Course - Art Appreciation : An introduction to Art in Britain
Objectives- To locate art in its cultural and historical context - To study the lives and ideas of key figures. - To acquaint learners with a variety of technical and formal terms.
Entry requirementsYou should check the level of this course to see if it matches your ability. There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
Course descriptionCourse content:
3 courses which, taken together, survey the broad sweep of art in Britain across more than 500 years.
This course offers a lively, informative and thought-provoking approach to the appreciation of art.
Part 1: from Holbein to Gainsborough. (September 2008) At the end of the first course learners should be able to:
- Describe the development of portraiture in painting and sculpture from Holbein to Reynolds.
- Describe and evaluate the social significance of Hogarth’s “Comic History Painting”.
- Compare and contrast the art and personalities of Reynolds and Gainsborough.
- Discuss the notion of scientific rationalism as applied to the work of Stubbs and Wright of Derby.
- Define the 'Gothic Sensibility' as found in the work of Fuseli.
Part 2: from the Victorians to Vorticism. (January 2009)
At the end of the second course learners should be able to:
- Explain what is meant by the term 'Visionary' in relation to the art and ideas of William Blake and Samuel Palmer.
- Demonstrate how Victorian paintings and the accompanying art market reflect 'Victorian values'.
- Describe the variety of styles and approaches to be found in the work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (including Edward Burne-Jones) by reference to key works.
- Explain what is meant by the term 'Aesthetic Movement' with particular reference to the work and ideas of J.A.M. Whistler.
- Relate the circumstances of Beardsley’s life to his art.
- Give an account of the development of the British Avant-Garde Movement at the Slade, Bloomsbury and Camden Town in the early 20thcentury.
Part3: from Henry Moore to Damien Hirst. (April 2009)
In the concluding course in the series takes in some British names, which have become international figures in modern art such as Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Lucian Freud and Tracey Emin.
At the end of the course learners should be able to:
- Give an account of the varieties of modern figurative art in Britain by reference to Stanley Spencer, Freud, Bacon and Hockney.
- Evaluate the approach to nature in the work of Paul Nash, the Neo-Romantics, Sutherland and the St.Ives school.
- Trace the development of sculpture in Britain from Epstein to Caro.
- Identify what was distinctly British about British Pop Art.
- Evaluate the contribution made to British art by Charles Saatchi and the 'Young British Artist' phenomenon.
Course Structure:
Sessions will be lecture-based, using. Powerpoint. Learners will be encouraged to participate in class discussion.
Course resources:
All students have access to Learning Centres at College Centres. This includes free Internet access.
Assessment:
Tutor Feedback and Self Assessment.
Next step: Further Art Appreciation courses next academic year.