Art in the 1920s and 1930s: Western art between the wars
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
This course has now started
Course Code: VB304
Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Center for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
After the First World War, artists responded to the massive changes wrought, in a wide variety of ways: from the transformative politics of the Surrealists, the technologically abstract art of Russia, the precise design of de Stijl and the Bauhaus, and the realism in Germany and America.
Find out how the artists of 'The Lost Generation' worked to transform a destroyed world with their creativity, passion and determined optimism.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
- Setting the scene: the interwar period
- Dada and Surrealism
- German New Objectivity
- Soviet Constructivism
- De Stijl and Bauhaus
- American and Socialist Realism.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Identify and describe the work of one artist from each style of this period
• Describe one way in which art responded to each political situation in selected countries between the wars
• Compare and contrast the development of abstraction and realism in painting at this time.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information as well as basic functions of Zoom, specifically microphone and camera.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. There will be handouts provided by your tutor; these handouts will be available digitally via a Google Classroom. You will be invited to join the Google Classroom within a week of your course start date.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You might also be interested in:
A history of modern art in 50 objects
Modern art: movements 1900-1950
Modern art in Ireland.
Sarah Jaffray holds a BA and MA in Art History with an emphasis in 19th/20th century France and a minor in the Italian Renaissance. She holds a second MA in Cultural Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London. Sarah was a lecturer for several colleges and universities in the Los Angeles area before relocating to London in 2012. She has worked in curatorial roles at the British Museum and Wellcome Collection. In addition to her current teaching at City Lit, Sarah is a lecturer at the University of Arts London and the Tutor Coordinator for City Lit's Art History programme. Her art historical practice focuses on experimental narratives, artistic process, art pedagogy, politics and philosophy. Sarah's current research is focused on translation and empathy.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
