Bi9290 Anthropology of Art

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Jiří Svoboda, DrSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jiří Svoboda, DrSc.
Department of Anthropology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. PhDr. Jiří Svoboda, DrSc.
Timetable
Mon 13:00–14:50 Bp1
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, M-BI)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, M-BI, specialization Physical Antropology)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, M-BI, specialization Socio-Cultural Antropology)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-AN)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BC)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BC, specialization Fyzická antropologie)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BC, specialization Sociokulturní antropologie)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BI)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BI, specialization Physical Antropology)
  • Anthropology (programme PřF, N-BI, specialization Socio-Cultural Antropology)
Course objectives
Main objectives of the course can be summarized as follows: to introduce the development of approaches to art in the 19th and 20th centuries under the influence of the prevailing scientific-educational approach; to explain the problem of "proto-art" and creative activities of great apes; to discuss the terms art, technique, operational chain; to characterize art in the individual eras of prehistory; to focus on the associations between art and ritual.
Syllabus
  • 1. Review of approaches in the 19th and 20th centuries: evolutionism, l art-pour-l artism, early ethnological analogies, structuralism, impact of exact methods, impact of modern ethnoarchaeology, neurobiology, actual contextual approach.
  • 2. Discusion on the terms „art“, „symbolism“, „spirituality“. Creative activities of great apes, problem of the „proto-art“ of archaic humans.
  • 3. Technique and the „operational chains“.
  • 4. Characteristic of art in the Aurignacian, Gravettian, Magdalenian, Mesolithic and Neolithic. Preconditions for complex change in the antique states.
  • 5. Art and rituals.
Literature
  • Svoboda, J.: Mistři kamenného dláta. Umění pravěkých lovců. Panorama, Praha 2006.
  • Guthrie, D.: The Nature of Paleolithic art. Chicago University Press, London – Chicago 2005.
  • Lewis-Williams, D.: Mysl v jeskyni. Academia, Praha 2007.
  • Renfrew, C. – Morley, I.: Image and Imagination. McDonald Institute Monographs, Cambridge 2007.
  • Svoboda, J.: Paleolit a mezolit: Myšlení, symbolismus a umění. In: J. Malina, ed., Panorama biologické a sociokulturní antropologie 6, Masarykova univerzita Brno 2002.
  • Jelínek, J.: Velký obrazový atlas pravěkého člověka. Artia, Praha 1983.
  • Leroi-Gourhan, A.: Préhistoire de l art occidental. Paris 1965.
Assessment methods
Lectures, the course is concluded by an oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2007 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Autumn 2010 - only for the accreditation, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2014.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
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