The Renaissance at home in the V&A
- Course Code: VB137
- Dates: 14/01/25 - 28/01/25
- Time: 11:00 - 13:00
- Taught: Tue, Daytime
- Duration: 3 sessions (over 3 weeks)
- Location: Off Site
- Tutor: Lydia Goodson
Course Code: VB137
Duration: 3 sessions (over 3 weeks)
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What is the course about?
The Renaissance is usually associated with magnificent churches and ambitious painting on a vast scale, but the period saw an equally remarkable transformation in the domestic interior. There was a huge increase in the variety and the quantity of objects made for the home, and these have a fascinating history of their own. In this course we shall look at objects in the collection of the V & A that were made for the Italian Renaissance home, to discover how they were produced, purchased, and used in the fashionable Renaissance interior.
Meeting point within the V & A to be confirmed to registered students by email a week before the course start date.
What will we cover?
• Taking three key rooms of the home, each week we will look closely at paintings and objects made for these rooms.
• We will explore what the objects tell us about daily life in the Renaissance home.
• We will discuss production techniques used in the making and decorating of objects for the home.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Describe how rooms in the Renaissance home were used.
• Identify furnishings and objects popular in the Renaissance home and discuss what their appearance tells us about how they were displayed and utilised.
• Recognise techniques used to be make fashionable items for the Renaissance home, such as maiolica ware and intarsia.
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. You 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 in the gallery with lecture and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course.
Museum/gallery-based courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between galleries), you will need to be able to walk between exhibits and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to any gallery stools.) If you feel you may be impacted by these environmental variations, please inform the department on humanities@citylit.ac.uk before the course begins, to discuss reasonable accommodations we can make to assist your learning in the museum space.
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. Entrance to the gallery is free.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
In-depth: Early Renaissance
A history of art in 100 objects.
Lydia is an art historian specialising in the art and material culture of the Italian Renaissance. Lydia holds a BA in Renaissance history from the University of Warwick, and an MA in Art History from the University of Sussex. She was awarded her PhD from The Warburg Institute in 2020 for her thesis on artistic patronage in early modern Perugia. Lydia’s research interests centre on the Umbrian region of Italy and include confraternities, workshop practice, and the production of Tovaglie Perugine. She has taught at Sussex University and lectures widely on the Italian Renaissance. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
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.