Art History

Maya Art and Architecture The course aims to analyze the architectural and artistic productions of the pre-Columbian Maya populations and to explore their extraordinary aesthetic and formal variety. Students will learn to recognize the qualities of built environment and the functions of their sculptural programs and the reasons of their variation over time. The chronological and thematic approach that details the political, social and religious characteristics of the ancient Mayas will provide students with the tools to recognize and critically interpret the production and exchange of artistic objects and the importance of their materiality. To this end, the course will consist of four modules: 1) Introduction to the Pre-Columbian Maya World (lessons 1-6), which will cover the historical, political, social, and geographical context of the ancient Maya, their worldview, and the methods available to us for interpreting their art and architecture; 2) Materials and Representation (lessons 7-10), which will explore the materials of Mayan art and architecture, and the ways of representing and constructing space; 3) Reading Mayan Art and Buildings, which will provide students with the tools to analyze Mayan art and architecture; 4) Case Studies and Analysis, which will address the regions that make up the Maya area and their specificities. 5) Conclusion.

There are no specific requierements, although knowledge of English and Spanish is recommended as some readings will be in the original language only.

A book: Miller, Mary Ellen, e Megan O’Neil. 2014. Maya Art and Architecture. 2nd ed. world of art. Thames & Hudson. Journal articles and chapters that I will upload on moodle, some of which are taken from: Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo. 2017. Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. Coe, Michael D, and Stephen Houston. 2015. The Maya. 9th ed. Thames & Hudson. Houston, Stephen, and Takeshi Inomata. 2009. The Classic Maya. Cambridge World Archaeology No. Cambridge University Press, New York. Hutson, Scott R., and Traci Ardren (editors). 2020. The Maya World. Routledge, London and New York. O’Neil, Megan. 2022. The Maya. Lost Civilization. The Unviersity of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Attendance is strongly recommended.

During the course, students will be asked to participate in class and present the results of a short research, following the assigned readings. Additionally, at the end of the course they will present a topic of their choice in a poster format. The final assessment will be based on an oral exam (minimum 18/30, maximum 30/30 with honors). Knowledge acquired during the lessons will be evaluated with questions on the literature and topics discussed in class (30%), the presentation of activities (30%), and class participation (40%).

Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo. 2017. Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. Coe, Michael D, and Stephen Houston. 2015. The Maya. 9th ed. Thames & Hudson. Houston, Stephen, and Takeshi Inomata. 2009. The Classic Maya. Cambridge World Archaeology No. Cambridge University Press, New York. Hutson, Scott R., and Traci Ardren (editors). 2020. The Maya World. Routledge, London and New York. O’Neil, Megan. 2022. The Maya. Lost Civilization. The Unviersity of Chicago Press, Chicago.

The course will incorporate various teaching strategies to achieve the learning objectives and to engage students. Classes will be taught in a classroom setting, with supplementary materials that will be read, viewed, discussed, and analyzed in class, facilitating knowledge acquisition and understanding. Collegues will be giving few lectures to explore some specific topics introduced by the professor. In the last part of the course a flipped classroom model could be implemented as to foster interchange of analysis methods.