A basic knowledge of world's art history is highly recommended, as well as the theorical knowledge of the main art techniques.

The course is organized into modules:

Module 1 (6 hours): Introduction to the Course and Assessment of Prerequisite Knowledge

The presentation of the course syllabus will be accompanied by a discussion with the students to gain an understanding of their academic background and their familiarity with the materials and techniques of art history. During the final two hours of this module, students will complete a non-assessed written questionnaire designed to evaluate their prerequisite knowledge.

Module 2 (18 hours): Lectures and discussions on the History of Art Restoration in Europe from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century

This module consists of lectures and also some guided visits focusing on the history of conservation and restoration, comparing the Italian tradition to the Chinese one. The following topics will be examined in greater detail:

century. Particular attention will be devoted to the following topics:

• Conservation and adaptation of works of art in Classical Antiquity;
• Spolia, recovery, and reuse in the Middle Ages; the preservation of relics and devotional images;
• Archaeology and restoration from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century;
• Precursors of modern restoration: Carlo Maratti and Giovan Pietro Bellori;
• The eighteenth century: revolutions, technological developments, the first heritage protection laws, and the example of Pietro Edwards in Venice;
• The Napoleonic period and the Restoration: confiscation of works of art, museum collections, the transfer of wall paintings (strappo and stacco), and new restoration methodologies;
• Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and the culture of stylistic restoration;
• John Ruskin and the affirmation of the value of authenticity;
• Nineteenth-century restoration manuals: Ulisse Forni and Giovanni Secco Suardo;
• Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle, Camillo Boito, and philological restoration;
• The Lombard and Florentine restoration traditions between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
• Restoration between the two World Wars: the Athens Charter and the establishment of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR);
• Cesare Brandi's Theory of Restoration;
• Restoration after the Florence Flood of 1966: methods and theory;

Module 3 (6 hours): Advanced Topic

Conservation and Restoration of painted sculpture.

 

Through the case studies presented in the historical survey of restoration practices, the course aims to develop students' ability to assess the state of conservation of works of art as an essential component of their historical and critical analysis. By combining the study of visual documentation with the direct examination of artworks through guided visits to museums, historic sites, and conservation laboratories, students will be encouraged to identify and distinguish original material from altered areas, later additions, and reconstructed or restored sections.

1. Knowledge and Understanding

• Knowledge of the history of restoration in Europe from the sixteenth century to the present day.
• Knowledge and understanding of the principal theories of restoration developed in Italy during the modern and contemporary periods.
• Knowledge of the history of restoration practices in Apulia from the second half of the twentieth century to the present.
• Knowledge of the technical terminology of the discipline.
• Theoretical knowledge of artistic techniques and conservation and restoration techniques.

2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding

Ability to identify the material components of works of art and recognize the principal artistic techniques and methods of execution.

3. Ability to identify previous restoration interventions and to assess and propose appropriate future conservation and 3. Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to formulate independent assessments of the history and techniques of restoration through the centuries, taking into account both the aesthetic and conservation-related aspects of the works examined. They will be able to critically analyze works of art and other cultural artefacts, formulating well-founded judgements based on the study of primary sources and the relevant scholarly literature.

4. Communication Skills

Using the specific terminology of the discipline, students will develop the ability to interpret, communicate, and present the course content within a coherent and well-structured discourse based on specialist knowledge, supporting their arguments with logical and consistent reasoning.

5. Learning Skills

Students will acquire the methodological tools necessary to pursue independent study of the history and techniques of restoration and the analysis of works of art through the critical consultation of primary sources, specialist bibliography, and restoration documentation. They will be able to update their knowledge in response to advances in scholarly research and emerging issues concerning the conservation, enhancement, and public accessibility of cultural heritage.

 

The lessons will be carried out through frontal teaching. Part of the time will be dedicated to reading and discussion texts and images in the classroom

The oral/written exam will be based on the study of recommended texts/documents and is to verify the knowledge of the lesson topics, analyzed throughout the course. In particular, the student will be evaluated considering:

• knowledge and understanding of the subject matter,
• ability to apply knowledge acquired, synthesis and formal correctness in the exposition and ability to argue one's thesis
• autonomy of judgment,
• communication skills.

 

The exam score is assigned using a grade expressed in thirtieths (or through a pass/fail assessment).

 

In the evaluation of the exam, the determination of the final grade considers the following elements:

 

30 with honors: excellent evaluation; comprehensive and rich preparation; in the presentation, accurate expression, confident knowledge of the topics, clarity of exposition,.

 30: very good evaluation; comprehensive preparation, with good ability to make connections; in the presentation, proper expression, fairly confident knowledge; clarity of exposition.

29-28: very good evaluation; comprehensive preparation with connections; in the presentation, some uncertainty in expression, fairly confident knowledge, not entirely clear exposition.

 27-26: good evaluation; comprehensive preparation; reasonably confident presentation, uncertainties in exposition.

25-24: moderately good evaluation; approximately complete preparation, occasional inaccuracies and/or gaps; in the presentation, occasional terminological or conceptual confusions.

23-22: more than sufficient evaluation; nearly complete preparation, gaps and/or inaccuracies; in the presentation, some confusion of terms and concepts.

 21-20: sufficient evaluation; approximately complete preparation, inaccuracies, gaps; in the presentation, approximate use of terms and concepts.

 19-18: barely sufficient evaluation; limited preparation (many inaccuracies and various gaps); in the presentation, confusion of terms and concepts.

 < 18: insufficient evaluation; insufficient preparation; insufficient presentation.

The course is organized into modules:

Module 1 (6 hours): Introduction to the Course and Assessment of Prerequisite Knowledge

The presentation of the course syllabus will be accompanied by a discussion with the students to gain an understanding of their academic background and their familiarity with the materials and techniques of art history. During the final two hours of this module, students will complete a non-assessed written questionnaire designed to evaluate their prerequisite knowledge.

Module 2 (18 hours): Lectures and discussions on the History of Art Restoration in Europe from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century

This module consists of lectures and also some guided visits focusing on the history of conservation and restoration, comparing the Italian tradition to the Chinese one. The following topics will be examined in greater detail:

century. Particular attention will be devoted to the following topics:

• Conservation and adaptation of works of art in Classical Antiquity;
• Spolia, recovery, and reuse in the Middle Ages; the preservation of relics and devotional images;
• Archaeology and restoration from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century;
• Precursors of modern restoration: Carlo Maratti and Giovan Pietro Bellori;
• The eighteenth century: revolutions, technological developments, the first heritage protection laws, and the example of Pietro Edwards in Venice;
• The Napoleonic period and the Restoration: confiscation of works of art, museum collections, the transfer of wall paintings (strappo and stacco), and new restoration methodologies;
• Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and the culture of stylistic restoration;
• John Ruskin and the affirmation of the value of authenticity;
• Nineteenth-century restoration manuals: Ulisse Forni and Giovanni Secco Suardo;
• Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle, Camillo Boito, and philological restoration;
• The Lombard and Florentine restoration traditions between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
• Restoration between the two World Wars: the Athens Charter and the establishment of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR);
• Cesare Brandi's Theory of Restoration;
• Restoration after the Florence Flood of 1966: methods and theory;

Module 3 (6 hours): Advanced Topic

Conservation and Restoration of painted sculpture.

 

Cesare Brandi, Theory of Restoration (English edition) Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005

M. Ciatti, Appunti per un manuale di storia e teoria del restauro, Milano, Hoepli 2009.