Colour in medieval art

What is the course about?

A core theme of the course will be the idea of colour as a cultural variable which has its own history anchored in the period and culture which created it. The focus will be on Western art but reference will be made to other cultures such as Islamic art. It will draw upon the pioneering research of John Gage and Michel Pastoureau, but will also take into account more recent developments such as the scientific analysis of materials and pigments, especially in relation to illuminated manuscripts, or the reconstruction and reconstitution of the coloured appearances of church facades (for example, at Amiens Cathedral and Conques abbey) by means of projected, coloured beams.

It will also look at developments in the use of colour such as the use of gold in mosaics or the taste for grisaille which emerged in the fourteenth century, and its relation to optics. Issues relating to the representation of racial identity and alterity will also be considered. It will include a discussion of most media including: illuminated manuscripts, painting, mosaics, stained glass, sculpture as well as material culture such as fabrics and textiles, precious stones and even architecture.

There will be a discussion of the use of colour in key artists such as Giotto or Rogier van der Weyden, and the transition to the naturalism of the Renaissance and the revival of interest in medieval colour usage in the medieval period.

What will we cover?

· materials and pigments (including a brief introduction to dyes)

· developments in the use of colour in the medieval period

· colour as signifier: symbolism and status

· colour as marker: issues of racial identity and alterity

· colour and the development of specialised codes in the late Middle Ages (e.g. heraldry and liturgical colours)

· colour and theory: how medieval theory differs from post-Newtonian, the legacy of classical antiquity and developments in optics in the late Middle Ages

· the legacy of medieval colour and the transition to the Renaissance (e.g.Alberti’s De Pictura) and in relation to modern art (e.g.Gustav Klimt and his use of gold or Catalan Romanesque and Picasso’s interest in it).

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

· Identify the main pigments and materials and their characteristics

· Identify at least three kry developments in the use of colour in the period

· Gain an understanding of colour symbolism and how racial identity is represented

· Gain an understanding of the key features of medieval colour theory and how they differ from Renaissance and post-Newtonian ones.

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 with lecture, powerpoint presentations and will be invited to participate in class discussion. There will be a Google Classroom for the sharing of documents related to the course. You will be sent an invitation to the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.

Please be aware at City Lit we do not record our lectures; the session is geared toward interactive learning rather than on demand information. Additionally, we are unable to record lectures because of copyright, data protection and digital infrastructure restrictions.

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?

Introduction to Medieval Art and Architecture
Islamic Art in the Medieval World
Romanesque art, culture and society.