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Architectural History Seminar I

ARCH 650 Western Architectural Theory from Antiquity to the Renaissance

Prerequisites: Postgraduate M.Arch II and Ph.D. I students entering the History and Theory Program are required to audit simultaneously course ARCH 531 - Architectural Intentions from Vitruvius to the Renaissance. The seminar will normally take place in the Rare Books Department Seminar Room of the McLennan Library. There will be 13 sessions of 3 hours duration. This course may also be taken by M. Arch I students with a demonstrated interest and background in history of architecture and who have previously and successfully completed the lecture course ARCH 531.

8 credits

Introduction

The general topics of these weekly seminars are described in the lecture course description - Architectural Intentions from Vitruvius to the Renaissance (attached). Participants in the seminars are expected to be familiar with the secondary sources that refer to the lectures, particularly those sources marked with an asterisk (*) in the lecture course syllabus. Students will be asked to choose three sessions during the first class meeting for which they will be responsible. On three occasions during the term, each student will present a primary source (or a few selected sources) in its context, and will chair a discussion around the topic. Assignments will take account of the students' knowledge of languages. The following list of texts, therefore, will not be covered in its entirety, but serves as a point of departure for our sessions.

The presentations will be oral, and students are expected to submit a 3-5-page paper/outline, providing a copy to each participant at class time (copies may be made in advance in the school office through the program secretary). After the seminar discussion, and taking into account any important suggestions, students are expected to develop one of their presentations (one of a total of six in both Fall and Winter History seminars) into a paper (20-25 pages of text maximum, plus bibliography and footnotes), for final submission with the project document at the end of July. Tutorial advice for this paper is available during the Fall and Winter semesters, and students are encouraged to make appointments to speak with Dr. Pérez-Gómez as soon as they have made a decision. For secondary sources in relation to each session, please refer to the lecture course bibliography (attached). Key secondary sources are marked. An excellent bibliographical guide to the primary sources is M. Schlosser, La Letteratura Artistica. Also consult the Master’s and Ph.D. dissertations from the History and Theory program, available in the school office or through the university library.

Primary Texts for Discussion

Week 1
Introduction to the course and the library. Preliminary discussion organized in terms of questions arising from readings on ancient architectural intentions (from lecture course bibliography).

Weeks 2 and 3
Sample hermeneutic reading. All students must prepare Vitruvius and marked secondary sources in sessions 2 and 3 of the lecture course bibliography. Prof. Pérez-Gómez will present on week 2 and students on week 3.

  1. *Vitruvius, The Ten Books of Architecture, Dover ed., and other eds. available in the library.
  2. Philo of Alexandria, Works, Loebb Classical Library, particularly Genesis, Exodus: Questions and Answers, Book II, and A Treatise in the Life of Moses, Book III.
  3. Robinson J. ed., The Nag Hammadi Library. (For the issue of gnosticism in relation to architecture, consult other secondary sources, particularly Jonas H. The Gnostic Religion.)

Week 4
For secondary sources refer to session 4 of the lecture course bibliography. [Reader 1: a); Reader 2: b) & c)]

  1. Gen. 1-4; 6; 11:1-9; 28. Ex. 15:13; 19-20; 25-27; 33: 7-11; 35-40. Lev. 23:33-43. Ps. 24; 29; 48; 78:69. 1 Kgs. 5-8. Job 38. Is. 6; 23-27 (esp. 26:1-6); 40:1-31; 66:1-2. Ezk. 1-28; 8:1-12; 40-48:35. Wis. 9:8; 11:20b. Mt. 23:16-22; 24:1-3. Mk. 11. Lk. 9:28-36. Jn. 1:1-18. Acts. 7:44-50. Eph. 2. Heb. 11:14-16. Rev. 21-22:5. in The new Oxford annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version: an ecumenical study Bible.
  2. St.Bernard of Clairvaux, "Apologia" and related documents in the appendix of Braunfels W., Monasteries of Western Europe, pp.232-245.
  3. Hugh of St.Victor, De Arca Noe Morali, in Migne J.P., Patrologia Latina, vol. CLXXVI, cols. 617-20; English tr. is in Hugh of Saint-Victor: Selected Spiritual Writings, tr. a religious of C.S.M.V., pp.49-93, 120-127, 151-152 (found at Concordia Library, copy in Alberto’s library).

