Friday lates: all about Eve - picturing the femme fatale in European art
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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- Course Code: VB923
- Dates: 17/05/24 - 17/05/24
- Time: 18:00 - 20:00
- Taught: Fri, Evening
- Duration: 1 session
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Sarah Jaffray
Course Code: VB923
Duration: 1 session
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?
The historical pattern persists: as women grow powerful in society, images of dangerous women proliferate to check that power. This short course looks at some common types of women who fall beyond the control of society: the femme fatale based on the original woman Eve. It will discuss how art's visualisation gives form to the possiblity that feminine power comes from dangerous, supernatural forces.
The first part of the course looks at select depictions of these dangerous types of women in early modern (c. 1400-1800) Europe and how they develop into the 'femme fatale' in the modern era (late 18th and 19th centuries) and how they coincide with the shifting power of women in modern Europe.
We will look at a wide range of artists in this course including Gustav Kilmt, Edward Munch and Henry Fuseli. We will conclude the course by looking at some modern and contemporary artists like Leonor Fini, Kara Walker and Niki de Saint Phalle who reclaim the power of dangerous women as feminists.
Please note: a similar version of this course was given with a different title (From fortune tellers to phantoms) in the summer of 2022.
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?
-Depictions of Eve-like powerful women in early modern and modern Europe
-What these 'types' of women represented/represent in European history
-How and why modern and contemporary women artists uses these figure types in their work.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
-Discuss one or more of the female figure types presented in this course
-Explain how one or more of these types reflects historical social beliefs about women
-Understand why these figure types are used by certain modern and contemporary artists.
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 basic Zoom features (like camera and microphone).
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with powerpoint slides and lecture and will be invited to take part in a short group discussion.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You may wish to bring a notebook and a pen to take notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This course is part of our Friday Lates series, search ‘Friday Lates’ for more courses like this one.
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.
