Values of Design in the Italian Renaissance
Course code: HARTG012
Credits: 30
By considering the rôle of design, the course addresses central issues in the production and reception of Italian art of the 15th and earlier 16th century, considering paintings and sculpture as well as new fields of representation such as wood inlay, medals and prints and how they were evaluated in the period. We look at the theory of disegno and the practice and processes of design in Renaissance workshops. We address issues concerning illustration, narrative and allegorical invention and the inscription, dissemination and development of styles, as well as the rôle of design in communication between patron and maker. The course offers: a knowledge and understanding of the circumstances of production and contemporary evaluation of art and 'artists' in a period of rapid social and artistic change; an interpretation of contemporary sources as well as recent critical frameworks; familiarity with the facture and functions of some of the major monuments of Renaissance art but also types of production overlooked in grand narratives of renaissance art but important to the understanding of the period -- as well as to present day curatorial skill and professional expertise; and a focus on works to be studied at first hand in London collections from Pisanello to Pontormo.
Assessment: Two essays of about 4,000 words each.
Course tutor: Alison Wright, History of Art Department.
Page last modified on 29 jan 13 15:30
