crusades  
Readings:  Snyder  193-­‐250    
Nov  5,  Romanesque  art:  Pilgrimage,  Monasticism,  and  Empire  
Readings:  Snyder  252-­‐320  

Nov  12,  French  Gothic  Art  

*2nd  in  class  test  25%  during  1st  half  of  class  
Readings,  Snyder  323-­‐84  

Nov  19,  Gothic  Art  in  England,  Spain  and  Germany    

Readings:  Snyder  385-­‐414,  440-­‐61  
Nov  26,  Italian  Gothic  Art  and  the  problem  of  a  “Renaissance”    
*3rd  in  class  test  20%  (2nd  half  of  class)  

Readings,  Snyder  415-­‐39  

Assessment  
Essay  Critique                     30%  

If  your  last  name  begins  with  A-­‐N  read  and  analyze:  

B.  Brenk,  “Spolia  from  Constantine  to  Charlemagne:  aesthetics  versus  ideology”,  
Dumbarton  Oaks  Papers,  Vol.  41,  Studies  on  Art  and  Archeology  in  Honor  of  Ernst  
Kitzinger  on  His  Seventy-­‐Fifth  Birthday  (1987),  pp.  103-­‐109.  
If  your  last  name  begins  with  O-­‐Z  read  and  analyze:  

C.  Barber,  “From  Transformation  to  Desire:  Art  and  Worship  after  Byzantine  
Iconoclasm”,  The  Art  Bulletin,  Vol.  75,  No.  1  (Mar.,  1993),  pp.  7-­‐16.  

BOTH  are  available  over  the  Queen’s  network  at  www.jstor.org  (to  save  paper  
please  read  them  online  or  download  them  as  PDFs  rather  than  printing  them  out).    
Read  it  closely  (and  then  reread  it)  and  attempt  to  discern  what  the  major  ideas/  
problems  are  that  the  author  is  confronting.  Remember  that  all  good  writing  is  
rhetorical:  what  is  the  author  trying  to  convince  you  of?  Do  you  agree  or  disagree?  
Why  or  why  not?    

Your  response  should  be  4  pages  double-­‐spaced,  maximum.  Aim  to  spend  30-­‐40%  of  
the  paper  providing  a  detailed  discussion  of  what  the  author  says  (i.e.  the  facts)  and  
then  the  other  half  should  be  an  analysis  of  why  this  is  important,  how  it  helps  
understand  the  period  better,  and  what  you  specifically  found  interesting  about  it.    

The  object  of  this  assignment  is  to  a)  introduce  you  to  JSTOR  as  an  internet  resource  
and  b)  to  give  a  short  but  challenging  reading,  which  will  give  you  some  idea  of  the  
issues  relevant  in  some  recent  scholarship  on  Early  Medieval  and  Byzantine  art.  
Both  texts  are  complex,  so  they  will  require  careful  reading  and  discussion  with  
your  colleagues  and  classmates.  Remember  that  we  will  be  reading  all  assignments  
closely  and  any  plagiarism  or  duplication  will  be  caught  and  assignments  will  be  
given  a  0.    
3  in  class  tests  25%,  25%,  20%=               70%  
Each  test  will  comprise  10  slide  IDs  and  a  single  short  essay  chosen  from  a  list  of  
possible  questions.  If  you  keep  up  with  your  work  and  readings,  you  will  do  just  
fine!  There  will  be  no  trick  questions!  
 
For  the  Departmental  grading  policy,  a  statement  on  academic  integrity,  a  
statement  on  academic  copyright,  and  special  accommodations,  please  see  the  
Department  of  Art  website  at  
http://www.queensu.ca/art/arthistory/ba.html