TAD3103

Classical tradition and contemporary critique 3A

6 points - One 2-hour lecture, one 1-hour tutorial and 9 independent study hours per week - First semester- Caulfield, - Prerequisites: Two second-year level TAD subjects - Prohibitions: TAD2103, TAD2113, TAD3113 - Elective

Objectives On successful completion of this subject, students should recognise the key formal and conceptual characteristics of classical Renaissance and baroque art and design; possess analytical, communication skills necessary for discussing content and meaning, and the place and function of works within specific artistic, historical and social contexts; understand that meaning is not necessarily fixed, but remains open to a range of readings and re-interpretations; be prepared to formulate critical attitudes to concepts such as humanism, for example, from a Marxist or post-structural point of view; be able to discuss critically how contemporary artists have responded to the classical tradition and speculate about its pertinence in postmodern culture.

Synopsis This subject examines the classical tradition in western art, providing a survey of style and achievement from GraecoRoman art to neo-classicism. Areas covered include the humanist revival of classicism in Renaissance art and architecture, the baroque classicism of the Bolognese School, Poussin and seventeenth-century classicism, and the eighteenth-century cult of the antique. The course also introduces students to the new classicism in the art and architecture of the 1970s to 1990s.

Assessment Tutorial paper: 20% - Essay: 30% - Two-hour examination: 50%

Recommended texts

Barnett S A short guide to writing about art 4th edn, Harper Collins, 1993
Greenhalgh M The classical tradition in art Duckworth, 1978
Levey M Early Renaissance Penguin, 1987
Murray L The High Renaissance and mannerism Thames and Hudson, 1981
Summerson J The classical language of architecture rev edn, Thames and Hudson, 1980

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