Studying at York
Introduction to Art History - CED00036C
Module summary
In this module you will learn to analyse and interpret Western art and architecture in different media. We will look at the key artistic developments and styles, from their roots in the classical world of Greece and Rome through to the Italian Renaissance and the rediscovery of the classical ideals of form and proportion. The module will include exploration of Medieval architecture and stained glass that can be seen in York, the development of Portraiture and movements such as the Pre-Raphaelites and the Impressionists in the 19th-century, before concluding with the modern movements of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Summer Term 2023-24 |
Module aims
The module aims to provide a broad but coherent introduction to the study of art history in Western Europe with a view to equipping students to undertake further study and have a greater understanding and appreciation of how art has developed from classical origins to the modern art movements of recent times.
The areas of study will include:
- Greek and Roman sculpture and ideals of form and proportion
- The legacy of late antiquity in Britain and on the continent
- Anglo-Saxon and Viking art and sculpture
- Mediaeval ideas of representation and the uses of art
- The Renaissance and the Reformation
- Early modern portraiture and display
- The revival of classical design: Palladio and Inigo Jones
- The Long Eighteenth century
- Gothic revival and the Pre-Raphaelites
- The Impressionists and the beginnings of modernism
- Modern art movements: cubism, surrealism, fauvism etc inc. sculpture
- The art movements and artists of today: Gormley, Kapoor, Emin etc.
Works for each period will be studied and site visits made and students will be introduced to the key features of each period and encouraged to develop critical skills in assessing the age, influences and quality of pieces.
Module learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of the development of art in Western Europe from classical to modern times
- Understand how styles and movements develop and the influences on them
- Display a knowledge of typical features of each style and be able to identify key pieces
- Locate and use relevant source materials
- Understand how to ‘read’ an image and interpret it.
Assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Critical essay 2000 words |
N/A | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Critical essay 2000 words |
N/A | 100 |
Module feedback
The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted.
The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.
Indicative reading
- Oxford History of Art series, (Oxford University Press)
- World of Art series, (Thames and Hudson)
- John Gage, Colour and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction (Thames and Hudson, 1995)
- Charles Harrison, An Introduction to Art (Yale University Press, 2010)
- Marcia Pointon, History of Art: A Student’s Handbook (Routledge, 1997)
- Robert Nelson, Critical Terms for Art History (University of Chicago Press, 2003)
- John Summerson, The Classical Language of Architecture (Thames and Hudson, 1980)