Introductory description

This module focuses on the art, iconography and patronage of the Franciscan Order, arguably the most popular religious movement of the later middle ages. It investigates in detail how the cult of Francis of Assisi was promoted through images from its modest beginnings to the frescoed double church at Assisi painted in part by Giotto, the most important artist of late medieval Italy. Comparison is made with the other friars: Dominicans, Carmelites, Austin Hermits and the art of women religious.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Setting the Scene: the Lives of Francis and Dominic
What comes First: the Picture or the Word?
The Cult of St Francis: Early Images
The Cult of St Francis: Assisi (the Lower & Upper Church)
Giotto and the ‘Assisi’ problem
Women Religious: the Art of the Poor Clares
Franciscan Responses to Assisi
The Other Friars: Dominic’s tomb in Bologna; paintings of St Dominic
The Other Friars: Carmelites and Austin Hermit

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Analyse medieval visual culture within an interdisciplinary framework
• Understand the relationship between text and image
• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the monuments studied and their contexts
• Critically assess the role of artists vs. patrons within the context of artistic production in late medieval Italy
• Initiate and sustain group discussion through intelligent questioning and debate at an appropriate level
• Ability to undertake research and to write up the results in the form of a well-structured argument at an appropriate level
• Familiarity with essential ICT skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with others
• Show understanding of diverse viewpoints
• Ability to find, select, organize and synthesize evidence
• Ability to formulate a sustained argument
• Think conceptually and independently at an appropriate level
• Sophisticated visual analysis
• Bibliographical skills at an appropriate level
• Critical analysis of cultural artefacts in their context

Indicative reading list

Louise Bourdua, The Franciscans and Art Patronage in Late Medieval Italy, Cambridge: Cambridge, 2004 & 2011
Louise Bourdua & Anne Dunlop, Art and the Augustinian Order in Early Renaissance Italy, Aldershot & Burlington VT, 2007
William R. Cook, The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy, Boston & Leiden: Brill, 2005
Joanna Cannon, Religious Poverty, Visual Riches: Art in the Dominican Churches of Central Italy in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, New Haven & London, 2013
Donal Cooper & Janet Robson, The Making of Assisi: The Pope, the Franciscans and the Painting of the Basilica, New Haven & London, 2013
Anne Derbes & Mark Sandona eds., The Cambridge Companion to Giotto, Cambridge, 2003
Elvio Lunghi, The Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi: The frescoes by Giotto, his precursors and followers, London, 1996
Jeryldene Wood, Women, Art, and Spirituality: The Poor Clares of Early Modern Italy, Cambridge, 1996

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

• analyse medieval visual culture within an interdisciplinary framework
• understand the relationship between text and image
• demonstrate detailed knowledge of the monuments studied and their contexts
• critically assess the role of artists vs. patrons within the context of artistic production in late medieval Italy
• sophisticated visual analysis
• critical analysis of cultural artefacts in their context

Transferable skills

• initiate and sustain group discussion through intelligent questioning and debate at an appropriate level
• ability to undertake research and to write up the results in the form of a well-structured argument at an appropriate level
• familiarity with essential ICT skills
• ability to collaborate effectively with others
• show understanding of diverse viewpoints
• ability to find, select, organize and synthesize evidence
• ability to formulate a sustained argument
• think conceptually and independently at an appropriate level
• bibliographical skills at an appropriate level