Painted Humanism and Secret Renaissance: War and Peace in Italy
ITAL 233
Fall 2008
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ARHA 226, MDST 230 |
It is a well-known fact that the recuperation of classical models was fundamental for the early modern cultural movements that we identify by the terms "humanism" and "Renaissance." Students today are perhaps less aware that politics rivaled aesthetics as a central concern of this age. Conspiracies, war, and other forms of violence--their causes, manifestations, and consequences--are as crucial as any reflection on notions of the classical for understanding the culture and cultural phenomena of Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries. In this course we will focus on the conversation that emerges along these lines, between aesthetics and politics, in the literature and visual arts of the period. We will give special attention to the relationship between covert and overt modes of communication by analyzing how secret language unfolds in opposition to the obvious public forms of address. Our inquiry will involve a wide variety of genres and styles: private epistles and public orations; dialogues, diaries, dramas; epic and lyric poems; treatises and novellas; coded diplomatic letters; and historiographic and autobiographic recollections. We will study as well pertinent works of art by the prominent painters, sculptors, and architects of Renaissance Italy. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Intercultural Literacy, Speaking
Int Lit: To be enhanced focusing specifically on a rich and remote historical context (Renaissance Italy).
Speaking: in daily class discussion students will evaluate different media, including literary and historiographical texts as well as visual artworks.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ITST)(RMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Works by Petrarca, Piccolomini, Alberti, Cornazzano, Masuccio, Pulci, Poliziano, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Aretino, Ariosto, and Tasso.
Discussion will treat works by the following artists as well: Pinturicchio, Pollaiolo, Mantegna, Laurana, Francesco di Giorgio, Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raffaello, Giulio Romano, Rosso Fiorentino.
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Examinations and Assignments:
One short paper (3-5 pages); one midterm quiz; one oral in-class presentation; one final paper (10-15 pages). |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course is an advanced seminar, conducted in Italian. All reading, writing, assignments, discussion, and in-class presentations are to be done in Italian. |
| Instructor(s): Simonetta,Marcello Times: .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: FISK305; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: 5 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 4 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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