Course Catalogue

Rethinking Italian Renaissance Art HISTART4091

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 40
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Runs Throughout Semesters 1 and 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course examines the visual and material culture of the Italian Renaissance, including traditional media (painting, sculpture, architecture) and lesser-studied forms (such as prints, fashion, majolica, reliquaries, and votive objects). The course challenges traditional narratives of Italian Renaissance art by engaging with recent historiographical developments in the field, such as feminist, ecological, queer, post-colonial, and material culture perspectives.

Timetable

1 x 1hr Lecture; 1 x 1hr Seminar per week over 10 weeks, per semester, as scheduled on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Successful completion of Junior Honours History of Art.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Examination (180 minutes duration) - 50%

Essay 1 (3,000 words) - 20%

Essay 2 (3,000 words) - 20%

Seminar presentation of 10 minutes accompanied by presentation notes or PowerPoint slides - 10%

Main Assessment In: April/May

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ familiarise students with a wide range of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century visual and material culture from across the Italian peninsula, including traditional media (painting, sculpture, architecture) and lesser-studied forms (such as prints, fashion, majolica, reliquaries, and votive objects)

■ analyse critically traditional narratives of the Italian Renaissance by examining the limitations and biases of the canonical view of the period, including issues of gender, race, class, and geographical boundaries

■ engage with new historiographical and methodological approaches to Italian Renaissance art, such as feminist, ecological, postcolonial, queer, and global art histories

■ evaluate the intersection of art and power during the Renaissance, exploring how political, religious, and social contexts shaped artistic production and patronage

■ develop students' abilities in dealing with primary source texts, so that they can discuss, evaluate, and use them appropriately and effectively

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ critique long-established ideas about the Italian Renaissance, by considering a wide range of art objects and by engaging with marginalized voices and perspectives

■ integrate advanced analysis of primary and secondary sources, including artworks, texts, and scholarly articles, with newer methods and theories

■ formulate a coherent argument in both written and oral work that is supported by critical engagement with visual and textual evidence

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions