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From the monumental and violent marbles of Giambologna to
the bright canvases of Titian, this course will provide an introduction to
Renaissance Art through a consideration of how Renaissance visual culture
engaged with notions of "myth". Ancient myths allowed Renaissance artists
to explore new challenges in representation, from bodies in a process of
metamorphosis to new modes of depicting subjects of abject horror and overt
passion.
We will pay particular attention to European art from the fifteenth and
sixteenth-centuries in order to consider how materials and production could add
meaning to an artwork, from the dangerous process of casting molten hot bronze
to the physical labour involved in hacking into an enormous marble block.
When considering specific works of art, we will discuss the social and cultural
contexts in which they were made and the challenges of looking at Renaissance
art at such a historical distance. Lessons will be taught in situ before
original paintings and sculptures held in London collections such as the
National Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Renaissance was a dynamic period for visual culture. Breathtaking but also
disturbing classical artworks were unearthed in Italy, and as this previously
lost culture was excavated - artists had to fundamentally shift the way they
viewed the world.
Image: Giambologna. Samson slaying a Philistine, 1560-1562. Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Marble. (Source: Photo was taken by Iza Bella as part of Britain Loves Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 UK)