Much twentieth century art, both modern and postmodern, is based on a knowledge of Old Master visual culture. This course will familiarise students with several key figures in the European tradition prior to the advent of modern art. It will focus on the aesthetics of both painting and sculpture, with more time given to visual than historic concerns. Readings of artworks will be informed by recent theory, for instance feminist, semiotic etc. Graduate students will be able to tailor course assessment tasks to their specific research interests, in consultation with staff.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of Renaissance and Baroque artists and their works.
2. Understand some of the contexts in which Renaissance and Baroque artists worked, the influences on their practices and the developments they made that led to their consideration as masters.
3. Demonstrate an ability to analyse and interpret works of art with a focus on the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries.
4. Present written and oral arguments about the work of Renaissance and Baroque artists.
5. Compare and evaluate the work of selected Renaissance and Baroque artists.

Oral Presentation: 30% (1500 wd equivalent): LO's [1 - 4]

Essay: 60%  (4,500 wds) LO's [1 -5]

Participation: 10%: LO's [1 - 5]

10 hours per week comprised of one 2 hour lecture each week and a one hour tutorial.  There will be four additional tutorials for graduate students each semester.  The remainder will be spent in independent study.

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no.

No prescribed texts, but recommended readings are:

Ackerman, James S., Origins, imitation, conventions: representation in the visual arts,  MIT Press, 2002.
Burckhardt, Jacob, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, 2nd Edition, Phaidon 1981
Edwards, Steve, (ed), Art and its histories : a reader, New Haven : Yale University Press in association with the Open University, 1999. 

No Special Requirements