Admission requirements
BA Art History
Description
Whereas in past studies of Piranesi’s vedute of Rome the focus was often on the imaginative, romantic aspects of his work, in this seminar we will take a closer look at Piranesi as an architectural historian. We will use the large holdings of Piranesi etchings at the Print Room of the Leiden University Library to investigate how Piranesi prepared his images of the ruins of ancient Rome, how these images can be related to the ruins of Roman architecture that were accessible to him; what his position was among the many practitioners of the developing disciplines of archaeology and art history, and whether the view of Piranesi as a proto-romantic dreamer, driven by Ruinensucht or the love of ruins, is still tenable.
An excursion to Rome is part of this seminar.
Course objectives
Students should be able to analyze and recognize Piranesi’s techniques as an engraver
They should be able to analyse his strategies of visual representation of Roman ruins
Situate Piranesi’s activities as an engraver and architectural historian within the artistic and historiographical context of his time
Have some knowledge of the existing literature on Piranesi and 18th-century architectural history
To present a paper on Piranesi’s work in relation to the site he depicts in Rome
Time table
Timetable 2010-2011
Mode of instruction
Lecture course
Seminar
Excursion
Assessment method
Written paper
Presentation
Blackboard
Blackboard is being used
Literature
To be announced
Registration
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Study in Leiden website for information on how to apply
Contact
Remarks
This course includes an excursion to Rome, which will take place during november, (The excursion will take place in the first week of november.)