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Department of History of Art and Architecture

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HAU33027/28 The Art of the Renaissance

This course will look in detail at a number of key Renaissance artists including Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. It will examine the works of these artists within the context of early modern society, investigating the conditions of artistic patronage, and pursuing the theme of the ‘revival of antiquity’ alongside the changing religious demands placed on artists in the light of the Reformation. It will also explore critically a number of themes and questions such as the ‘idea of the Renaissance’, whether there was a Renaissance for women, or if the Renaissance was multi-cultural? Other topics to be examined include ‘the rise of the artist’, the theory of ‘disegno’, artistic exchanges between Italy and northern Europe, the nature of different artistic centres in Italy (like Bologna, Milan or Venice as well as Florence and Rome), the growth of the genre of portraiture, and the experience of dreaming, melancholy or falling in love as described in the visual arts.

  • Module Organiser:
    • Dr Benjamin Thomas
  • Duration:
    • Semester 2
  • Contact Hours:
    •  
    •  
  • Weighting:
    • HAU33028: 5ECT
    • HAU33027: 10ECT
  • Assessment:
    • HAU33028: Essay and visual analysis
    • HAU33027: Essay and visual analysis & Project
  • Course open to:
    [M=mandatory; O= optional]
    •  

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of the module students should be able:

  • Have a good knowledge of developments in painting, sculpture and architecture during the Renaissance period (c.1450-1550), including a detailed knowledge of thte key artists studied throughout the course.
  • Be able to relate the analysis of style and technique to the examination of the iconographical content of key art works, and compare the treatment of biblical and mythological subjects by different artists.
  • Understand the social and cultural context in which art works were commissioned during the Renaissance, and what functions they performed.
  • Demonstrate a critical engagement with Renaissance ideas about the visual arts through a knowledge of primary sources, such as biographies of artists, dialogues, treatises and other written sources from the period.
  • Relate developments in the visual arts to literary, philosophical and religious ideas from the Renaissance period.