HST676: Ways of Seeing: Art, History and the Renaissance
15 credits (semester 2)
Module Leader: Dr. James Shaw
| Module Summary |
This module serves as an introduction to art history for non-specialists. It aims to provide a solid grounding in the use of artistic evidence by historians. Students will undertake a structured programme of reading, presentation and discussion, exploring contemporary 'ways of seeing' through practical efforts to 'read' art in historical context. Seminars will explore problems of evidence, meaning and interpretation, and the role of art in the history of culture, belief and power, with critical examination of key historiographical concepts such as the 'Renaissance'.
| Module Aims |
This module aims to give students a solid grounding in the use of artistic evidence by historians. Students will undertake a structured programme of reading, presentation and discussion, exploring contemporary 'ways of seeing' through practical efforts to 'read' art in historical context. Discussion will be linked to particular themes such as the relation of art to political, religious and cultural systems. More broadly, the unit discusses the role of art history as a discipline, and its wider impact on the historiography of the early modern period. Key stylistic and period labels such as 'Renaissance' and 'Baroque' will be assessed critically in terms of their utility for historians more generally. In this way the module also serves as an introduction to art history for non-specialists who wish to develop interdisciplinary approaches.
| Teaching |
The module will be taught in five, two-hour classes. Each will focus on a particular theme for discussion in relation to the broader historical literature. Themes will be illustrated through discussion of particular examples of artistic production, giving students practical experience in the interpretation of art in its social, political and cultural context. Classes will enable students to share knowledge, debate controversial issues and listen and respond to the views of others in a structured environment. Students will, in addition, have an individual tutorial with their own supervisor in which to discuss the work they will write for assessment for this module.
| Assessment |
Students will prepare a short paper (not more than 3,000 words) which demonstrates an ability to handle artistic evidence and which relates this to one of the key themes of historical debate for the early modern period.
| Intended Learning Outcomes |
By the end of the module, a candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- A practical understanding of the problems and opportunities associated with the use and interpretation of artistic evidence by historians.
- An appreciation of art history as a discipline, its methods and key themes.
- An outline of the history of art in the early modern period and its relevance to wider issues of historical debate.
- An ability to engage critically and independently in current historiographical debates on these issues.
- An ability to elaborate and defend an intellectual position and to present scholarly arguments and historiographical debates both orally and in writing.