Instructor: Maria P. Gindhart

E-mail: gindhart@sas.upenn.edu or mgindhart@compuserve.com

Mailbox: main office of Jaffe

Office Hours: by appointment

Course Listserv: ARTH009-302-00A@lists.upenn.edu

Course Web Page: http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/spr00/009302/index00.html

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Content

This seminar will examine the tremendous role that the human body has played in art from prehistory to the present and explore issues of race, gender, and sexuality raised by images of the body. During the course of the semester, we will address such questions as:

• Why has an understanding of the body been so crucial to artists throughout history?

• In what ways have artists represented both male and female bodies?

• How has the ideal body changed over time?

• How have artists used their own bodies, or those of others, in creating their works? • Why have nude or naked images of the body been capable of creating such controversy? • What role does clothing play in our perception of the body?

Particular attention will be paid to the different responses elicited by representations of the body in sculpture, painting, and photography.

Writing

Although you will acquire a great deal of knowledge about the history of art during the semester, this seminar is principally designed as an introduction to college-level writing. A variety of formal and informal writing assignments will be central to the course. These will include critiques of articles, visual and contextual analyses of works of art, a research proposal, and a research paper. The primary aim of the course is to help you become a better writer, and, to this end, you will learn how to think about images and discuss them both in the classroom and on paper, how to assess your own writing as well as that of others, and how to incorporate constructive criticism into your work. My goal is for you to learn the writing, thinking, and research skills that you will need during the rest of your college career and beyond.

Successful completion of the course fulfills the University of Pennsylvania’s writing requirement.

Texts: Available at Penn Book Center, 130 South 34th Street (SW corner of 34th and Sansom).

• Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art

• Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference

• Tom Flynn, The Body in Three Dimensions (also on reserve in the Fisher Fine Arts Library)

• Tamar Garb, Bodies of Modernity: Figure and Flesh in Fin-de-Siècle France (also on reserve in the Fisher Fine Arts Library)

• Carol Squiers, ed., OverExposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography (also on reserve in the Fisher Fine Arts Library)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Reading

All readings must be completed prior to coming to class. Our discussions and debates will be enriched by every student’s participation with examples and questions from the texts they have prepared in advance.

Writing

In this course, you will write--and rewrite--frequently. Regardless of your initial level of ability and experience, the practice you will get in this class will allow you to strengthen your writing. During the semester, you will be engaged in different types of writing that will help you develop particular skills while exposing you to a variety of approaches to writing in general and to the conventions of writing in art history in particular.

1. Formal Assignments

You will write three formal assignments during the semester: a visual analysis of a sculpture, a contextual analysis of a painting, and a research paper. In these assignments, you will be asked to formulate your own thesis and provide evidence to support it. You will receive feedback from your peers and from me on your writing and then revise these assignments.

2. Informal Assignments/Logs

You will also write a series of informal assignments or logs over the course of the term. These are designed to help you explore various aspects of writing and art history, as well as to prompt you to think in new and critical ways. In some instances, the informal assignments are intended to serve as building blocks for the longer formal assignments.

3. In-Class Writing Exercises

You will frequently be asked to write in class. Some of these exercises will be collected, while others will simply serve to facilitate discussion or clarify points of style or grammar.
 
 

4. Portfolios

At the end of the course, you will turn in a portfolio including all versions of your formal assignments, your logs, all in-class writing exercises, your writer and reader response forms, and a self-evaluative cover letter. In other words, do not throw anything out. Your portfolio is designed to reveal your growth as a writer over the course of the semester. I suggest a three-ring binder to keep your work organized.

5. Format

All written work must be typed in a 12-point font and double-spaced on 8" x 11" paper with

one-inch margins. The pages must be numbered, and all assignments must be proofread,

spell-checked, stapled, and turned in on time. Footnotes and bibliographies must follow the format of The Chicago Manual of Style (see "Chicago Manual Style" in Sylvan Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing about Art, pp. 245-253; and "Chicago style (history and humanities)" in Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference, pp. 386-399). Papers may not be submitted electronically.

6. Policy on Late Work

I will not accept late work. This is my policy for several reasons: 1) there is a very high volume of written work in this class, and accepting late work will make me hopelessly backlogged in responding to your work; 2) likewise, turning in papers late will cause you to fall behind and make it very difficult, if not impossible, for you to catch up in this class; 3) it is never too early to learn a sense of responsibility; and finally, 4) it would be unfair to your classmates if you were allowed to turn in an assignment late when they have worked hard to get it in on time.

Peer Review

Writing seminars emphasize peer review of papers. Reading and commenting on the work of colleagues in a constructive manner is an essential part of the writing process. As a writer, peer review enables you to hear from readers other than your instructor and to see different ways of handling writing problems. To prepare for peer review, you will read papers written by your classmates and respond to them in writing prior to the in-class review meeting. During the meeting, you will discuss your suggestions with the other students and receive feedback from them on your own work. Your written comments will also be turned in to me for evaluation.

