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2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ARTF3171 Renaissance and Baroque Urban Spaces and their Margins: Art and Visual culture in the Italian Ghetto

20 creditsClass Size: 18

Module manager: Dr Eva Frojmovic
Email: E.Frojmovic@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

Module replaces

ARTF2102

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

What were the options for a Jewish presence in Catholic Europe at the beginning of the Early Modern Period? Taking anxieties around minority visibility, border crossing and seepage as a starting point, we will trace the visual strategies of the Jewish minority in the Christian Renaissance, and Christian visual strategies for rendering this minority a safe and segregated presence.We look at how the figure of 'the Jew' was constructed in the art of the late medieval and early modern period (associations with the devil, ritual murder, deicide - Uccello's predella of the Paris blood libel), and what resources Jewish communities mobilised to construct a positive sense of self against such representations. On the other hand, we will also look at the rise of philo-judaic preoccupation with Kabbalah, and its complex potentials for apostasy and conversion.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to offer critical analysis of selected Renaissance and Baroque urban spaces/buildings, paintings and prints. To study the Ghetto is to view the Italian Renaissance and Baroque from their religious, artistic and social margins.

The module undertakes a historical analysis of the marginal spaces of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque, in which Jewish and Christian cultures met and clashed. The module focusses on an extensive archive of Renaissance and Baroque art, which will be studied from the point of view of the Jewish minority in Renaissance/Baroque Italy.

Skills outcomes
- verbal and written fluency in constructing a logical and coherent argument
- use of audio visual aids
- participation in group discussions
- co-ordination and dissemination of a range of historical, contextual visual information
- using bibliographies and databases.


Syllabus

What were the options for a Jewish presence in Catholic Europe at the beginning of the Early Modern Period? Taking anxieties around minority visibility, border crossing and seepage as a starting point, we will trace the visual strategies of the Jewish minority in the Christian Renaissance, and Christian visual strategies for rendering this minority a safe and segregated presence.

We look at how the figure of 'the Jew' was constructed in the art of the late medieval and early modern period (associations with the devil, ritual murder, deicide - Uccello's predella of the Paris blood libel), and what resources Jewish communities mobilised to construct a positive sense of self against such representations.

On the other hand, we will also look at the rise of philo-judaic preoccupation with Kabbalah, and its complex potentials for apostasy and conversion.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Seminar102.0020.00
Private study hours180.00
Total Contact hours20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

- Reading of set texts, many of which will be available via VLE (Students will be expected to use Jstor, Project Muse and digital image collections via the VLE)
- Mini literature reviews
- Preparation of presentations.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- class participation
- mini literature reviews
- group presentations.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay.40.00
Essay.50.00
Literature Review.10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 27/01/2010

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