VICM2865 - Women and Art in Victorian Society (Extended)

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1 demonstrate advanced understanding of an appropriate range of Victorian artworks imaging women, and of the involvement and experience of women as cultural agents in the Victorian art world.
2 critically analyse artworks imaging women (and men), applying recent feminist and gender methodologies in a sophisticated and appropriate way.
3 apply an advanced knowledge of the social and cultural contexts in which these artworks are produced, with specific reference to gender ideology, and with a sophisticated understanding of how they reflect and shape ideas about gender.
4 demonstrate self-direction and originality in a sophisticated extended argument that uses a suitably wide range of evidence/illustrations for a 6,000-word essay, and also engages with contextual and critical literature.

Content:

The module will explore the role of women in the Victorian art world, as artists, subjects of artworks, and critics and patrons of art. It will also consider the degree to which certain media and subjects were considered womanly and/or were the vehicles for feminist expression, and the growth of scholarship and feminist theory relating to women artists and the representation of women as an aspect of the gender politics of culture. Sessions will be as follows:

1. An Introduction to Women and Art in Victorian Society
2. Women of Art: Victorian Women Artists and ‘The Obstacle Race’
3. Women in Art: Representations of Women in Victorian Art – Madonnas, Magdalens, Maids, Matrons and Muses
4. ‘Womanly Arts’: Gender Boundaries and Feminist Expressions
5. Women Write Art: Women Writers on Art and Women in Art
6. Problem Pictures: Nudes, Models, and ‘the New Woman’

Learning and Teaching Information:

Students taking this module will already have taken seminars for VICM 2075. Once they have upgraded to VICM 2865, they will be allowed an additional 45 minutes of individual tutorial time. This time may be used in a combination of different ways (e.g. face-to-face discussion, e-mail consultations) as appropriate to the individual student. Students will be required to submit a proposal to register for the module, and encouraged to submit drafts for feedback before final submission.

Tutorial
Contact hours: 45 mins
Intended Group size: 1

Assessment: