Special Topics in Italian Language, Literature and Culture
The Italian Baroque
What is “the Baroque”? Do we now live in Baroque times? And, if so, what would that mean? The Baroque is often reduced to—or dismissed as—an odd style: it’s excessive and exaggerated. And yet, the Baroque is so much more. In this course, we will delve into the Baroque as a specific and most influential way of seeing and interpreting the world during a crucial time in world history: the seventeenth century. This was a period of major upheavals, both scientifically and artistically, including the transition from geocentrism to heliocentrism (Galileo Galilei) and the discovery that the universe is infinite (Giordano Bruno); a rich artistic production from excessive sculptures privileging folds and spirals (Gian Lorenzo Bernini) to powerful women painters (Artemisia Gentileschi); the rise of opera and Baroque music (Monteverdi and Vivaldi) to the rise of horse ballets (Margherita Costa); the invention of the telescope and microscope and—not unrelated!—doubts about our own existence: is our life just a dream and the world a stage? And is there life on other planets? At the same time, the Baroque period was bound up with transoceanic travels and the spread of slavery, colonialism, religious wars and the rise of absolutism. We will explore the Baroque as a fascinating as well as deeply troubling, global phenomenon—with Italy at its centre. As we will explore key Baroque concepts such as the monstrous, ineffable and excessive alongside Baroque’s blurred line between the real and the virtual, we’ll ask ourselves: is ours a Baroque world?
This course is recommended for students with second-year standing or higher. May be taken twice for a total of 6 credits. Credit can only be applied for one of ITAL_V 420 or RMST_V 440. Equivalency: ITAL_V 420.
Language of instruction: English
Instructor: Dr. Katharina Piechocki
Prerequisites: None