Approaches to Western Art History

Aims of the course

• To explore key theorists of art from classical antiquity to the modern era.
• To examine specific texts produced by seminal theorists, and to begin to make connections between them.
• To analyse theoretical texts about art by contextualising and critiquing them. 

Learning outcomes

• To understand the development of theoretical approaches to Art History from classical antiquity to the modern era.
• To demonstrate a knowledge of key primary sources and theoretical texts relevant to the study of Western art in particular.
• To think critically about written sources relating to Art History and make comparisons between them.

Course content overview

In this course, we will explore how art has been written and thought about from classical antiquity to the modern era. By considering primary source texts as well as works of criticism, we will gain an understanding of the historiography and theory of Art History. Topics will include debates about art and architecture in the classical world; Renaissance approaches to art and architecture; art and the European Enlightenment; nineteenth and early twentieth-century art theory; and the New Art Histories. We will also consider how theoretical texts relate to artistic practice, and how approaches to Art History are expected to evolve in the future.

Welcome week (Week 0)

Purpose:

• personal introductions
• introducing the course
• useful reading
• personal objectives

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week, the students should have: 

• become familiar with navigating around the Virtual Learning Environment VLE and from VLE to links and back
• test your ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sort out any problems with the help of the Technology Enhanced Learning team
• learn how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
• contribute to a discussion forum to introduce yourself to other students and discuss why you are interested in the course and what you hope to get out of your studies 

Teaching Week 1: Debates about art and architecture in the classical world

Purpose:

This week, we will study seminal approaches to art and architecture in classical antiquity. We will look at two primary sources: Plato’s Republic and Vitruvius’s De architectura libri decem (The Ten Books on Architecture). We will begin by exploring the argument made by the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato that artistic production constitutes a mere imitation of reality, and is therefore a process of which we ought to be wary. We will then consider the key arguments made in the architectural treatise of the Roman architect and engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, the only surviving writing on architecture from classical antiquity, and examine the impact this had upon later generations of architects.

Learning outcomes:

• to understand Plato’s theory of forms and how this relates to debates about the value of art
• to understand the elements which Vitruvius considered to be necessary for a well-designed building: firmness, commodity and delight
• to explore the impact of the work of Plato and Vitruvius upon later approaches to art

Teaching Week 2: Renaissance approaches to art and architecture

Purpose:

This week, we will study seminal approaches to art and architecture in the Renaissance period. We will look at two primary sources: Leon Battista Alberti’s De re aedificatoria (On the Art of Building) and Giorgio Vasari’s Le Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori (Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects). We will explore how the work of the Italian architect and theorist Alberti epitomises the reawakening of classical architecture in the Renaissance period, and how it relates to the context of Humanist learning at that time. We will examine the motivations and narrative techniques of the Italian painter and writer Vasari and how his work served to establish a canon of art and artists.

Learning outcomes:

• to understand how Alberti reimagined classical architecture for the contemporary Renaissance city
• to understand how Vasari used his own experience as an artist to shape his writing about art, and how his canon can be critiqued
• to explore the impact of the work of Alberti and Vasari upon later approaches to art

Teaching Week 3: Art and the European Enlightenment

Purpose:

This week, we will study seminal approaches to art during the European Enlightenment. We will look at two theoretical works: Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture and Immanuel Kant’s The Critique of Judgement. We will explore how the work of the German art historian Winckelmann reflects the notion of an idealist classicism, and how it relates to the rediscovery of Ancient Greek heritage during the Enlightenment. We will examine how the work of the German philosopher Kant contributes to debates about aesthetic judgement and the concept of genius.

Learning outcomes:

• to understand how Winckelmann’s writings on the sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome provided a theoretical framework for Neo-classicism.
• to understand how Kant’s work contributed to debates about aesthetics and the philosophy of art.
• to understand how Kant’s work fits into wider concepts of formalism in art historical theory. 

Teaching Week 4: Nineteenth and early twentieth-century modernism

Purpose:

This week, we will study the rise of modernism in the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries. We will look at extracts from Charles Baudelaire’s The Painter of Modern Life and Jacques Derrida’s Restitutions of the Truth in Pointing. We will explore how the work of the French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire reflects upon the purpose of art and the role of the artist. We will also look at the impact of Baudelaire’s art historical criticism upon later art theory and practice. We will examine the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida, including his response to the work of Immanuel Kant, and his own contribution to the analysis and understanding of the visual arts.

Learning outcomes:

• to understand how Baudelaire’s art historical criticism contributed to the development of modernism
• to understand how Baudelaire’s writings were responded to in later art theory and practice
• to understand how Derrida’s discussion of one of Van Gogh’s Boots paintings highlights the difficulties of specifying the referent in a work of representation

Teaching Week 5: The New Art Histories

Purpose:

This week, we will study new approaches to Art History that emerged following World War II, which challenge previous traditional approaches. We will look at two examples of ‘New Art History’. Feminist Art Theory and Postcolonial Theory. We will analyse the seminal essay by American art historian Linda Nochlin, Why have there been no great women artists?, to see how it dismantles the concept of greatness and the male-centric genius in art. We will examine Globalisation and its Discontents by American art historian Donald Preziosi to see how Art History can be broadened to incorporate a wider geographical context. Both of these approaches will be considered with reference to specific works of art.

Learning outcomes:

• to understand how Feminist Art Theory can be used to critique the traditional canon
• to explore the relationship between Feminist Art Theory and Feminist Art
• to understand how Postcolonial Theory can help us to understand colonial contexts for art and display

Week 6: what next?

Purpose:

• assessment of student learning
• assessment of student satisfaction
• encouragement of further study

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.  

Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences. 

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language to get the maximum benefit from the course. 

Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours of self-study time, for example, reading materials, although this will vary from person to person. 

While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material). 

Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the VLE so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (using discussion boards etc).

Fees 

The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes. 

Concessions 

For more information, please see our concessions information page. 

Alison Fordham Bursary

University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses. 

Application criteria:  

• applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
• applicants who can demonstrate financial need 

For more information, please see our bursaries information page. 

A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.