VICM2075 - Women and Art in Victorian Society

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 critical independence in a sophisticated argument that uses appropriate evidence/illustrations and 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:

A variety of teaching methods will be used, including: short presentations by the tutor, reports/presentations by students, analysis of images, groupwork, and plenary discussions. Fieldwork in Leeds City or Manchester City Art Galleries, focusing on artworks illustrative of issues of gender, will be undertaken independently by the students. The 20-minute individual tutorial may take different forms as appropriate to the individual student (e.g. face-to-face discussion, e-mail consultations). These tutorials are intended to give students some guidance on their choice of essay question and on researching the topic.

Seminars
Contact hours: 6 x 2 hours
Intended Group size: 12

Tutorials Intended Group size: 1

Assessment: