Curatorial Practicum: Piranesi as Archaeologist, Architect, and Artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian,1720-1778) was a visionary archaeologist, architect, and artist active in eighteenth-century Rome. His work continues to captivate contemporary audiences with his grandiose and often imaginary depictions of architecture old and new, ranging from Classical Antiquity to his own Age of the Enlightenment, and anticipating Romanticism and even a distopian future. In this curatorial practicum/seminar, we will study Piranesi’s momentous output in drawings, prints, and sculpture, investigate his quixotic artistic persona, and assess his relevance today. We will curate an online and/or museum exhibition on the artist’s artistic and intellectual output and will conceptualize its organization and layout, generate contextual and object labels, and prepare educational materials.

A Global History of Pre-Modern Architecture Since time immemorial, humans have created structures large and small, not only to provide shelter and protection but also to express identity, status, and ideology. In this course we will chronicle the major developments of architecture as a cultural endeavor from its beginnings in the Neolithic in the Near East to the Industrial Revolution in Europe, considered within a global perspective. Attention will be given to formal and structural innovations, often borrowed across cultures and periods. Introductory in nature, the course combines lectures, discussions, and workshops, and is open to all curious students.

Pieter Broucke

Reviews and ratings for Pieter Broucke at Middlebury College.Pieter Broucke teaches Curatorial Practicum: Piranesi, World Architecture, pre-modern and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Pieter Broucke good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This was my favorite class I've ever taken at Middlebury. Professor Broucke is awesome, hilarious, and so enthusiastic about the material. The course content is also objectively very interesting. I had the best time in this class.

The tests in this class were quite hard. It was necessary to take notes every class, for the whole class if you wanted to do well. Classes were lecture style and fast paced. Though the Professor is super interested in what he is teaching. 

Pieter was great, he's my advisor, but there is a lot of readings and the quizzes are actually really hard. I would not take this class unless it is needed for you major or possibly if you are very interested.