SYLLABUS
FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF SPANISH ART
TEACHER: RUBÉN DARÍO ALVES LÓPEZ
EMAIL: ralves@nebrija.es
CODE: CH 3191
GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
This seminar, based on two different parts, theory and practice, is an introduction to art in
Spain over the past five hundred years, focusing on certain key topics and periods that help
to map out the particular nature of Spanish artistic culture. Special emphasis will be placed
on the works of artists as Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Picasso and Dalí. This course includes
visits to the Prado Museum, and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía that will take place at the
dates appointed.
EVALUATION
The final grade consists of three parts: class participation, homework and exams.
Attendance is COMPULSARY. Any absence will affect negatively students' final
grade. Students need to do their homework and review the contents at home in order to
enable active class participation.
30% attendance and active participation in class.
It will be evaluated not only the knowledge but also the active participation inside and
outside the class. The methodology used in class demands from the student a daily
participation in the following aspects:
- To answer the questions done in class.
- To establish debates about the topics in class.
- To analyse the class slides.
30% daily work.
Students must do the following tasks out of the class.
- To read the texts or copies related to the course.
40% exams: written exams.
- The final grade will be the average among the daily work, participation and the
exams.
IMPORTANT!
Class attendance is COMPULSARY.
Any unjustified absences will NEGATIVELY affect the final grade.
IMPORTANT!
GENERAL RULES FOR PAPERS PRESENTATIONS
All papers will be handed in following these rules:
- Papers can be printed or sent to the professor by e-mail to ralves@nebrija.es
No handwritten papers will be admitted.
- Papers MUST BE HANDED IN ON TIME. No unjustified delayed paper will be
corrected or evaluated.
- All papers must include: name and surname of the student, title of the paper
and date.
Format:
- Word Document.
- Times New Roman 12.
- 1.5 interline spacing.
- Text fully justified.
*A warning on plagiarism*. When writing a research paper or an essay
exam you must identify your intellectual indebtedness to the authors you
have read. This can be done through footnotes, bibliography, or by making
a direct reference to the scholar or author in question. Failure to do so will
be considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is the most serious academic offence
you can incur in and could have serious consequences for you.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction: Introduction and presentation of the course. Looking at paintings:
the analysis of a picture. Basic artistic elements: light and color; volume and
perspective; visual perceptions.
2. Spanish Medieval art and the Renaissance
3. El Greco: religious paintings and portraits
4. The Baroque period
- Basic characteristics and an overview of the works of Ribera, Murillo
and Zurbarán
5.- Velázquez:
Official portraits and Historic works
Customs and mythology
6. The Neoclassic period and the new tendencies in architecture, sculpture, and
painting
7. Goya:
Tapestries and popular topics
Portraits and historic works
Prints and the Black period
8. The change of the century: new trends: Impressionism, Symbolism…; Picasso
9. Surrealism: Dalí
10. Final Exam
This course includes some classes at The Prado Museum and Reina Sofia
Modern Art Gallery: These classes are MANDATORY.
Prado Museum:
Reina Sofía Museum:
Complementary bibliography
HARRIS, J: Art History: The key Concepts. Routledge. London & New York. 2006. (pp.
360): Glossary of Art, Aesthetics, and Theory of Art Terms that you should use as a
constant reference in class and in your independent researches.
MOFFITT, J. F: The Arts in Spain. Thames&Hudson. London. 1999. (pp. 240)
POOKE, G & NEWALL, D: Art History: the basis. Routledge. London & New York.
2007. (pp. 263): both to be read as specified in the Course Content below.
Required books can be found in the following bookshops: "Casa del Libro" and Caixa
Forum Madrid Library".
BARRAI I ALTET, X: Art and architecture of Spain. Bulfinch. 1998. (pp. 575)
BERGER, J: Ways of seeing. Penguin Books. UK. 1972. (pp. 178)
BRETON, A: Manifestoes of Surrealism. University of Michigan Press.1972. (pp. 304)
BRYANT WILDER, J: Art History for Dummies. Wiley Publishing New Jersey. 2007.
(pp. 456)
ECO, U (Ed.): History of Beauty. Rizzoli. New York. 2004. (pp. 438)
EMERLING, J: Theory for Art History. Routledge. London & New York. 2005. (pp. 268)
ELKINS, J: Why Art Cannot Be Taught. University of Illinois Press. USA. 2001. (pp.
228)
FLEMING, W: Art & Ideas. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. 1986. (pp. 552)
FREELAND, C: Art Theory. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford. New York. 2001. (pp.
