French medieval art
Proposed to be offered next in 1997
J Gregory
8 points * 3 hours per week * First semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: Two visual arts subjects at first-year level
The subject has as its focus the development of art and architecture in France during the period c.1000-1300. Following a brief introduction on the earlier medieval period, discussion will be centred on major Romanesque monuments such as the Burgundian monasteries at Cluny and Vézelay, and the sculptural decoration of Moissac in the south. The birth and growth of the gothic style in the Paris region will be studied through close attention to St Denis and Chartres. Finally the later evolution of Gothic will be considered, including some reference to the dissemination of the style in other regions such as England and Flanders. Issues to be given special emphasis during the subject will include the relevance of socio-political patterns during the period (eg `feudalism,' the Crusades, the rise of the Capetian monarchy), and critical assessment of arguments concerning connections between art and thought (eg Gothic architecture and scholasticism).
Assessment
Seminar paper (1500 words): 25% * Essay (3000 words): 50% * Visual test (1.5 hours): 25%
Preliminary reading
Keen M The Pelican history of medieval Europe Penguin, 1969
Prescribed texts
Eco U Art and beauty in the Middle Ages Yale UP, 1986
Mâle E The gothic image Harper and Row, 1972
Stoddard W Art and architecture in medieval France Harper and Row, 1972
Recommended texts
James J The traveller's key to medieval France Knopf, 1986
Ross J and McLaughlin M The portable medieval reader Viking or Penguin, 1977