Week 5
For secondary sources refer to session 5 of the lecture course bibliography. [Reader 1: a) & b); Reader 2: c), d) & e)]

  1. Suger, Abbot of Saint Denis, "De Administratione" and "De Consacratione" in Panofsky E. ed., Abbot Suger on the Abbey Church of St-Denis and its art treasures.
  2. Illuminated Manuscripts from McGill Rare Books, RBD 38a-e; RBD 132 de Ricci; RBD 57; RBD 96; RBD 134; RBD 146; RBD 47; MS Greek 1 (bible); MS GReek 2 (bible).
  3. "Annual reports on the building operations of Milan Cathedral," in Holt E. ed., A Documentary History of Art.
  4. Roriczer M., "On the Ordination of Pinacles," in Holt E., A Documentary History of Art; and Shelby L.R. ed., Gothic Design Techniques.
  5. "The Constitutions of Masonry", a manuscript reproduced in Harvey J., The Medieval Architect.

Week 6
For secondary sources refer to session 6 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. Machiavelli, The Prince, University of Dallas ed., tr. Alvarez; or Humanities Press, tr. Paul Sonnino.
  2. Nicholas of Cusa, On Learned Ignorance. See also De Ludo Globi, (English text).
  3. Pico della Mirandola G., "Oration on the Dignity of Man," in Cassirer E. et al. ed., The Renaissance Philosophy of Man.
  4. Ficino M., "Five Questions concerning the Mind," in Cassirer E. et al., op.cit. See also The Book of Life ("De vita coelitus comparanda").

Week 7
For secondary sources refer to session 7 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. Alberti L.B., The Ten Books (Leoni and Rykwert tr.).
  2. Alberti L.B., On Painting and Sculpture and other available sources.
  3. Colonna F., Hypnerotomachia Poliphili or Le Songe de Poliphile, several eds. including abridged English version.

Week 8
For secondary sources refer to session 8 of the lecture course bibliography and recent articles in periodicals.

  1. Pacioli L., On Divine Proportion.
  2. Piero della Francesca, Perspectiva pingendi.
  3. Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Trattati. See also Scaglia G., Francesco di Giorgio (1992).

Week 9
For secondary sources refer to session 9 of the lecture course bibliography and recent articles in periodicals.

  1. Averlino A., detto "Il Filarete", Trattato di Architettura.
  2. Campanella T., The City of the Sun.
  3. More T., Utopia. (See also Erasmus, In Praise of Folly.)

Week 10
For secondary sources refer to session 10 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. Palladio A., The Four Books, Ware I. ed. and others available in the library.
  2. Barbaro D., La Pratica della Prespettiva.
  3. Barbaro D. ed., Vitruvius' Ten Books.
  4. Scamozzi V., L'Idea della Architettura Universale.

Week 11
For secondary sources refer to session 11 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. Michelangelo, Rimes and Letters. (Compare to A. Dürer's Proportionslehre). See Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, and recommended secondary sources.
  2. Serlio S., Architettura e Prospettiva, and abridged English version in the library (1611).
  3. Viator J.P., De Artificiali Perspectiva, Ivins W., ed.
  4. Vignola J., Regole delle Cinque Ordine.
  5. Vignola J. and Danti E., Regole della Prospettiva Prattica.
  6. Dürer A., Unterweisung der Messung and Proportionslehre (in Osler). Compare with Leonardo's On the Human Body.
  7. Cusano N., Visio Dei (English tr.).

Week 12
For secondary sources refer to session 12 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. Bruno G., Ash Wednesday Supper. See also Saiber A., Bruno.
  2. Agrippa C., Occult Philosophy (original in Medical library). See also Female Pre-Eminence (1670), and On the Vanity and Uncertainty of the Arts and Sciences (architecture).
  3. Porta G.B., Natural Magick.
  4. Herrera J., Discurso de la Figura Cubica.
  5. Dee J., "Preface to Euclid, in Yates F., Theatre of the World. Mathematical Prefaces, (1570, reprint 1975). See also tr. of Monas Hieroglyphica in Ambix vol.XII, no.2 & 3, June, October 1964 (PSE Library).
  6. Jones I., Stonehenge Restored.

Week 13
For secondary sources refer to session 13 of the lecture course bibliography.

  1. De l'Orme P., Architecture.
  2. Du Cerceau J., Trois livres d'architecture.
  3. Du Cerceau J., Discours de perspective positive.
  4. Rabelais F., Gargantua and Pantagruel.

Assessment of Candidates

No examination will be given in this course. The mark will be based on the two formal papers and on the informal participation of students in the seminar group.

A. Pérez Gómez




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