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.

I really enjoyed the course, the professor was very passionate and the content was all very interesting and useful information. The lecture style is pretty engaging. There are readings and short essay typically twice a week though, so be prepared for that if thats not something you want. 

Prof. Broucke is great. There is a reading and response paper due every class, but the readings are usually pretty short and interesting. Exams are pretty much just names and dates for 30-40 different works of architecture, so studying is really important. Lecture based classes but Broucke is very passionate and knowledgeable, so the class goes by pretty quickly. 

Prof. Broucke lecture were jumbled and hard to follow most of the time. Further, his slide were simply photos so if you happen to miss class you were out of luck. He also has clear favorites in the class. 