Course description
3 courses offered this academic year, which, taken together, survey the broad sweep of French art across almost a thousand years.
In the first course (September 2008) the major theme is the impact of classical art and culture in France from the medieval period to the age of Napoleon.
At the end of the first course learners should be able to:
- Trace the development of formal language and themes from the Romanesque to the Gothic era.
- Describe the impact of Italian Renaissance art upon the School of Fontainebleau, Poussin and Claude.
- Survey the major developments in French architecture and engineering from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower.
- Identify characteristic features in the work of Georges de la Tour, J-B.Greuze and Chardin in terms of the concept of genre.
- Relate the Rococo style in painting to the social and philosophical values of the time.
- Assess the changing social and political meaning of the notion of the Antique in the work of J- L.David.
Second of 3 courses (January 2009)
In this continuation course the nature of 3 major 19th Century movements, Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism, will be explored.
At the end of the seconde course learners should be able to:
- Connect key works of Gericault to both his personal life and the wider traumas of society.
- By reference to key works, compare and contrast the style and approach of Delacroix and Ingres.
- Relate political and cultural developments to the art of Courbet, Millet and Daumier.
- Identify those features that made Manet such a controversial artist.
- Differentiate and describe the contributions made by individual members of the Impressionist group.
Third and final course (April 2009) In this concluding course the story of French art is picked up in the Post-Impressionist period, continues with a consideration of Rodin’s and Matisse’s contributions and lesser known figures of the post-war era, concluding with controversial contemporary practitioners Annette Messager and Louise Bourgeois.
At the end of the course learners should be able to:
- Describe the ways in which Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin extend and challenge Impressionism.
- Identify those qualities in Rodin’s sculpture, which give a new lease of life to the medium.
- Trace the development of Matisse’s work in the light of his philosophy of art.
- Identify the innovative qualities of post-war French art.
- Describe the formative psychological forces at work in the oeuvres of Bourgeois and Messager.
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.
