Image: Jan Steen Dissolute Household 1633-34, Metropolitan Museum
Spring Term: 2023 16 January – 27 March (10 weeks)
(Half term Monday 13 February 2023)
Members: £117. Non-members: £150 Spring Term
Concessions: £10 (call the office 020 8340 3343)
This art history course aims to give a chronological overview of the history of Western art from the late Middle Ages to the early twentieth century by looking at one hundred key paintings held in London collections, as well as related materials.
In the first term, we will look at Gothic, Italian Renaissance, Northern Renaissance, High Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque art. The second term covers Rococo, Neo-classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, as well as Fauvism and the other ‘isms’ of the early twentieth century. The course thus covers the major styles, and art movements in the history of European art from around 1250 to the early 20th century.
As we look at the paintings concerned we will consider the socio-cultural background to their creation and also the artists’ processes, materials, and techniques.
The hundred paintings to be discussed are all in London art museums including: the National Gallery, the V&A, the Wallace Collection, the Courtauld Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern.
You will be taught by lectures with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. Each week you will get a handout so that you can re-enforce your learning by visiting the galleries concerned should you wish to do so. These handouts will be available online/digitally for download.
This course is suitable for all levels. There is no homework but ideas for further reading and research will be given each week.