158)
FUENTES, C: The Buried Mirror. Reflections on Spain and the New World. Marina
Books. USA. 1999. (pp. 400)
GIEDION, S: The Eternal Present: the beginnings of Art. A contribution to constancy
and change. Bollingen Foundation. New York. 1962. (pp. 588)
GIES, D. T: Modern Spanish Culture. Cambridge. 1999. (pp. 368)
GOVIGNON, B (Ed.): The beginner's guide to art. Abrams. New York. 1998. (pp. 288)
HARRIS, J: Art History: The key Concepts. Routledge. London & New York. 2006. (pp.
360)
HOVING, T: Art for Dummies. IDG Books Worldwide. California. 1999. (pp. 408)
LUCIE-SMITH, E: Dictionary of Art Terms. Thames&Hudson. London. 1984. (PP. 240)
MOFFITT, J. F: The Arts in Spain. Thames and Hudson. London. 1999. (pp. 240)
MURRAI, C (Ed.): Key Writers on Art: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century.
Routledge. London & New York. (pp. 290)
MURRAI, C (Ed.): Key Writers on Art: The Twentieth Century. Routledge. London &
New York. (pp. 338)
NASH, E: Madrid. A Cultural and Literary Story. Oxford. India. 2006. (pp. 246)
NICI, J: Barron´s AP Art History. Barrons. USA. 2008. (pp. 594) (good as an
introduction to students who had no previous contact with Art History)
READ, H (Ed): The styles of European Art. Thames&Hudson. UK. 1965. (pp. 468)
ROBINSON, W: Instant Art History: From Cave Art to Pop Art. Ballantine Book. USA.
1995. (pp. 237)
ROSKILL, M: What is Art History? The University of Massachusetts Press. USA. 1989.
(pp. 192)
SMITH, B: Spain, a History in Art. Simon and Schuster. New York, 1966. (pp. 206)
STURKEN, M & CARTWRIGHT, L: Practices of Looking. An Introduction to Visual
Culture. Oxford University Press. Nueva York. 2002. (pp. 385)
WILLIAM, M: The Story of Spain. The bold and dramatic history of Europe´s most
fascinating country. Santana Books. Málaga. 1996. (pp. 250)
WILLIAMSON, B: Christian Art. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford. New York. 2004.
(pp. 132)
Architecture:
BROTHERSTON, J. G: Sorolla´s house. The Interiors and Gardens. Lope de Vega
Press. Louisiana. 2005. (pp. 49)
ERLANDE-BRANDENBURG, A: The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages.
Thames&Hudson. London. 1995. (pp. 175)
LEVER, J. & HARRIS, J.: Illustrated dictionary of architecture 800- 1914.
Faber&Faber. London- Boston. 1993. (pp. 218)
SANCHO, J. L: The Royal Palace of Madrid. Reales Sitios de España. Patrimonio
Nacional. Madrid. 2004. (pp. 255)
STRICKLAND, C: The Annotated Arch. A Crash Course in the History of Architecture.
Andrews and McMeel Books. Missouri. 2001. (pp. 202)
Painting:
ARNHEIM, R: The Genesis of a Painting: Picasso's Guernica. University of California
Press. USA. 1962. (PP. 139)
ASHTON, D (Editor): Picasso on Art. A selection of views. Da Capo Press. New York.
1972. (pp. 220)
BOZAL, V: Goya: Black Paintings. (Gallery Guide). Fundación de amigos del Museo
del Prado. Madrid. 2002. (pp. 64)
CALVO SERRALLER, F: Masterpieces of the Prado Museum. (Gallery Guide).
Fundación de amigos del Museo del Prado). Madrid. 2005. (pp. 67)
CALVO SERRALLER, F: Velázquez. (Gallery Guide). Fundación de amigos del
Museo del Prado. Madrid. 2002. (pp. 64)
DALÍ, S: Diary of a genius. Solar Books. 2007. (pp. 191)
DÜCHTING, H: Picasso. Presel Art Guide. Germany. 2004. (pp. 71)
EBBECKE, G: Dalí. Presel Art Guide. Germany. 2004. (pp. 71)
ELSOHN ROSS, M: Salvador Dali and the Surrealist: Their Lives and Ideas. Chicago
Review Press. Singapore. 2003. (pp. 144)
FAERNA GARCÍA-BERMEJO, J. M: Sorolla. Polígrafa masterpieces. Barcelona.
2006. (pp.79)
FINKELSTEIN, H (Edit.): The Collected writings of Salvador Dalí. U. S.A. 1998. (pp.
496)
MARÍAS, F: El Greco. (Gallery Guide). Fundación de Amigos del Museo del Prado.
