Painting the City: 19th-century London

Aims

This course aims to:

•    provide introductory socio-historical context for understanding depictions of 19th-century London

•    increase familiarity with a small selection of paintings and etchings of London in the 1800s

•    improve visual literacy

Content

By 1800 London was the second largest city in the world and by the beginning of the 20th century its population had risen to over seven million. Throughout the 19th century innumerable artists were inspired by the capital - their subjects, techniques and intentions were wide-ranging. In this introductory course we will explore a small selection of fascinating examples to consider this diversity and to consider some of the reasons why London inspired such variety.

Despite its great affluence and power, London was deeply marked by social inequality. Our exploration of Pre-Raphaelite works by Holman-Hunt, Millais and Rossetti will include an exploration of this theme. We will also look at the significance of the River Thames – the invaluable waterway fundamental to the capital’s wealth. Many of the riverside areas Whistler chose to depict were insalubrious, industrial and sometimes dangerous. Yet his nocturne paintings are devoid of such details. What might Whistler’s paintings and his more-detailed etchings reveal about London and Whistler’s motivations?

The outbreak of the 1870/71 Franco-Prussian War led French artists, Pissarro and Monet, to stay in London to escape conflict. Pissarro and his family were based in south-east London, while Monet was more centrally based. In London both artists continued to investigate transient weather effects and to explore the potential for a new pictorial language. What aspects of London do each artist’s works reveal, and how did their approach differ from others working in the capital at the time?

Our final session will focus on Sargent to reveal another facet of London life. We will begin by looking at his work in Paris before he settled in London to see how his painting in the French capital - depicting celebrities and society figures there - led Sargent to establish a successful society-portraits career in London. Worlds away from street sellers, fallen women and London’s East End docks, what do Sargent’s portraits convey about London’s high society?

Presentation of the course 

The course will be classroom based and will involve illustrated lectures with PowerPoint, group interaction and close looking at some of the key paintings of the period. 

Course sessions

1.    Setting the scene: representing Victorian London

2.    Pre-Raphaelites and London

3.    Whistler and the Thames

4.    Monet and Pissarro: impressions of London

5.    Sargent and London society

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.

The learning outcomes for this course are:

•    an introductory understanding of the social diversity of London and its appeal for artists

•    a familiarity with a selection of 19th-century paintings depicting London

•    an ability to compare and contrast works at an introductory level