HISTORY OF KOREAN ART 1

The course will introduce students to the main issues in Korean art history by surveying the key episodes in the development of material and visual culture on the Korean peninsula, through a selection of thematic topics ranging from the Neolithic period to the 20th century. In doing so, we will also look at the various correlated issues such as the legacy of the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), the religious history of art and the social history of art.

Successful completion of the course will enable students to acquire a good understanding of Korean art, its specific features, important relics and monuments and art terminology. Students will also be trained in research methods in art history such as bibliographical search, images sourcing, academic writing, copyrights, and in developing critical skills in the understanding and analysis of a work of art.

No particular preliminary knowledge is required.

Among the topics that will be discussed we will see : the ceramic cultures of the Neolithic, the funerary art of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668), Buddhist art and architecture, the court arts of Koryǒ (918-1392) and Chosǒn (1392-1910), the impact of the arrival of Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism on artistic production, “folk” minhwa painting, Shamanic art, the birth of modern art, art in North Korea, as well as the history of production techniques (ceramics, painting, sculpture) and the evolution of aesthetic canons. We will also explore the various networks of cultural and artistic contacts, exchanges and transmission within the Korean peninsula and with neighboring China and Japan. We will situate these topics within broader historical, religious and social contexts.

A full bibliography will be provided to students on the first day of class.
1. BARNES, Gina L. 2015. Archaeology of East Asia: The Rise of Civilization in China, Korea and Japan, Oxford, Oxbow Books.

2. HORLYCK, Charlotte. 2017. Korean Art: from the 19th Century to the Present,
London, Reaktion Books.

3. JUNGMANN, Burglind. 2014. Pathways to Korean Culture: Paintings of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910, London, Reaktion Books.

4. KIM, Kumja Paik. 2003. Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392, San Francisco, Asian Art Museum.

5. KIM, Lena. 2007. Buddhist Sculpture of Korea (Korean Culture Series), Elizabeth, N.J., Hollym.

6. KIM, Youngna. 2005. 20th Century Korean Art, London, Laurence King.

7. PAK, Youngsook and Roderick WHITFIELD. 2003. Handbook of Korean Art: Buddhist
Sculpture, London, Laurence King.

8. PORTAL, Jane. 2000. Korea: Art and Archaeology, London, British Museum.

9. RŰDIGER, Frank (ed.). 2011. Exploring North Korean Arts, Nürnberg, Verlag für Moderne Kunst.

A written exam lasting 45 mn (mark ranging from min. 18/30 to max. 30/30) will assess the knowledge and analytical skills the students acquired during the semester. It will include the following:
1. Iconographical analysis of a work of art situating it in its socio-historical context
2. Identification of 4 works of art
3. A series of 6 questions.

Lectures. Additional visual materials relevant to each lesson will be presented in class.

English

Students are highly recommended to attend lectures. Those who cannot attend are invited to contact the teacher by e-mail.

written