Madrid. 2005. (pp. 64)
MENA MARQUÉS, M. B: Goya. (Gallery Guide). Fundación de Amigos del Museo del
Prado. Madrid. 2002. (pp. 96)
ORSO, S: Velázquez. Los Borrachos, and Painting at the Court of Philip IV. Cambridge
University Press. U.S.A. 1993. (pp. 224)
RAQUEJO, T: Dalí: metamorphoses. Edilupa. Madrid. 2004. (pp. 144)
READ, H: A concise history of Modern Painting. Thames&Hudson. Singapure. 2001.
(pp. 392)
RYNCK, P: How to read a painting. Lessons from the Old Masters. Abrams. New York.
2004. (pp. 384)
SCHIEBLER, R: Dalí. The reality of Dreams. Prestel. Germany. 1996. (pp. 127)
STRATTON-PRUIT, S (Editor): Velázquez's Las Meninas. Cambridge University
Press. UK. 2003. (pp. 236)
STRICKLAND, C: The Annotated Mona Lisa. A Crash Course in Art History. From
Prehistory to Post-Modern. Andrews and McMeel Books. Missouri. 1992. (pp. 208)
DVDs:
ARTESEROS, A: Salvemos el Prado. The artistic front during the Spanish Civil War.
Borderdreams. Spain. 2004.
Ayuntamiento de Madrid: Madrid Monumental. Sci-dreams. Spain. 2002.
BUÑUEL, L: Un perro andaluz. Manga Films. France. 1929.
CLOUZOT, H-G: El misterio de Picasso. Gaumont. France. 1956.
DALÍ, S: Destino. Walt Disney. USA. 1946.
DÍAZ, A: El capitan alatriste. La Chauve-SourisSpain, France, USA. 2006.
FORMAN, M: Goya´s ghosts. Warner Sogefilms. Spain. 2005.
HITCHCOCK, A: Spellbound. Manga films. USA. 1945.
LUNA, B: Volaverunt. Universal. Spain. 1999.
MUNT, S: Gala. Manga Films. Spain. 2003.
RIBAS, A: Dalí. Manga films. Spain. 1990.
SAURA, C: Goya en Burdeos. Lola films. Spain. 1999.
SAURA, C: Buñuel y la mesa del Rey Salomón. Sogedasa. Spain. 2001.
THEVENET, M: Picasso y sus mujeres. La intensa relación entre su obra y su vida
amorosa. Planeta Arte. Spain. 2003.
Online Reference & Research Tools:
Abstract Museum in Cuenca: www.march.es/cuenca
AP Art History: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_art.html?arthist
Art texts: http://www.questia.com/library/art-and-architecture/
BBC Online. At here you will hear an interview with Salvador Dalí in Portlligat, 1962
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/dalis1.shtml
BRETON, A: Surrealist Manifesto. 1924.
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art109/readings/ManifestoOfSurrealism.pdf
Caixa Forum in Madrid: http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/centros/caixaforummadrid_es.html
Council of Trent: http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent.htm
Dali Museum in Figueras: http://www.salvador-dali.org/
Dali Museum in San Petersburg, FL. USA: (A Surrealist game)
http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/home.html
DEVEREAUX, M: The Ugly. American Society of Aesthetics: http://www.aestheticsonline.
org/asa/
Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona: http://www.bcn.fjmiro.cat/
Joan Miró Foundation in Palma de Mallorca:
http://miro.palmademallorca.es/english/index.htm
Juan March Foundation in Madrid: www.march.es/
Metropolitan Museum: world maps, timelines, thematic essays, work of art, etc.:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/te_index.asp
MUSSO, C: El Greco: Painting the Soul. A Journal of the Art an Science of Medicine.
Volume 4, Number 2. 2004: http://www.humanehealthcare.com/Article.asp?art_id=803
National Chalcography: http://www.calcografianacional.com/
Picasso Museum in Barcelona: www.museupicasso.bcn.es
Picasso Museum in Malaga: www.museopicassomalaga.org/
Prado Museum: http://museoprado.mcu.es/home.html
Reina Sofía Museum: http://www.museoreinasofia.es/portada/portada.php
Romanticism Museum Madrid: http://museoromantico.mcu.es/index.html
Royal Palace: http://www.patrimonionacional.es/preal/preal.htm
Royal Tapestry Factory: http://www.realfabricadetapices.com
San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts: http://rabasf.insde.es/
Sorolla Museum: http://museosorolla.mcu.es/
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: How to write an Art paper guideline:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/arthistory.html
The Gombrich Archive: http://www.gombrich.co.uk/
Thyssen Museum: http://www.museothyssen.org/thyssen/
TZARA, T: Dada Manifesto. 1924:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jenglish/English104/tzara.html
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