Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for...
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In his 1928 novel Nadja, André Breton, the founder of the surrealist movement, declared 'Beauty will be CONVULSIVE or it will not be at all.' This short course explores what Breton meant by 'convulsive' and what he and his fellow surrealists thought beauty to be. In the first part of the session, we think about these terms as ways into understanding the surrealist project. In the second part, we explore the art of feminist artists who came to the movement and its concept of beauty wanting to disrupt traditional concepts of 'womanhood' in the mid-20th century.
We will think about convulsive beauty as both misogynistic when weilded by certain artists like Salvador Dalí and liberatory when explored by artists like Dorothea Tanning. This is an introductory course, therefore we will not have time to go into biographical depth on artists. Instead, their art will help us understand the complexity of convulsive beauty and what the surrealists believed to be marvellous, a central conception in their art.
Some of the artists included will be Amy Nimur, Lenora Carrington, Kati Horna, Max Ernst, Unica Zürn and Hans Bellmer, Dora Maar, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray.
Content warning: this course in part deals with mental health, specifically people who have experienced post-traumatic stress which was once called 'hysteria'. Some images of people diagnosed with 'hysteria' will be shared and some students may find these images distressing. Additionally, there will be some artworks that some students may find sexually explicit and/or violent. The images are not shared lightly, they are shared because they are directly related to surrealist conceptions of convulsive beauty and reflect the physical violence of 20th century existence.
What will we cover?
-Surrealist conceptions of beauty and their origins in hysteria and world war -Examples of artists who visually articulated 'convulsive beauty' -Socio-political goals of changing the definition of beauty -How convulsive beauty can be both misogynistic and feminist at the same time.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
-Discuss why redefining beauty was an important topic for surrealists -Describe the use of convulsive beauty in at least one of the artists in the course -Understand some of surrealism's goals as a socio-political movement.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is open to all levels. You will be taught online via Zoom and should therefore be comfortable with basic computer technology related to Zoom, its microphone, camera and chat functions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with slide presentation, lecture and brief discussion/question and answer. The session is 2 hours with a 5 minute screen break at the end of the first hour.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring a notebook to take notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Everything you have wanted to know about surrealism but were afraid to ask Modern art: movements 1900-1950.
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.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/friday-lates-women-of-surrealism-convulsive-beauties2491714Friday lates: Women of Surrealism, convulsive beautieshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/f/r/friday-lates-women-of-surrealism-convulsive-beauties-1080.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Modern & contemporary art22851136117718951228511771136Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for feminist artists to visualise bodies in untraditional ways.152621244Friday lates: Women of Surrealism, convulsive beauties1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/f/r/friday-lates-women-of-surrealism-convulsive-beauties-1080_1.jpgInStockEveningFriOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-01-30T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJan 2026Culture, history & humanitiesVB1301919Friday lates: Women of Surrealism, convulsive beauties191219Sarah Jaffrayfriday-lates-women-of-surrealism-convulsive-beauties/vb130-2526Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for feminist artists to visualise bodies in untraditional ways.0000-Available|2026-01-30 00:00:00In his 1928 novel Nadja, André Breton, the founder of the surrealist movement, declared 'Beauty will be CONVULSIVE or it will not be at all.' This short course explores what Breton meant by 'convulsive' and what he and his fellow surrealists thought beauty to be. In the first part of the session, we think about these terms as ways into understanding the surrealist project. In the second part, we explore the art of feminist artists who came to the movement and its concept of beauty wanting to disrupt traditional concepts of 'womanhood' in the mid-20th century.<br/><br/>We will think about convulsive beauty as both misogynistic when weilded by certain artists like Salvador Dalí and liberatory when explored by artists like Dorothea Tanning. This is an introductory course, therefore we will not have time to go into biographical depth on artists. Instead, their art will help us understand the complexity of convulsive beauty and what the surrealists believed to be marvellous, a central conception in their art. <br/><br/>Some of the artists included will be Amy Nimur, Lenora Carrington, Kati Horna, Max Ernst, Unica Zürn and Hans Bellmer, Dora Maar, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray.