Aims

Students will have acquired the main keys towards reading " images ", of all artistic disciplines, from late antiquity until today, in their contexts of creation and use.
They will be able to detect and analyse the principal conventions and to handle the main iconographic repertoires and their historical developments. Having mastered the strategies for deciphering isolated images and complex programmes they will be prepared for their personal research in this field.

Main themes

The course's objective is to offer the keys and methods for analysing the relations between the material support of the image and its message in shape and colour and for reading and interpreting artistic iconic messages of our era in their context and function.

Content and teaching methods

Two main directions of iconological research are explored, by means of case studies concerning art works belonging to all media and techniques, from Late Antiquity to our days, mainly in the West and the Mediterranean area.
1)The image in its context of creation and original functionality.: -the image and its material support : complex programmes (moveable or monumental series, cycles, polyptychs…) -Advanced research into the study of -genres and repertoires, Christian, allegorical, cosmographical, mythological, promotional…-Iconographical conventions through time. -The image and the manuscript text : the literary genres and the specificities of their iconic decoration, both abstract and figurative. -Study of the iconography of a philosophical movement (for ex. Protestantism). -Typology, exempla and propaganda.
2) The carriers and posterity of images: -Problems linked to the physical evolution of works of art, with exemplary case studies. -Copies and engravings and how images travel. -Cases of conventional iconographies and their mutations through time.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

The Iconology course extends the ARKE 1255 course in "Interpretation of the Image and Introduction to Iconological Methods" of the second bachelor's year; it asks for an active presence during the lectures and invites to apply acquired methods to personal research. Knowledge of Graeco-Roman mythology and Biblical sacred history is strongly recommended. Readings and the methodical observation of art works will be required.
Tools provided : grids of analysis, repertories, principal systems of iconographical classification, bibliographies, reproductions of art works and of details studied during the course. Commented visit(s) of collections or exhibitions, in relation to the cases studied during the course and to the current events concerning iconological research.
Assessment is by final oral examination where students will benefit from a preparation time before answering their question.

Other credits in programs