Module Information

Module Identifier
AH11420
Module Title
Revolutions & Modernities: Art in the Nineteenth Century
Academic Year
2021/2022
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Reflective Diary  750 Words  20%
Semester Assessment Comparative Visual Analysis  750 Words  20%
Semester Assessment Essay  1500 Words  60%
Supplementary Assessment Reflective Diary  750 Words  20%
Supplementary Assessment Comparative Visual Analysis  750 Words  20%
Supplementary Assessment Essay  1500 Words  60%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Describe and interpret the meaning of artworks using appropriate visual vocabulary.

Compare artworks produced in different historical and critical contexts.

Locate and interpret primary and secondary sources.

Construct and justify a written argument about works of art and their historical contexts using the appropriate scholarly apparatus.

Reflect on their own learning.

Aims

The module aims to introduce first year Art History (and Fine Art students who might take it) to a comprehensive survey of European art and its social and cultural contexts from 1700-1800 and to encourage the development of communication and study skills

Brief description

The nineteenth century was a period of profound upheaval for Europe: all that was solid melted into air. Powered by the first and second industrial revolutions, economies, and therefore societies, were rapidly transformed. Out of this tumult came a new social and cultural ethos - modernity - and a new desire for artists to paint this novel way of life. Artists of all kinds reflected on and participated in the myriad revolutions that generated modern life: indeed, many artists understood art as a powerful tool for engendering yet new revolutions, whether political or aesthetic.

This module examines how artists in the nineteenth century responded to the transformations taking place around them, and in so doing transformed art itself. It aims to, first, acquaint you with the key artists, movements, and contexts for understanding this period in the history of art; and second, help you continue to develop key art historical skills, including: describing, analysing, and comparing works of visual art; interpreting written primary and secondary sources; constructing, justifying, and communicating interpretations and arguments about art and its contexts; and reflecting on your own learning.

Content

Week-by-week we will examine the key artists, movements, and contexts for understanding art in the nineteenth century. The topics covered will address the various aspects of modernity's impact on art and artists' participation in modernity, and will evolve over time in response to the convenor's research and the latest developments in the field. As an indication, we will examine how artistic movements and groups such as Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Symbolism responded to and engaged with broader historical forces such as European imperialism, the industrial and scientific revolutions, the triumph of capitalism, the emergence of mass politics, the growth of cities, and shifting gender norms.

Taking a 'flipped learning' approach, students will read essential texts and watch pre-recorded lectures (1 hour per week, inclusive of activities) as guided independent study. Classroom time (1 hour per week) will be divided between student-led Q&A and discussion about the lectures, in-depth seminar-style discussion of important texts, and workshop-style activities and exercises centred on key skills.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Communication Articulating ideas orally by participating in classroom discussions; communicating in writing in assessments.
Improving own Learning and Performance Reflecting on one's own participation and learning in reflective diary assessment.
Information Technology Conducting research through library catalogues, online scholarly databases, and museum websites; organizing research materials and notes; engaging with digital platforms like Panopto, Blackboard, and Turnitin.
Personal Development and Career planning Practicing key disciplinary skills with direct relevance to future study and work: analysing, and comparing works of visual art; interpreting written primary and secondary sources; constructing, justifying, and communicating interpretations and arguments about art and its contexts.
Problem solving Applying knowledge and skills to interpret unfamiliar artworks and responding to art historical problems.
Research skills Engaging with the reading list and locating sources for class preparation and assessments (reflective diary and essay).
Subject Specific Skills Practicing describing, analysing, and comparing works of visual art; interpreting written primary and secondary sources; constructing, justifying, and communicating interpretations and arguments about art and its contexts.
Practice critical reading of primary & secondary sources; analysing works of art; and constructing and justifying an essay argument.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4