Brief description
Examines the way that the European tradition has been moulded through the concerns of the artists, writers and patrons, and the social conditions in which they worked. It presents an introduction to European Art up to the 19th century and concentrates on three periods: the Renaissance, the social context of art in the 17th and 18th centuries, and 18th century landscape and aesthetics. Part of the module deals with the origins of Art History through the study of set texts by writers on art from the 16th to the 19th centuries. However, in no sense does the course attempt a systematic chronological approach. Key themes have been selected, and issues will be examined through particular case studies. The key themes are: (1) revivals, (2) patrinage, (3) illusion and reality, (4) the landscape environment, (5) writing about art.