Conferences

After you have written the first version of each formal assignment, and before you complete its revision, we will hold a student-instructor conference. This will give you the opportunity to ask me questions, try out new ideas, discuss organizational strategies, and address anything else about the course in a one-to-one meeting. These conferences will be held in the basement of Jaffe. It is very important that you remember to attend the conferences for which you have signed up in advance. If you miss a conference, you must E-mail me within 24 hours of the scheduled meeting time with a viable excuse or your grade for the relevant assignment will automatically be lowered a full letter grade. I am happy to discuss your work at other times as well, and you should feel free to E-mail me for an appointment.

Presentations

From time to time, you will be asked to present material to the class informally. Then, at the end of the course, you will be expected to give a short presentation summarizing your research paper. In preparing your presentation, I strongly urge you to work with an advisor from SATU (Speaking Across The University). The SATU Advising Center is located in 413 Bennett Hall and offers both scheduled and drop-in hours. For more information, the program’s web address is http://www.sas.upenn.edu/satu/.

Attendance and Participation

As a seminar, the success of our class depends on your active participation. Your contribution to class discussions and the peer review process is vital to what we can accomplish together. Obviously, regular attendance is absolutely necessary and expected. The only excused absences will be for medical reasons (with a note from Student Health or your doctor) or verified emergencies. You are, of course, responsible for any material you miss, and extra copies of all class handouts will be placed in the hanging folder for this course on the table at the bottom of the stairs on the main floor of Jaffe. Four unexcused absences will result in automatic failure. We will all find our time in class most rewarding with the regular attendance and active participation of all students.

GRADING

You will be given a ü+, ü, or ü- grade on your logs. You will be given a letter grade on the final versions of your formal assignments. Your overall course grade will be computed based on the following percentages:

Assignment 1 15% Class Participation 20%

Assignment 2 15% Presentation 5%

Assignment 3 20% Portfolio and Cover Letter 5%

Logs 1-5 20%

The quality of your work will be the basic benchmark by which your grade is determined. My criteria in this regard include the caliber of thinking and critical analysis, including the presentation of an argument that is properly supported by appropriate evidence; the organization of ideas; the clarity and grace of your prose; and correct mechanics (grammar, spelling, citation, etc.). The degree of improvement over the course of the semester will also be taken into consideration. In general, my standards for grades are high, an attitude based on the belief that grade inflation does nothing to improve a student’s writing skills. As a very rough guideline, average work that meets the minimum requirements of the class will receive a "C" grade; good work will receive a "B" grade; only outstanding effort and quality will earn an "A" grade. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in a failing grade.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

UNIT ONE -- Getting Started: Reading, Writing, Research, and Art History

Tuesday 18 January Introduction and Overview

Thursday 20 January Writing and Talking about Art

Readings: Syllabus; Sylvan Barnet, "Writing about Art" in A Short Guide to Writing about Art, pp. 1-26; Diana Hacker, "Composing and Revising," in A Writer’s Reference, pp. 2- 48.

*Friday 21 January Log 1 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM

Tuesday 25 January Analyzing Art and Images of the Body

Readings: Sylvan Barnet, "Analysis" and "Some Critical Approaches" in A Short Guide to Writing about Art, pp. 27- 100 and 150-171.

Thursday 27 January Visit to the Fisher Fine Arts Library

**Meet in the foyer of the Fisher Fine Arts Library

at 10:30 AM.**

Readings: Sylvan Barnet, "Art-Historical Research" and "Writing a Research Paper" in A Short Guide to Writing about Art, pp. 172-220; Diana Hacker, "Research Writing" in A Writer’s Reference, pp. 50-94.

*Friday 28 January Log 2 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM

UNIT TWO -- The Body in Sculpture

Tuesday 1 February Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Readings: Tom Flynn, "Waxworks, Dolls, and Doppelgängers," "Idols, Myths, and Magic: The Body in Antiquity," and "The Body Re-born: The Middle Ages" in The Body in Three Dimensions, pp. 7-65.

Thursday 3 February Visit to the University Museum

**Meet inside the main entrance on Spruce Street at

10:30 AM.**

Readings: Assignment 1.

Tuesday 8 February Mannerism, Baroque, and the Eighteenth Century

Readings: Tom Flynn, "The Apotheosis of the Body: Mannerism and Baroque" and "The Sublime Body: The Eighteenth Century" in The Body in Three Dimensions, pp. 67-113.

Thursday 10 February The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Readings: Tom Flynn, "The Body in Colour: The Nineteenth Century" and "Abjection and Assemblage: The Body in the Twentieth Century" in The Body in Three Dimensions, pp. 115-161.

