VICM2185 - Victorian Art and Architecture

Objectives:

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

1 demonstrate advanced knowledge of a selected range of major genres, styles, movements and figures of the Victorian art and architectural worlds;
2 critically evaluate and contextualize any given work of Victorian art and architecture (whether or not it has been previously seen), using general art historical categories such as composition, genre, style, and context, and with some application of relevant modern critical approaches (e.g. historicist, feminist, psychological) where appropriate;
3 demonstrate an advanced understanding of the artistic, social and cultural contexts in which works of Victorian art and architecture were produced, as appropriate to each individual artefact/artwork;
4 demonstrate self-direction and critical independence in a sophisticated argument that includes close reading and analysis of a limited range of artworks/buildings, uses appropriate evidence and illustrations, and engages with contextual and critical literature.

Content:

1. Early Victorian Art: The World of Landseer and Frith
2. Classical versus Gothic: Battle of the Architectural Styles
3. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Continuity or Change?
4. Art with a Social Mission?: Social Realism, Aestheticism and the Arts and Crafts Movement
5. The Triumph of Eclecticism: Later Nineteenth-Century Architecture
6. Student Choice: eg Victorian Photography
This course will introduce students to Victorian art and architecture, covering selected major movements (such as the Aesthetic Movement), major artists and architects (such as Frith, Whistler, and Pugin) and major artworks/buildings (such as the Houses of Parliament and the early works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood). The mechanics of the art world will be touched upon, and a basic understanding of the genre, style and composition of artworks will be developed. However, students will also be encouraged to discuss artworks in terms of broader social, literary, religious and cultural contexts. By the end of the course it will be possible for students to critique not only major artworks of the period with which they are already familiar, but works with which they are unfamiliar.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The seminars will make use of a range of teaching and learning methods including: short presentations by the tutor, illustrated by slides and acetates; group discussions of selected images, architectural plans and art critical texts; informal presentations by the students; plenary discussions; use of internet resources.
Fieldwork in Leeds city centre including viewing of the Victorian paintings in the City Art Gallery and several Victorian buildings 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
Contact hours: 20 minutes per student
Intended Group size: 1

Assessment:

001 Assessed essay 1 x 2000 words 67%
002 Seen source analysis of 2 artworks/buildings 1 x 1000 words 33%


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