HISTORY OF KOREAN ART 1

Through a selection of thematic topics ranging from the Neolithic period to the 19th century, the course History of Korean Art 1 [LT2490] deals with the pre-modern period. Students will be familiarized with the main issues in Korean art history by surveying the key episodes in the development of material and visual culture in the Korean peninsula.

Successful completion of the course will enable students to acquire a good understanding of Korean art, its main features and important artefacts and monuments, as well as specialized terminology. They will also be trained in research methods in art history such as bibliographical search, image sourcing, academic writing, copyrights, and in developing critical skills in the understanding and iconographic analysis of a work of art. Students will be introduced to the various correlated issues such as the legacy of the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) in the interpretation of Korea’s past, the religious history of art and the social history of art.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course will introduce the key episodes in the history of Korean art through a selection of thematic topics ranging chronologically from the Neolithic period to the 19th century. Among the topics covered in the class, students will study:
-The ceramic cultures of the Neolithic
-The funerary art of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668)
-Buddhist art and architecture
-Arts of Koryǒ (918-1392) and Chosǒn (1392-1910) including the religious and ritual paintings
-The impact of the arrival of Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism on artistic production, as well as the history of production techniques (ceramics, painting, sculpture) and the evolution of aesthetic canons.

The various networks of cultural and artistic contacts, exchanges and transmission with neighboring China and Japan will be examined. These topics will be situated within broader historical, social and political contexts.

A full bibliography will be provided to students.

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. Iconographic analysis of a work of art situating it in its social and historical context
2. Identification of four works of art
3. A series of six questions

In person lectures. Additional materials relevant to each lesson will be presented in class.

English

It is highly recommended that students attend the lectures in person. Those who cannot attend are invited to contact the teacher by e-mail at the beginning of the semester.

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