Masterpieces: Making and Meaning

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Masterpieces: Making and Meaning focuses in turn on 12 individual "masterpieces" of European art in London art collections, by celebrated artists including Constable, Hogarth, Holbein, Manet, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Gogh and Velazquez. Each work is studied in depth, giving students a detailed understanding of the artists' key concerns and the cultural context in which they were produced. A first-hand experience of works of art is a major feature of the programme. The emphasis is on a direct engagement with art, making full use of the magnificent collections of the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Courtauld Institute, Tate and V&A. Visits to the collections are combined with a critical reading of relevant texts, classroom lectures and student discussions. The works to be studied are grouped in five themes to promote cross-period comparisons and raise awareness of larger issues: Art and Politics; Art and Myth; Art and Society; Art and Landscape; Art and the Artist. Students also undertake an individual research project focusing on a contemporary artwork of their choice (created since 2000) on display in London, that connects with the main themes of the course.