Ways into advanced art history: style and form

What is the course about?

This art history course examines the central, historical core of art historical work: how do visual elements link to historical context and concepts? To do this we will examine different ways of reading art: aesthetics, formalism, artistic process and how close looking is the foundation of art historical work.

Please note: this course is academically focussed. It is meant to be preparatory for academic study at university or independently. The readings are required as are weekly discussions on the topics as part of a larger group and in smaller, breakout group conversations/work with your peers on the course. Please carefully read the section 'How will I be taught' below before making the decision to sign up for this course.

The course aims to make students more critically aware of how form and visual style are linked to broader cultural standards. It also looks at how the analysis of beauty in art has shaped cultural perception and expectation of what art and the work of artists is supposed to achieve. How to begin to analyse visual style (rather than just subject matter) provides a valuable foundation for students who want to ask critical questions about the meaning of an artwork.

We develop an understanding of form and style by exploring foundational works on visual form in art including academic writings by Erica Moiah James, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, Griselda Pollock, Heinrich Wölfflin, Clement Greenberg, Leon Battista Alberti, Linda Nochlin, Guo Xi. Reading will be accompanied by looking at art, of course.

What will we cover?

• Week 1: defining and identifying style
• Week 2: aesthetics and the origins of art history
• Week 3: formalism - looking with judgment?
• Week 4: artistic process, from the artist's perspective
• Week 5: social theories of space
• Week 6: presentations and reflections on subjectivity

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

• Discuss the impact of aesthetics (the social appreciation of beauty) on art/an artwork
• Describe the theories/art historical philosophy/method of one or more of the major art historians we discuss in this course
• Critically engage with the subject of an artwork and question how it might relate to broader cultural concepts

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for people who have done some art historical study before and wish to pursue serious personal or professional work in the subject. Those just starting out are very welcome, but need to be aware this is not an introductory course.

You need a willingness to join in group discussion and consider the views of others. You will be required to read and respond to academic writing and discuss ideas with the larger group.

This course will use a Google Classroom to communicate with students. You must be willing to access the Google Classroom to participate; you will be sent an invitation to the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught with academic texts, prompts, seminar sessions, workshop-like activities and lecture.

The first hour of each session will be devoted to discussing the readings and applying ideas to the interpretation of artworks. The last 30-45 mins of the session will be lecture, where the tutor will further synthesise the subject of the session.

This course has required homework. You will be asked to read assigned pieces of art historical writing each week and be prepared to share your thoughts on these readings in group discussion. Required readings will be printed for you, but if you are absent, you can retrieve them from the Google Classroom.

At the end of the course, you will be asked to present the analysis of an artwork in speech and/or writing (of approximately 200-400 words, maximum).

Homework is required for your participation in this course. Each week, reading and artwork analysis will take an estimate of 1-2 hours outside of class time, each week. If you are unable to take this time to complete the homework each week, you will not be able to adequately experience the course materials.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You might wish to bring a notebook. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list given out in class.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Ways into advanced art history: historiography
Ways into advanced art history: museums, research and critique
A history of art in 100 objects
A history of modern art in 50 objects