Introduction to Twentieth Century Art - All Levels

Introduction

Stone, Powder, Word:

A History of Two Million Years of Art in Twenty Objects.

The course is ideal for any beginners who are drawn to the history of art, and looking to get an overview of the subject, from its very beginnings, up to the present day. This could be in order to study more specific periods or topics in future, either in college or at home.

Students will look at a selection of works of art from different periods in order to understand the events and ideas of that time, and to learn how to understand works of art by relating them to their context.

Session one features Neolithic, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Hellenistic and Roman art (1- Makapansgat Pebble/Lascaux Caves, 2 – The Egyptian Book of the Dead [Papyrus of Ani], 3- The Palace at Nineveh, 4- The Parthenon, 5- The Pergamon, 6-The Ara Pacis/The Pantheon).

Session two features mediaeval, renaissance, mannerist, baroque, rococo and neoclassical art. (7 – Pisan Pisano Pulpit, 8 - The Mona Lisa, 9 – Michelangelo’s Last Judgement/Bronzino’s Martyrdom of St Lawrence, 10 – Pozzo’s St. Ignatius Ceiling, 11 - Watteau’s Scale of Love, 12 – David’s Oath of the Horatii).

Session three features Romantic, Impressionist, Symbolist, Modernist and Postmodern art. (13 – William Blake’s Innocence and Experience, 14 – Claude Monet’s Haystacks [Midday], 15 – Van Gogh’s Tree Roots, 16 – Picasso’s Guernica,17 – Kandinsky’s Composition XII,18 – Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, 19 – Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth, 20 – Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit).

Assessment

Learning will take place in a group in class, with some pair or group work, and will support visits to the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Tate Modern, outside of class time.

Entry Requirements

No entry requirements.

Materials

No materials are required, although students are welcome to take notes if they wish. A reading list will be provided for any students who wish to do extra reading about any topics on their own.

Important information

All courses run subject to demand and the content listed here should be used as a guide only. Course content may vary according to a range of factors such as course duration, campus, teaching staff and requirements from awarding bodies. Check our course and fee guidelines for further details.

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