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Art, History and Thought

Code: 43005
Credits: 10
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Analysis and Management of Artistic Heritage OB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Montserrat Claveria Nadal
Email :
montserrat.claveria@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Ricard Bru Turull
Francesc Miralpeix Vilamala
Silvia Roses Castellsaguer

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There is no specific requirement.

Objectives

The Module 2 program links with Module 1 and constitutes the second cornerstone of the Master as far as the introduction to research is concerned. The program of this training module aims to introduce new and fresh perspectives on the study of a set of long-scope and varied issues, from the conceptual as well as spatial and temporal points of view.

Learning outcomes

  • (CA05) Formulate research proposals autonomously using the tools, procedures and strategies of argumentation and scientific justification related to the field of art history and artistic heritage.
  • (CA06) Use the theoretical knowledge acquired to carry out a transversal and interdisciplinary analysis between the history of art and the fields of cultural heritage.
  • (CA07) Critically evaluate a set of topics on the history of art and artistic heritage of a diverse nature, applying new and original perspectives from the conceptual, methodological, and spatial-temporal points of view.
  • (KA04) Define the main lines of research in the field of art history and cultural heritage.
  • (KA05) Identify the main bibliographic search tools, archives and databases relevant to the different fields of art history and visual culture.
  • (KA20) Recognise the gender perspective (either visible or underlying) in art history studies or research procedures.
  • (SA03) Codifying documentary, visual and cultural data in line with different research questions and objectives, while assessing its reliability and taking gender issues into account.
  • (SA04) Compose well-structured and detailed academic texts on complex topics of artistic heritage, following the rules of style and showing a correct use of the mechanisms of organisation, articulation and cohesion of the text.
  • (SA05) Use traditional research procedures and digital tools for the exploitation of sources and documentation related to the history of art and heritage.

Contents


Schedule


Module 2 constitutes the second pillar of the course regarding introduction to research. Based on the structure of the classes and their specific content, this module —organised in four seminars— aims to introduce new or original perspectives on the research of a set of topics (used as case studies) with a long trajectory and diverse nature, both conceptually and in terms of space and time.


Seminar 1. Japonisme.The fascination with Japanese art in Catalonia in the 19th and 20th centuries.


Lecturer: Ricard Bru Turull


The four sessions will analyze in depth the phenomenon of Japonisme in Catalonia, presenting the methods and results of both local and international research. Starting from a global perspective, the sessions will provide an understanding of how a topic of international research can become a fruitful field of study from a local perspective, with transnational implications.


1. Japonisme in Europe. Introduction to the global phenomenon of the attraction, influence, and inspiration of Japanese art from the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.


2. Japonisme in Catalonia (1868-1888). The attraction and impact of Japanese art in Catalonia until the Universal Exposition of 1888, from Fortuny to Riquer.


3. Japonisme in Catalonia (1889-1915). Japonisme in the era of modernisme, from Ramon Casas to Lluís Domènech i Montaner.


4. Japonisme in Catalonia (1915-1975). An approach to the fascination with Japanese art and culture from noucentisme to the second avant-garde movements, from Francesc Galí to Joan Miró.



Seminar 2: Antiquae Feminae: From Research to Digital Heritage Product


Lecturer: Montserrat Claveria Nadal


1.The ages of women represented and their messages in classical antiquity and antiquarian collecting


2.From the research on Antiquae feminae to its dissemination in contemporary society


This seminar aims to address the representation of women in classical antiquity sculpture and analyze its reception and reinterpretation over time up to today's digital age. The successive sessions emphasize the process that goes from academic research to the creation of digital heritage products, with the goal of facilitating the dissemination of the classical legacy in contemporary society.

The seminar is structured around two main areas. First, it addresses the different ages of women represented in classical antiquity sculpture, and tackles the reception of these female representations within the context of modern-era antiquarian collecting. Next, the Antiquae Feminae project is presented, which promotes an inclusive perspective and leadership in new approaches to analysis and dissemination. Finally, it reflects on how academic research can be transformed into digital products that allow for an effective and appealing outreach to today's public.



Seminar 3: The arts of the Modern period in Catalonia (ff. Fifteenth Century-mid-Nineteenth Century). Research, work methodologies and dissemination strategies.


Lecturer: Francesc Miralpeix Vilamala


The history of Modern Art in Catalonia, traditionally referenced in the stylistic currents of Renaissance and Baroque art, covers more than three centuries of artistic creation. Traditionally criticised and undervalued by the historiographical tradition and bythe cultural and political imaginary of the country since the beginning of the nineteenth century and seriously affected by the different episodes of destruction and plunder, modern art claims in the twenty-first century a quality space in the discourse of the arts in Catalonia and in the Catalan Museum system. So much so that the newly created Renaissance Museum and Baroque Museum are firmly committed to the visibility of some artists and assets that make up one of the most fertile periods of artistic practice in Catalonia, essential to understand the conformation of phenomena linked to current material and immaterial culture such as the festival, the cuisine, the celebrations or the landscape. The aim of this seminar is to analyse the most unique features of the plastic arts and movable heritage of the period and, at the same time, to offer working and analytical tools that allow parallel paths to be opened such as the study and understanding of destruction, safeguarding, collecting or dissemination based on quality tools and content.


