Species of Spaces: An Art History

Description

While this course aims to introduce students to the history of Western art, its primary goal is to invite them to engage with encountered objects to enrich their reflection and the development of their own work. How can one view a work from the past in the present? How, upon entering the School, can one understand that in this so-called theoretical study lie the tools and materials of practice? Beyond learning what once was, we will seek ways in which art from the past can nourish today's creation. Space will be the common thread throughout our journey. Progressing from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, we will seek to understand how each period was characterized by a particular way of instituting, representing, and apprehending space. We will also pay attention to loops and returns that disrupt the idea of a linear and progressive history of art. Each time, we will build bridges between past creation and today's artistic production. Indicative outline: – Romanesque art: order, mass, and the law of the frame – Gothic art: elevation, openings, colors – Italian Renaissance: the world in perspective – Flemish Renaissance: the world in detail – Mannerist anxieties – Baroque expansions – Line and shadows: the neoclassical moment – The blurred worlds of Romanticism. Lecture course. A written document certifying attendance and appropriation of sessions will be requested.