Idea of the Portrait

(4 Credits)

This course explores the ways in which the portrait has been used as a vehicle for artistic expression, for the construction of social identity, for self-examination, and for the representation of cultural difference. It examines many kinds of portraits and self-portraits in painting and photography from different times and cultures and encourages engagement with a range of major issues that include the nature of personhood, of private and public identities, and of art itself. The course draws upon the rich resources of London's museums and galleries, especially the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, and the Queen's Collection.