<br/><br/>Content warning: this course in part deals with mental health, specifically people who have experienced post-traumatic stress which was once called 'hysteria'. Some images of people diagnosed with 'hysteria' will be shared and some students may find these images distressing. Additionally, there will be some artworks that some students may find sexually explicit and/or violent. The images are not shared lightly, they are shared because they are directly related to surrealist conceptions of convulsive beauty and reflect the physical violence of 20th century existence.Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for feminist artists to visualise bodies in untraditional ways.-Surrealist conceptions of beauty and their origins in hysteria and world war<br/>-Examples of artists who visually articulated 'convulsive beauty'<br/>-Socio-political goals of changing the definition of beauty<br/>-How convulsive beauty can be both misogynistic and feminist at the same time.-Discuss why redefining beauty was an important topic for surrealists<br/>-Describe the use of convulsive beauty in at least one of the artists in the course<br/>-Understand some of surrealism's goals as a socio-political movement.The course is open to all levels. You will be taught online via Zoom and should therefore be comfortable with basic computer technology related to Zoom, its microphone, camera and chat functions.You will be taught with slide presentation, lecture and brief discussion/question and answer. The session is 2 hours with a 5 minute screen break at the end of the first hour.There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring a notebook to take notes.Everything you have wanted to know about surrealism but were afraid to ask<br/>Modern art: movements 1900-1950.Art historyModern & contemporary artvirtual191912VB130NONEFri30/01/2618:00 - 20:0018:0020:001 session1One-off onlyEveningWeekdayOnlineOnlineSarah JaffrayBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-01-30T00:00:00+00:00Jan 2026Culture, history & humanities1919Friday lates: Women of Surrealism, convulsive beautiesfriday-lates-women-of-surrealism-convulsive-beauties/vb130-2526Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for feminist artists to visualise bodies in untraditional ways.0000-Available|2026-01-30 00:00:00In his 1928 novel Nadja, André Breton, the founder of the surrealist movement, declared 'Beauty will be CONVULSIVE or it will not be at all.' This short course explores what Breton meant by 'convulsive' and what he and his fellow surrealists thought beauty to be. In the first part of the session, we think about these terms as ways into understanding the surrealist project. In the second part, we explore the art of feminist artists who came to the movement and its concept of beauty wanting to disrupt traditional concepts of 'womanhood' in the mid-20th century.<br/><br/>We will think about convulsive beauty as both misogynistic when weilded by certain artists like Salvador Dalí and liberatory when explored by artists like Dorothea Tanning. This is an introductory course, therefore we will not have time to go into biographical depth on artists. Instead, their art will help us understand the complexity of convulsive beauty and what the surrealists believed to be marvellous, a central conception in their art. <br/><br/>Some of the artists included will be Amy Nimur, Lenora Carrington, Kati Horna, Max Ernst, Unica Zürn and Hans Bellmer, Dora Maar, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray.<br/><br/>Content warning: this course in part deals with mental health, specifically people who have experienced post-traumatic stress which was once called 'hysteria'. Some images of people diagnosed with 'hysteria' will be shared and some students may find these images distressing. Additionally, there will be some artworks that some students may find sexually explicit and/or violent. The images are not shared lightly, they are shared because they are directly related to surrealist conceptions of convulsive beauty and reflect the physical violence of 20th century existence.Learn how and why the surrealists re-defined beauty. Understand how the historical context of war and psychoanalysis inspired them to challenge conceptions of 'normalcy' and how it planted seeds for feminist artists to visualise bodies in untraditional ways.-Surrealist conceptions of beauty and their origins in hysteria and world war<br/>-Examples of artists who visually articulated 'convulsive beauty'<br/>-Socio-political goals of changing the definition of beauty<br/>-How convulsive beauty can be both misogynistic and feminist at the same time.-Discuss why redefining beauty was an important topic for surrealists<br/>-Describe the use of convulsive beauty in at least one of the artists in the course<br/>-Understand some of surrealism's goals as a socio-political movement.The course is open to all levels. You will be taught online via Zoom and should therefore be comfortable with basic computer technology related to Zoom, its microphone, camera and chat functions.You will be taught with slide presentation, lecture and brief discussion/question and answer. The session is 2 hours with a 5 minute screen break at the end of the first hour.There are no additional costs. You may wish to bring a notebook to take notes.Everything you have wanted to know about surrealism but were afraid to ask<br/>Modern art: movements 1900-1950.Art historyModern & contemporary artconfigurable
18951136Modern & contemporary arthttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/art-history/modern-contemporary-art1/2/285/1177/1136/18951/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Modern & contemporary art
Italian Renaissance drawing: design, form and functionFull fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
