Spanish art in the shadow of Franco (1936-2000)
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Course Code: VB879
Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 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?
In this art history evening class we investigate Spanish art from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to the long aftermath of the Franco dictatorship. The course provides a general introduction to Spanish art of the period, looking at some of the ways in which it responded to and was affected by the Civil War and the dictatorship. We begin with a discussion of art and propaganda during The Spanish civil war, and especially contributions by Picasso and Joan Miró and others to the 1937 Spanish Pavilion at the universal exhibition in Paris. Other case studies include the role played by the painters Antoni Tàpies and Manolo Millares in Franco’s attempt to rehabilitate his regime internationally; the artistic rebranding of Spain following General Franco’s death in 1975, and the international boom in Spanish art led by the painter Miquel Barceló.
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?
• Picasso’s Guernica and Josep Renau’s photomontages in the Spanish pavilion,
• Politics and identity in the paintings of Antoni Tàpies and Manolo Millares.
• Francoist Censorship and Victor Erice’s film The Spirit of the Beehive (1973).
• Memory and silence in the sculptural installations of Juan Muñoz.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Compare Republican and Francoist approaches to art as propaganda
• Describe three key differences between the paintings of Antoni Tàpies and Manolo Millares
• List two works by Miquel Barceló and discuss the background to their creation
• Participate in discussions about the significance of walls in Picasso, Tàpies, Millares, Erice, and Muñoz.
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, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
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, not printed out for you.
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:
VB506 - Spanish art: in the age of Picasso, Miro and Dali 1885-1936
VB670 - Focus on: Velazquez
(To find a course quickly, type the course code e.g. VB490, in the search box above).
Mark Stuart-Smith gained his PhD in Art History at Birkbeck on silence in the work of the Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz, and is writing a book on Muñoz. He has a diploma in painting from the Royal Academy schools, a BA in Art History (Birkbeck), and a Masters in Cultural Memory (University of London). Mark’s main research interests are 20th-century Spanish art, and art and homelessness. He writes for the Journal Art History, and also teaches art at homeless day centres in London, including the Connection at St Martin’s.
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.
