Unit HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART I
- Course
- Archaeology and history of art
- Study-unit Code
- A001921
- Curriculum
- Generico
- Teacher
- Stefania Petrillo
- Teachers
-
- Stefania Petrillo
- Hours
- 36 ore - Stefania Petrillo
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Learning activities
- Affine/integrativa
- Area
- Attività formative affini o integrative
- Academic discipline
- L-ART/03
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian Language
- Contents
Painting History. Themes, Protagonists and Styles from Neoclassicism to the Eclecticism of United Italy- Reference texts
The slides presented in class will all be available at the end of the course on the UNISTUDIUM platform. Attending students: C. Ginzburg, David, Marat. Arte politica religione, in Id., Paura reverenza terrore, Adelphi, Milano 2015, pp. 81-114. (PDF su Unistudium). T. Clark, Addio a un'idea: modernismo e arti visive, Einaudi, Torino 2005, pp. 15-51. (PDF su Unistudium). A. Villari, «“Civile sentire” e “gravi ammaestramenti”¿: la pittura di storia in Italia dalla Restaurazione ai moti rivoluzionari», in C. Sisi (a cura di), L'Ottocento in Italia, Milano, Electa, 2006, pp. 23-42. (PDF in Unistudium). S. Petrillo, La decorazione pittorica tra nuovi simboli, storia e politica per immagini, in Il Palazzo della Provincia di Perugia, a cura di F.F. Mancini, Perugia, Quattroemme, 2009, pp. 203-209, 213-230 (PDF su Unistudium). Non-attending students: H. Honour, La causa della libertà, in Romaticismo, Torino Einaudi, 2007, pp. 228-258. C. Ginzburg, David, Marat. Arte politica religione, in Id., Paura reverenza terrore, Adelphi, Milano 2015, pp. 81-114. (PDF su Unistudium). T. Clark, Addio a un'idea: modernismo e arti visive, Einaudi, Torino 2005, pp. 15-51. (PDF su Unistudium). A. Villari, «“Civile sentire” e “gravi ammaestramenti”¿: la pittura di storia in Italia dalla Restaurazione ai moti rivoluzionari», in C. Sisi (a cura di), L'Ottocento in Italia, Milano, Electa, 2006, pp. 23-42. (PDF in Unistudium). S. Petrillo, La decorazione pittorica tra nuovi simboli, storia e politica per immagini, in Il Palazzo della Provincia di Perugia, a cura di F.F. Mancini, Perugia, Quattroemme, 2009, pp. 203-209, 213-230 (PDF su Unistudium). Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for the compensatory tools ensured by law (e.g. textbooks in digital format; teaching materials in accessible formats: presentations, handouts, workbooks, provided if necessary in advance of the lessons), for which consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. For the request, students are invited to ask the teacher, who will put them in contact with the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it)- Educational objectives
The course, characterizing the curriculum in Art History, broadens and deepens knowledge of the History of contemporary art in relation to the complex and crucial phase of research that leads to the radical revolution of the historical Avant-gardes. Through a targeted selection of authors, works and sources, appropriate methodological tools for analysis, understanding and critical evaluation of the phenomena are provided. In particular, the training objectives are: - Knowledge Learn about the major protagonists and the works that mark the Cubist linguistic revolution, from the premises to the developments of the 1910s and 1920s. Know the complex dynamics of interaction between groups of artists, critics, gallery owners, collectors, as well as the opportunities, roles and exhibition spaces (public and private) within which avant-garde circuits are part of. - Capacity Knowing how to recognize and frame authors, works and phenomena in relation to contexts, public and critical reception, and the role of collectors. Knowing how to analyze and communicate - appropriately applying the specific vocabulary - iconographies, formal typologies, organizational models, methods of fruition of the works, critical debate. - Skills Acquire appropriate methods and adequate analytical and judgment skills also as a function of independent research and in-depth paths.- Prerequisites
The knowledge of the fundamentals of Nineteenth-Century Art History.- Teaching methods
Face-to-face with audiovisual material
Practical training
Seminar lectures
Any field trips- Other information
Attendance is highly recommended for students graduating in Art History Students with disabilities and/or SLD: for any information on University services, consult the page https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it)- Learning verification modality
Oral examination The examination, lasting about 30 minutes, includes questions on the topics covered in class starting from the recognition of the works, and a discussion on the texts indicated in the bibliography. The knowledge acquired, the ability to organize the exposition with organicity, clarity and coherence, the ownership of language and the use of specific vocabulary, the critical re-elaboration of the contents, the ability to independently establish connections and integrate exposure with personal insights will be evaluated in equal measure. Presentation with an in-depth analysis on a topic of the course to be agreed with the teacher and to be presented as part of a seminar organized in itinere. Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for compensatory tools, dispensatory measures and inclusive technologies ensured by law, to be requested and agreed with the teacher well in advance of tests and exams. For general information, consult the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or SLD Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).- Extended program
Between the late eighteenth century and the unification of Italy, history painting in Italy and France played a central role in shaping national identity and conveying civic and moral values. In this context, Jacques-Louis David stands as an essential reference for Neoclassical painting: his works embody ideals of republican virtue and civic sacrifice, through a rigorous composition and a formal language inspired by classical antiquity. However, with the advent of Romanticism, historical painting opened up to a more emotional and dramatic dimension, as exemplified by Eugène Delacroix’s *Liberty Leading the People* (1830), where the depiction of revolution is charged with pathos and symbolism, breaking away from Neoclassical restraint. Other emblematic works by Delacroix reveal a visionary theatricality and a vibrant color palette that would deeply influence European painting. In Italy, Francesco Hayez emerges as a key figure in merging the Neoclassical legacy with the Romantic and patriotic impulses of the Risorgimento. His works not only celebrate historical episodes or private sentiments, but also serve as allegories of the struggle for independence and national unity. Alongside him, artists such as Domenico Morelli, Gerolamo Induno, The Battle of Magenta and Giuseppe Bezzuolihelped define a pictorial language that fused civic engagement with Romantic sensibility. At the same time, the concept of “grand decoration” — monumental painting intended for public buildings, institutional palaces, and commemorative spaces — became a privileged vehicle for historical narration and visual pedagogy. In France, significant examples can be found in the decorative cycles of the Louvre and the Palais Bourbon, while in Italy, similar efforts were undertaken in civic palaces and academies, such as Hayez’s work in the Doge’s Palace in Venice. In both contexts, history painting thus emerged as a powerful tool for ideological and cultural construction, capable of blending aesthetics, politics, and identity. As regards historical painting in Italy in the years before and after the Unification, some particular decorative construction sites in Perugia and Spoleto will be analysed.- Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
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