1. Presentation. The heritage of the modern era from a bird's eye view. The predominant artistic genres. Artisans or artists?


2. Historiography. From the academic attack to the romantic gaze. National identity and art. The Noucentisme imaginary. Destruction and plundering.


3. Tools for study and analysis (visit to the MNAC reserves and the Amatller Institute of Hispanic Art/Mas Archive)


4. Enhancement. Museums, exhibitions and ICT tools. Research veins.



Seminar 4. The arts and design from an interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective


Professor: Sílvia Rosés Castellsaguer


Art historiography has traditionally focused on the triad considered hegemonic: painting, sculpture and architecture. This classification responds to an academic desire to simplify and organize the past, but often reduces cultural complexity and underestimates othercreative practices such as those linked to craftsmanship or design. These disciplines, despite their constant presence in everyday life and in the shaping of material culture, have often been relegated for reasons of aesthetic or symbolic hierarchy.


The proposed seminar aims to expand the traditional boundaries of art history and give space to practices that have been undervalued until now, taking fashion design as a central axis and connecting it with other creative disciplines such as object design, jewelry, comics or audiovisuals. The aim is to show how these apparently separate fields actually maintain close dialogues and constant interdependencies.


In addition, the seminar is committed to a structure that breaks with the usual chronological narrative and incorporates an intersectional perspective. This perspective allows us to analyze how the axis of gender, class, race or sexuality intersect in cultural production and reception, providing a more critical and contemporary understanding of artistic and design practices.



1. Arts and design under the perspectives of gender and sexuality.


2. Arts and design under the evolution of social class hierarchies.


3. Arts and design under the prisms of religious beliefs and racialization.



Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Type: Supervised
Conferences, visits to exhibitions, museums and artistic sites 13 0.52 CA05, CA06, CA07, KA04, KA05, KA20, SA03, SA04, SA05

Magistral classes, conferences and visits to art col.lections. Student participation in class will be assessed.


Group and individual tutorials for the preparation of the Master's Final Thesis (TFM), led by the module coordination


Note: 15 minutes of a class will be set aside, within the calendar established by the center/degree, for students to fill in the teacher performance and subject evaluation surveys /module.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Class attendance and active participation 20 % 66 2.64 CA05, CA06, CA07, KA04, KA05, KA20, SA03, SA04, SA05
Tutories seguiment del projecte de Treball fi de Màster: 30% 30% 87 3.48 CA05, CA06, CA07, KA04, KA05, KA20, SA03, SA04, SA05
Written presentation of the Master thesis project prepared with the supervision of the tutor 50% 84 3.36 CA05, CA06, CA07, KA04, KA05, KA20, SA03, SA04, SA05
  1. Attendance and active participation in the seminars: 20%
  2. Supervision sessions for the TFM project: 30%
  3. Written submission of the TFM project, developed under the supervision of the project tutor: 50%.


The project must include:


  1. A presentation of the objectives, the reasons for the choice of the topic, and the initial research questions.
  2. A first outline of the thesis: that is, a reasoned preliminary structure, a first sketch listing the aspects you intend to address in your thesis and the methodologies you plan to use. You will develop this first outline with the guidance of your tutors. Naturally, as your research progresses, you may modify certain aspects of the initial outline.
  3. An initial compilation of the sources you are consulting or plan to consult to carry out the project. Depending on the topic, these sources may be of various types: bibliographic, archival, video, photographic, interviews, etc.
  4. Lastly, the project must also include a work plan, explaining how you have organised your work from the beginning and how you intend to carry out the remaining tasks until completion. We recommend that this plan be as detailed and precise as possible.


The deadline for submitting the Project is 6 February 2026.


Two copies must be submitted: one for the module coordinator, Professor Montserrat Claveria, and the other for your thesis tutor, in the format they specify.


This module offers the possibility of Single Assessment based on the following evidence:


  1. Written submission of the Master's Thesis Project: 50%
  2. Submission of an individual paper developing a topic related to one of the module’s seminars, according to the instructions of the module coordinator: 50%


AI


The use of Artificial Intelligence technologies is permitted in this module for tasks such as literature searches or information retrieval, text correction, or translations, at the discretion of the teaching staff. Other situations may be considered, subject to the approval of the professor. Students must identify the parts generated with AI, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. A lack of transparency in the use of AI in this gradable activity will be considered a breach of academic honesty and will result in a grade of 0 with no option for reassessment, or major sanctions in severe cases..

Bibliography

Each teacher will provide the bibliography related to his seminar in class.

Software

If specific program is required, It will be indicated in a due course.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TEm) Theory (master) 1 Catalan first semester afternoon