ART 298 Art & Architecture of Barcelona  

Professor: Francisco Ramallo, Ph. D

franramallo@gmail.com

Office Hours:  online TBA and after each class outing

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  

This course focuses on the major art movements in Barcelona, designed to include both Catalan and Spanish art and architecture, and examines Roman Spain, Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus), and the Catalan independence movement in the Spanish Civil War.  In addition, the course will explore the works of artists like Velázquez, Goya, Gaudí, Picasso, Dalí, Miró and others in selected museums.   This course also examines the architecture and sculpture of the Gothic period through the Baroque.  In addition, students will interpret the visual arts as political, social, religious, and mythological evocations and reflections of the periods investigated.  Taught in an interdisciplinary format, the course also incorporates the history, culture, music, and economics which relate to the visual arts of Barcelona.

COURSE GOALS & LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

1. Identify by title, artist, and school the major visual representation of selected centuries in Barcelona with an assessed accuracy of 70%.

2. Analyze the major aesthetic trends that helped influence and shape the visual arts in Barcelona, as evidenced in essays, forums, and a journal.

3. Explore the classical, Islamic, and Christian principles found in the visual arts, demonstrating the ability to explore these areas in essays, forums, and a journal, assessed in at least a 70% rubric rating.

4. Investigate the artistic and technical constructs and methods used in architecture, evidenced in research demonstrated in a journal.

5. Develop a deeper understanding of the visual arts within their cultural context, as evidenced in essays, forums, and a journal.

LeadAbroad Mission & Values

LeadAbroad is committed to leveraging the international experience for a student’s personal growth and development. Each course is specifically designed to challenge students, expose them to the local culture and help them become more globally minded citizens. During class and throughout the program, our expectation is that students will be gracious guests in the host country, which means

• Being polite to the locals
• Providing a kind salutation when entering a building with a guard or front desk attendant on duty
• Attempting to use the local language for requests, salutations and thanks
•  Being patient with different customs and traditions

During the program we will also touch on these five core values of LeadAbroad

• Breaking through boundaries abroad and at home
• Creating trusting relationships with those from different cultures
• Identifying your purpose and path while abroad
• Serving others abroad and at home
• Maximizing your potential by taking what you learned back home

Classroom Ethos:

• Respect yourself and one another in the classroom. The obvious aim of this course is to provide an opportunity for you to engage in some of the most stimulating and controversial questions and issues that exist within our every increasing globalized world. A classroom environment that is conducive to such learning must be one in which each person is able to freely express his/her thoughts, to ask questions, to make mistakes, to disagree in a non-combative way, and to learn from and with one another. In short, use neither disrespectful speech nor any other form of disrespectful behavior towards one another.
• Cell phones and all other electronic devices (laptops, tablets, music devices, etc.) may NOT be used in the classroom unless specifically requested by the professor.
• Do not leave the room during class unless it is absolutely necessary. Leaving the room while class is in session is disruptive to your learning and to the learning of others.

Recommended Texts:  

 The Arts in Spain. Moffitt, J.

Art and History of Barcelona. Bonechi

The story of Art Gombrich, E.

Dalí :1904-1989. Wolf, N.

Diccionario de términos de arte.  Fatás, G. & Borrás,

Readings 

(See course calendar. Other readings and catalogues of the exhibitions will be distributed to students in class)

Methods of Assessment  

All grades for Assessment Methods utilize the following grading scale:

A: 100-90

B: 89-80

C: 79-70

D: 69-60

F: 60 and below

Grade Rubric:

Essay exams count collectively as 1/3 of the final grade.

Reports/Participation count collectively as 1/3 of the final grade.

The field journal counts as 1/3 of the final grade.

Total: 100%

Course Methodology

Lecturing and taking notes are a time-honored tradition, but not necessarily the best way to learn.  Students learn best by doing:  thus, you will be asked to fully participate in discussions both inside and outside the class through oral reports, internet chat-rooms, and forums, and oral discussions in small groups and in class at sites.

All classes will be conducted solely as undergraduate discussion/research presentations, with the professor as moderator, questioner, and commentator on the art.  All visual images will be assigned from the text or the internet, and research areas given in the order the images are presented in the text.

Students will be assigned to present or discuss assigned paintings, sculpture, or architecture as individual reports at sites and online.  Thus, students should come prepared with notes, questions, or ideas about the assigned works, and present research findings either in class or online in Moodle.

In addition, extensive use of the internet and websites is required.  

Class discussion grades will be based upon your presentation, questions, responses, and ideas BOTH WITHIN THE GROUP, IN CLASS, and in Moodle FORUM, demonstrating understanding of the material read, as well as your individual input.  Class participation counts as 1/3 of your total grade.

PRE-ASSIGMENT, ESSAYS, PRESENTATIONS/PARTICIPATION, AND FIELD JOURNAL:

IMPORTANT: This course will begin on Thursday, July 4. You will be contacted by email and required to do some assignments following the instructions given. This assignment is due on Monday, July 8, and will be discussed and corrected in class that day. This assignment can be incorporated into the field journal.

ESSAYS:

You will be given THREE out-of-class essay exams, all of which you will submit one week after the discussion questions are given to you. Your final will one of these out-of-class essays. (Word. Times New Roman. 12. 1.5). 1/3 of the final grade.

PRESENTATIONS/PARTICIPATION:

You are required to give 2 oral presentations, in class or at the museums we visit or at specific locales of 5/7 minutes on selected topics found in the readings and research and assigned to you.  

You develop a handout with a picture of your image, with sufficient analysis and then analyze what we are seeing. Discuss the essential points.  

Each person will have an opportunity to speak and present.  Make sure you address the whole class, not just the professor, and use concise art terms, dates, place names, and specific info to define the subject.  

You must speak loudly in some places, as we will be near tourists and traffic.  

We will gather around you as you speak in a circle.  Questions are welcomed after the report.  

We will often give reports on the additional readings in the text on art that may not be in front of us, so be prepared to have a visual for all to see on the handout.

In addition, this class requires a high level of participation.  

Any visit or exploration of a site or attendance at a museum will be required of all students.

1/3 of the final grade.

FIELD JOURNAL:

Each student will upload at the session’s end a field journal, with optional photos images (10), or sketches if you wish to include them.  (Word. Times New Roman. 12. 1.5).

You are required in this journal to provide all of your observations, notes, and facts you have accumulated over our 5 weeks together from sties, museums, and ruins.  Observations include your assessment of architecture, terms you learned, pics, and questions you may have about any sculpture or painting.   Remember, this is an aesthetic and intellectual inquiry, not a diary; use the journal to reflect, develop ideas, or give insights you may have from your readings, your actual experiences of the sites, or any pertinent info you found we do not have time to discuss in class.

You can embed images in the journal if you wish, but keep them small and balanced.  I am looking for your analysis and writing.

The journal should be a minimum of 30 pages.

1/3 of the final grade.

July 13th (midnight Barcelona time)  DUE: First essay

July 20th (midnight Barcelona time)  DUE: Second essay

July 27th (midnight Barcelona time)  DUE: Third essay

August 1st (4pm Barcelona time)  DUE: FIELD JOURNAL

Grading Policies  

1. All grades for this course will be based on the system as outlined in the student handbook, and will be conducted under the rubrics of the Honor Code.

2. All papers and projects must be uploaded before any final grade is determined.

3. Late papers are accepted only with valid reasons, discussed beforehand with the professor.  

4. All papers must follow the accepted guidelines for university-level papers, typed professionally, with readable font and appropriate citations.  

5. Papers will be uploaded to the Moodle site. No hardcopies will be accepted.

6. GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED BY ADDING ALL LETTER SCORES AND AVERAGING THE TOTAL.  

7. Absenteeism at any off-campus event OR LECTURE indicates a lack of commitment and negatively affects the discussion grade. Students are allowed only 1 absence throughout the course.

8. All final grades are final; questions about the final grade should be made directly to the professor, and clear reasons presented for possible change.  However, the grade decision resides with the professor.

Participation and Attendance

A portion of your final grade depends on your attendance and participation in this course. In short, to succeed and get the most from this class, you must come to class and you must come prepared, ready to participate in discussions, and ready to engage with scheduled activities and assignments in a serious and meaningful way.

Attendance:

LeadAbroad is committed to the academic integrity of our programs. All students participating in a for credit program (LEAD and GO) will be subject to academic and programmatic consequences for missing class. Excused absences are approved only if the student has

• a doctor’s note that includes the diagnosis and confirmation that the student needed to be seen immediately or
• a note from the program staff verifying a medical or personal emergency with the student

Unexcused absences will impact a student’s final grade in the course. Refer to your course syllabi for specifics regarding how absences will impact your participation and/or final grade.

Academically, if a student misses class there will be a loss in participation points with each absence as well as consequences to the overall grade. For a traditional class (2 hours/4 days a week) -

• 2nd absence 2.5% deduction from overall grade
• 3rd absence additional 2.5% deduction from overall grade
• 4th absence additional 5% deduction from overall grade
• 5th absence student fails the course

Programmatically, if a student misses 15% of their classes or more than 6 class hours (3 classes in a traditional course or 1 traditional class and 1 tour) a notification will be sent to them and their emergency contact letting them know that they are on probation. Missing more than 8 class hours (4 traditional classes, 2 tour classes, or any other combination equaling 8 hours) will result in dismissal and an automatic failing grade.

