Between Greece and Rome: Etruscan art
Time: 10:30 - 12:30
Location: Online
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
- Course Code: VB118
- Dates: 28/02/25 - 28/03/25
- Time: 10:30 - 12:30
- Taught: Fri, Daytime
- Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Simone Chisena
Course Code: VB118
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 Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Mild-mannered and pleasure-seeking, tenacious and belligerent, the Etruscans represented a friendly commercial partner for the Greeks, a thorn in the flesh for the Romans and, very often, an enigma for us moderns. At the height of their splendour, their land stretched across the whole of modern Tuscany and northern Lazio, with large colonies in Campania and North-Eastern Italy; their art was to become the melting pot of Ancient Greece and Italic traditions, casting the foundations of what would become Roman art.
In this course, we will explore the visual word of the Etruscan people, spanning from the lavishly decorated patrician tombs of Tarquinia to the majestic sculptures of Chiusi and Murlo, via their masterpieces in bronze and terracotta.
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 can be used if you don't have a computer but please note the experience may be less optimal.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
-Timeline of the Etruscan civilization
-Etruscan architecture
-Sculpture: stone and terracotta
-Sculpture: bronze
-Etruscan painting: tombs and pottery.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
-Have an understanding of the development of Etruscan history and civilization;
-List the main expression of the Etruscal figurative world;
-Identify the main currents, periods and styles of Etruscan art.
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 and instructions. You should be able to operate the basic elements of Zoom software, like usage of microphone and camera.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download from a Google Classroom. You will be invited to join this course’s Google Classroom a week before the first session.
You will be invited to join a Google Classroom to supplement the course where documents will be shared and stored. You will receive an invitation to join this Google Classroom within a week of the 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?
Origins of the Italian Renaissance: The Primitivi
Art in medieval Italy: the Kingdom of Lombardy and its impact.
Simone Chisena gained a BA in Classics (dissertation on Greek Vascular Painting) from the University of Pavia and an MSc in Archaeology (dissertation on anthropomorphic menhirs from the Alps) from the University of Rome "La Sapienza". After moving to the UK, his research has focused on prehistoric art of the Upper Palaeolithic (35k-10k years ago), on which he is completing his PhD at the University of York. Alongside teaching for the University of York's Department of Archaeology, he has taught courses on prehistoric art at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and, since 2022, at CityLit. A natural eclectic, his current research focuses on the transmission of artistic skills in European prehistory, but he has not forgotten his Classics background and has never stopped cultivating his interests in Ancient Greek and Roman art.
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.