Short courses

Summary

This course provides an overview of the main strands of Italian art between c1400 and 1527 within the key cities of the period: Florence, Rome and Venice. We will chart the development of art in these centres and place them within the wider context of Italian politics, society and culture. Among the many themes highlighted are the role of patronage, the function of artworks and buildings and what techniques and materials were used. These themes will be placed within the two key overarching influences of the period, Humanism and the revival of the classical tradition. 

This course aims to: 

• Provide an introduction to Italian Renaissance art and its development within the key cities of the period, namely Florence, Rome and Venice  

• Place the Italian Renaissance within the broader social and artistic contexts, thus demonstrating its all-encompassing and innovative character 

• Introduce students to some of the issues of methodology, historiography and context which are associated with this area of study 

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

• Identify key figures and artworks within the Italian Renaissance period produced in the three key cities  

• Evaluate the Italian Renaissance’s contribution to the development of European art 

• Analyse and interpret the major artworks covered in terms of their imagery, function, methods of production and stylistic and cultural components