Personal travel is not an accused absence. Students should review their course syllabi and reach out to LeadAbroad to confirm their class schedule before booking any personal travel

Participation

You are expected to be a regular and active participant in lecture, large class discussions, and small group work and activities and to contribute to these areas of the course in meaningful ways. Not all participation is equal: to say something just to say something is not a meaningful contribution.

Here are some expectations to note regarding participation in this course and how your participation is assessed:

• Making a substantive oral contribution during class lecture or large-class discussion at least once a class (e.g., answering questions posed by the instructor, bringing up related and relevant information, linking classroom discussions to assigned readings).
• Staying on task in dyads, small groups, and activities. When given a task or question to discuss, work to make meaningful and course content-driven contributions, ask group-mates questions, and brain-storm additional ideas. Do not shortchange discussions or activities by finishing early.

Five-Week Class Schedule

WEEK 1

(Assignment: The Art History Chart)

WEEK 2

Mon: CLASSROOM: Presentation, definitions, concepts and guidelines on art and architecture. Discussion groups.  FROM PREHISTORY TO MIDDLE AGE IN CATALONIA. Middle Age in Spain/Catalonia: Christians and Muslims. ART IN AL-ANDALUS + ROMANESQUE + GOTHIC in Spain (and specifically in Catalonia).

Tues:  section 1: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CATALONIA: Architecture + Spanish/Catalan Romanesque. Spanish/Catalan Gothic. Middle Age in Catalonia + presentations. Reading: Gombrich, E. H. "The Church militant" The Story of the Art. Oxford: Phaidon, 1994, pp. 126-136.

Weds: section 2: Idem.

Thurs:  CLASSROOM: The medieval city: GOTHIC QUARTER, CATHEDRAL LA SEU, SANTA MARÍA DEL MAR. + presentations. Reading: Gombrich, E. H. "The Church triumphant" The Story of the Art. Oxford: Phaidon, 1994, pp.137-147

WEEK 3

Mon: CLASSROOM:  MASTERS OF THE SPANISH PAINTING (From Renaissance to Goya: El Greco, Velázquez and Goya). Reading: Gombrich, E. (1989). “Vision and visions” (Barroque). The story of Art. Phaidon: London, pp. 318-324.

Tues: section 1: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CATALONIA: Masters of the Spanish painting (From Renaissance to Goya) + MIRÓ FOUNDATION + presentations. Reading: Grave, J. (2012). "Uncanny images. The night sides of the visual arts around 1800" in Dark Romanticism. Frankfurt: Städel museum, pp. 32-34.

Weds:  section 2: Idem.

Thurs: CLASSROOM: The turn of the century: FROM MODERNISM TO CUBISM: Cultural circles in Barcelona.

WEEK 4

Mon: CLASSROOM: XXth century: NEW MASTERS IN CATALONIA: GAUDÍ: Sagrada familia. DALÍ: Surrealist painting. Art meets literature. Lorca in Barcelona.  1. MIRÓ: Poetical surrealism and its way to the abstract art. Reading: Guigon, E. (1997). " The surrealist object" in El objecto surrealista. Valencia: IVAM, pp. 275-276 and 277-278, 290.

Tues:  section 1: MODERNISM: Gaudi and his houses: CASA MILÁ and CASA BATLÓ + presentations.

Weds: section 2: Idem.

Thurs: CLASSROOM PICASSO: From Barcelona to Paris. Spanish Civil war: El Guernica. Reading: Karmel, P. (2003)."Theories of cubism" in Picasso and the invention of cubism. New haven and London: Yale University press, pp. 10-21

WEEK 5

Mon: CLASSROOM: NEW ARTISTIC FORMS IN SPANISH ART. New cultural manifestations in Barcelona. Art meets literature 2: Vila-Matas and contemporary artists.

Tues: Section 1: THE PALIMPSEST CITY: TEMPLE OF AUGUST+PICASSO MUSEUM/EL BORN CULTURAL CENTER/SANTA MARÍA DEL MAR + presentations.

Weds: Section 2: Idem.

Thurs: CLASSROOM: New spaces for art in Barcelona: Foundations, Contemporary Museums and galleries. The painting jumps out of the frame: from cubism to installation art in Barcelona (abstract art, pop, minimal, conceptual, installation, video, etc)

Fri: CLASSROOM: ANTONI TAPIES + PRIVATE GALLERIES OF BARCELONA: ADN, Estrany de la Mota, Tony Tapiés, etc. (work in groups: design your own gallery with artists from the city)

Reading: Suderburg, E. (ed.) (2000). Space, site, intervention. Situating installation art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, p. 4-11 and 13.

CAVEAT:  

This is a flexible syllabus, and some changes may occur in content, with possible time adjustments made as needed in class and at specific sites in the cities.  Please remain aware of possible changes announced in class.  In addition, many of the works we will review we will be standing near, giving reports by them, and will not necessarily always correspond to your readings for that week.  There is no classroom per se for this course; we will meet at sites each day and find places to work and discuss.  We will also meet online for information about the next day or for Forums.

Most of the course deals with sophisticated concepts in the history of Spanish and Catalan art.  It is assumed that students have at least some rudimentary understanding of religious symbolism, the Old and New Testament, and modern art.  Discussion of Christian doctrine in relation to the images or architecture does not imply in any way indoctrination; Beliefs may differ from your own; students are asked to view this as intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic examination, and not as religious teaching.

Academic Policies

Academic Integrity and the Oglethorpe Honor Code

Our Oglethorpe community thrives on high standards of academic integrity. The Honor Code serves as a guiding document to develop our fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.   

By embracing these principles, everyone at Oglethorpe supports equitable access to academic success, as well as personal and professional growth. Oglethorpe welcomes all who accept and affirm these principles of academic integrity.  

Affirmation

Students sign the following affirmation at the start of their Oglethorpe career during Convocation.

“I affirm that I am acting with academic integrity.”   (followed by the student’s signature)

Additionally, students are asked to sign this affirmation at least once in every course.  

By regularly signing this affirmation, students are reminded of the Oglethorpe community standards of academic integrity. We encourage students to maintain a commitment to integrity beyond their time at Oglethorpe. 

More Information

The full text of the Honor Code can be found at https://bulletin.oglethorpe.edu/11-honor-code/. It contains the responsibilities we accept by becoming members of the community and the procedures we will follow should our commitment to academic integrity ever come into question.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Honor Council Director, Dr. Lynn Gieger (lgieger@oglethorpe.edu).   

Students with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all LeadAbroad programs promote non-discrimination of disabled individuals and provide reasonable academic accommodations when appropriate. An academic accommodation is a modification that enables students to participate in a program of study by incorporating adjustments to ensure their rights, access, and privileges are equal to those without disabilities. Some examples of academic accommodations may include extended time on tests and quizzes, testing in a distraction free environment, the ability to tape-record lectures, or note-taking assistance in the classroom.

Any participant who needs academic accommodations in a program of study must contact LeadAbroad at least 90 days prior to the program start date. Please note, LeadAbroad cannot guarantee that late requests will be honored. To initiate the accommodation process, please contact the director of international programming at info@LeadAbroad.com

In order to be approved for accommodations, students will be asked to complete the disabilities form in their student portal and provide documentation that supports registration with the disability services office at their home institution. Once documentation has been received, Oglethorpe’s Disability Services and LeadAbroad will work together to identify accommodation possibilities. Please keep in mind that LeadAbroad will not approve any accommodations that alter the fundamental nature of our curricula. If an accommodation request cannot be fulfilled, LeadAbroad will work with the student to identify other program opportunities.

Once approved, the student will receive a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) prior to his or her program start date. From there, it is the student’s responsibility to self-advocate by delivering the LOA directly to his or her instructors. LeadAbroad instructors are accustomed to accommodating students in the classroom. By delivering the LOA personally, this will alert the student’s instructor to initiate a conversation about his or her classroom needs. Finally, the instructor will be responsible for implementing any classroom accommodations, such as recruiting another student in the class to take notes or proctoring an exam for a student that requires extended time.

A student is responsible for providing documentation that supports his or her request for academic adjustments. LeadAbroad requires that the documentation demonstrates the student’s current enrollment in a disability services program at his or her home institution, specifies a list of the student’s approved accommodations, and has been signed by the school’s disability services professional. Please note, the documentation does not need to specify the student’s diagnosis given that this type of paperwork has already been supplied to his or her current disability services professional.

Participants should be aware that some LeadAbroad programs involve voluntary activities that require moderate exercise, such as hiking and biking; these activities are voluntary. In addition, some of the site locations may not be compliant with ADA standards of accessibility given their geographic location and different governing systems. Last, accommodations cannot be applied retroactively, accommodations begin in the classroom once the LOA is received by the instructor.

If any program participant feels that he or she is being treated unfairly in any way, please notify the supervising faculty member or LeadAbroad office immediately at info@LeadAbroad.com.

Title IX

LeadAbroad faculty and staff are not confidential resources. In accordance with Title IX, any report of sexual misconduct that has occurred during a student’s time at a university will be reported back to Oglethorpe University and a students’ home university in order to ensure that the student has access to all resources and support needed.