Piranesi, Artist, Architect, and Archaeologist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) was a visionary artist, architect, and archaeologist active in eighteenth-century Rome. He continues to captivate contemporary audiences with his grandiose depictions of architecture, ranging from Classical Antiquity to his own Enlightenment Age. We will explore Piranesi’s quixotic artistic persona through his artistic output and assess his relevance as a figure who looked both backwards to Ancient Rome and forwards, anticipating Romanticism, Neoclassicism, Eclecticism, and even Modernity. Students will work from Piranesi’s drawings, prints, and sculptures in various Middlebury collections; read primary and secondary sources; document and contextualize his works; and develop a thesis in concert with the entire seminar.

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.

Curatorial Lab: Ancient Greek Vases at Middlebury* Middlebury College acquired its first Ancient Greek vase in 1953. Now the college museum holds well over sixty vases and shards that, together, constitute an outstanding teaching collection. In this writing-intensive curatorial lab we will study the ancient techniques pertaining to the creation of Greek pottery, explore its cultural contexts, and familiarize ourselves with the modern methodologies developed for organizing, categorizing, and attributing Greek vases. Next, we will study and document the Middlebury collection, resulting in an online catalog to which each student will contribute entries for a handful of vases and shards. The course includes a short trip to New York City to study, first-hand, collections (Metropolitan Museum) and meet with curators, dealers, and other museum and art world professionals. HARC 0100 or prior permission.

Curatorial Lab: Ancient Greek Vases at Middlebury Middlebury College acquired its first Ancient Greek vase in 1953. Now the college museum holds well over sixty vases and shards that, together, constitute an outstanding teaching collection. In this writing-intensive curatorial lab we will study the ancient techniques pertaining to the creation of Greek pottery, explore its cultural contexts, and familiarize ourselves with the modern methodologies developed for organizing, categorizing, and attributing Greek vases. Next, we will study and document the Middlebury collection, resulting in an online catalog to which each student will contribute entries for a handful of vases and shards. The course includes a short trip to New York City to study, first-hand, collections (Metropolitan Museum) and meet with curators, dealers, and other museum and art world professionals. HARC 0100 or prior permission.

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.

Pieter Broucke

Reviews and ratings for Pieter Broucke at Middlebury College.Pieter Broucke teaches Piranesi as Visionary Artist, World Architecture, pre-modern, Curratorial Lab: Greek Vases and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Pieter Broucke good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Very helpful and engaging course! Pieter is a passionate architecture professor and was very accommodating when it came to exams. I would highly recommend attending lectures regularly and taking detailed notes, as much of the exam material comes directly from lectures. Staying engaged and keeping up with your notes will definitely help you succeed and earn a good grade in the course.

Professor Broucke is very passionate about the material, but at times it may be really fast and hard to keep up during lectures. However, his grading is pretty lenient and there is a reading and a response due before each lecture. 

Pieter is fun and an interesting dude but he doesn't grade very fairly. He gave a lot of writing (which is expected with a CW) but it felt a lot like busy work. The class itself is cool if you are into artifacts, but I found it boring. 