*Friday 11 February Log 3 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM.

Tuesday 15 February Issues Concerning the Body in Sculpture: A Review

Readings: Tom Flynn, "Conclusion" in The Body in Three Dimensions, pp. 162-163.

**Drafts of Assignment 1 due in class.**

Bring the original of the paper for me and a copy for each of the students in your peer review group. Fill out the writer response form, photocopy it, and attach a photocopy to the original and to each copy of the draft.

Thursday 17 February In-Class Peer Review of Drafts of Assignment 1

Readings: Peers’ papers.

**Be sure to complete a reader response form for each of the papers in your peer review group and to make a photocopy of these forms to hand in to me.**

*Thursday 17 February Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 1

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

*Friday 18 February Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 1

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

*Monday 21 February Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 1

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)
 
 
 
 
 
 

UNIT THREE -- The Body in Fin-de-Siècle French Painting

Tuesday 22 February Introduction to Fin-de-Siècle French Painting

Reading: Tamar Garb, "Introduction," in Bodies of Modernity, pp. 11-14.

Thursday 24 February **NO CLASS**

*Monday 28 February Assignment 1 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM

Tuesday 29 February The Construction of the Modern Man and Woman

Readings: Tamar Garb, "Gustave Caillebotte’s Male Figures: Masculinity, Muscularity and Modernity" and

"James Tissot’s ‘Parisienne’ and the Making of the Modern Woman" in Bodies of Modernity, pp. 25-53 and 81-113.

**For those choosing to do Log 4 for today, it is due in class.**

Thursday 2 March Fashioning the Feminine

Readings: Tamar Garb, "Powder and Paint: Framing the Feminine in Georges Seurat’s Young Woman Powdering Herself" and "Painterly Plenitude: Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Fantasy of the Feminine" in Bodies of Modernity, pp. 115- 177.

**For those choosing to do Log 4 for today, it is due in class.**

Tuesday 7 March Visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

**Meet inside the west entrance at 10:50 AM.**

Readings: Tamar Garb, "Cézanne’s Late Bathers: Modernism and Sexual Difference" in Bodies of Modernity, pp. 197-218.

Thursday 9 March Issues Concerning the Body in Late Nineteenth-Century French Painting: A Review

**Drafts of Assignment 2 due in class.**

Bring the original of the paper for me and a copy for each of the students in your peer review group. Fill out the writer response form, photocopy it, and attach a photocopy to the original and to each copy of the draft.

Tuesday 14 March **SPRING BREAK**

Thursday 16 March **SPRING BREAK**

Tuesday 21 March In-Class Peer Review of Drafts of Assignment 2

Readings: Peers’ papers.

**Be sure to complete a reader response form for each of the papers in your peer review group and to make a photocopy of these forms to hand in to me.**

*Tuesday 21 March Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 2

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

*Wednesday 22 March Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 2

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

UNIT FOUR -- The Body in Photography

Thursday 23 March Photography and Colonialism

Readings: Theresa Harlan, "Adjusting the Focus for an Indigenous Presence," in OverExposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography, pp. 134-152.

*Thursday 23 March Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 2

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

*Friday 24 March Log 5 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM.

Tuesday 28 March Paparazzi and the Body

Readings: Carol Squiers, "Class Struggle: The Invention of Paparazzi Photography and the Death of Diana, Princess of Wales," in OverExposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography, pp. 269-304.

Thursday 30 March Art or Pornography?

Readings: Carole S. Vance, "The Pleasure of Looking: The Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography versus Visual Images," in OverExposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography, pp. 305-326.

*Friday 31 March Assignment 2 due in my mailbox by 4:00 PM.

Tuesday 4 April Issues Concerning the Body in Photography: A Review

Using the Slide Library and Giving a Presentation

UNIT FIVE -- Individual Research

Thursday 6 April Solving Research Problems

**Drafts of Assignment 3 due in class.**

Bring the original of the paper for me and a copy for each of the students in your peer review group. Fill out the writer response form, photocopy it, and attach a photocopy to the original and to each copy of the draft.

Tuesday 11 April In-Class Peer Review of Drafts of Assignment 3

Readings: Peers’ papers.

**Be sure to complete a reader response form for each of the papers in your peer review group and to make a photocopy of these forms to hand in to me.**

*Tuesday 11 April Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 3

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

*Wednesday 12 April Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 3

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

Thursday 13 April Presentations of Assignment 3

*Thursday 13 April Student-Instructor Conferences for Assignment 3

(Meet in the basement of Jaffe.)

Tuesday 18 April Presentations of Assignment 3

Thursday 20 April Presentations of Assignment 3

Tuesday 25 April Presentations of Assignment 3

Thursday 27 April Evaluations and Conclusion

*Friday 5 May **LAST DAY TO TURN IN PORTFOLIOS**