History of Art

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

John Gash

Pre-requisites

Available to students in programme year 5

Co-requisites

none

Notes

Overview

Provides training in making decisions about attribution, fakes and forgeries. Modern methods of authentication such as technical analysis will also be examined. The course is appropriate both for budding professional art historians and those hoping to enter the art trade.

Structure

One two-hour seminar per week for ten weeks

Assessment

One 5,000 word essay (90%)
class participation (10%)

Credit Points

5

Course Coordinator

Dr Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

Fieldwork 2, HA5505

Notes

Overview

Structure

One day trip to Glasgow; one week trip to Paris, guided tours and discussions of galleries, museums and architecture.

Assessment

1500 word review of an exhibition or site. Continuous assessment 100%

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr T Nichols

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in programme year 5

Co-requisites

None

Notes

Overview

Unlike most other art history courses, this is a text-based course, focusing on a number of selected 'key texts' relating to art history theory.

Structure

Three hours of seminars per week.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100%. 1 essay of 5,000 words.

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

Available to level 5 students

Co-requisites

none

Notes

Overview

This course will introduce students to ONE of three core elements of Medieval art, architexture and artefacts in Scotland: manuscripts, pictish stones or castles. Key items will be the Aberdeen Bestiary, symbol stones in Marischal Museum and Drum Castle. Students will examine case studies first-hand.

Structure

Onx 2-hour seminar for 10 weeks

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100% [1 X 5,000 word essay (90%)and tutorial participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Tom Nichols

Pre-requisites

Available to level 5 students

Co-requisites

none

Overview

Through a study of Northern European art and artefacts in Scotland, the art historical relationship between these areas will be examined. Case studies will be drawn from major works in Scottish collections, such as Hugo van der Goes, Lucas Cranach, Durer, Rembrandt and Rubens. Students will visit Scottish collections to view these works.

Structure

One two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100% [1 X 5,000 word essay (90%)and tutorial participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Tom Nichols

Pre-requisites

Available to level 5 students

Co-requisites

none

Overview

The course will analyse art, artefacts and collections of Itlian art in Scotland, and art historical relationships between Italy and Scotland. Case studies of Orcagna, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Giorgione,Domenichino and Canaletto. Students will visit Scottish collections to view these works.

Structure

One x 2-hour seminar for 10 weeks.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100% [1 X 5,000 word essay (90%)and tutorial participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in programme year 5

Co-requisites

none

Overview

The course enables students to engage in specialised advanced study with leading authorities in their fields while learning subject-specific research skills.

Structure

Six 2 hour seminars spread over twelve weeks; one oral presentation by student

Assessment

Continuous Assessment (100%) 3,000 word essay

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Prof Peter Davidson

Pre-requisites

Available to level 5 students

Co-requisites

none

Notes

Overview

This course offers a wide range of hands-on discovery relating to the University collections. It allows students to explore a variety of media and gain an understanding of the research potential within the University archive and museum.

Structure

One two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100% [1 X 5,000 word essay (90%)and tutorial participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr T Nichols

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 5

Co-requisites

None

Notes

Overview

Students will take a methodologically progressive, thematic approach to the realm of visual culture in the early modern period. The course will examine 'visual culture' in its broadest sense, placing art objects within the contexts of their material and economic production, social function and aesthetic reception. Topics for consideration may include the study of early modern visual imagery in the following contexts: workshops and academies, visual types and contexts, aesthetic categories and values, patrons and publics, republics and courts religious tradition and reform, printmaking and book illustration, social elites and marginals. The emphasis throughout will be on the ways in which visual image embodies social and cultural codes, but also on the way in which it mediates these in a proactive manner.

Structure

1 x 2 hour seminar per week for 10 weeks.

Assessment

Continuous assessment (100%) [1 x 5000 word essay (90%); class participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr J Morrison

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 5

Co-requisites

None

Notes

Overview

The course examines 'visual culture' in its broadest sense, placing art objects within the contexts of their material and economic production, social function and aesthetic reception. Works of art, museum artefacts and collections, archaeological sites and landscapes and art/archaeology in situ are studied, together with their relationship to the divergent identities of Scotland. The intellectual and aesthetic concerns inherent in the development of these identities and in the creation of the works, objects and collections analysed will also be considered.

Structure

1 x 2 hour seminar per week for 8 weeks; 2 x 1 hour lectures in total; 1 field trip

Assessment

Continuous assessment (100%; 1 x 5000 word essay (90%); class participation (10%)

Credit Points

5

Course Coordinator

Dr Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

Fieldwork 1, HA5005

Notes

Overview

Structure

One day trip to Edinburgh; 5 day trip to London, guided tours and discussons about art galleries, museums and buildings.

Assessment

1500 word review of an exhibition or site. Continuous assessment 100%

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 5

Co-requisites

None

Notes

Overview

The course will focus on the Aberdeen Bestiary and the St Albans Psalter, our premier University resources, placing them in historical context. Some consideration will also be made of illustrations from the Bible, liturgical books, scientific and visionary books. The process of copying images, the requirements of the patron, sources of iconography and style will be explored. In an age of overwhelming male patronage, the female contribution will also be examined.

Structure

One two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks. Those students taking HA5505 will have the opportunity to visit the British Library and Conway Library, Courtauld Institute in London.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100% [1 X 5,000 word essay (90%)and tutorial participation (10%)]

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Jane Geddes

Pre-requisites

For students already accepted for MLitt degrees in History of Art, Visual Culture, and Medieval Studies

Overview

The course will highlight the Aberdeen Bestiary and St Albans Psalter, our premier University resources, placing them in historical context. The aim is to cover a wide range of illustrations from the Bible, liturgical books, scientific and visionary books. The process of copying images, the requirements of the patron, sources of iconography and style will be explored. In an age of overwhelming male patronage, the female contribution will also be examined. During the course, students will visit London as part of Fieldwork 2, and will have the opportunity to study MSS in London libraries.

Structure

One two-hour seminar per week for 10 weeks. Students (already taking the History of Art Fieldwork 2) will come to London, in order to visit the British Library and Conway Library, Courtauld Institute.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100%. 1 X 5000 word essay (90%). Tutorial participation (10%)

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr J Geddes

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 5

Co-requisites

History of Art Dissertation II: Research and Writing

Notes

Overview

The course consists of one-to-one supervision with the member of staff best equipped to advise the student on her/his dissertation topic. It will involve detailed and critical discussion of primary and secondary materials suited to the research interests of the student (as developed over the preceding semester) with the aim of providing the student with the fullest preparation for researching and writing the dissertation in the summer and research beyond.

Structure

6 X 1 hour supervision sessions (one per fortnight)

Assessment

Continous Assessment (100%) [critical bibliography (90%) Draft outline of dissertation (10%)]

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Dr J Geddes

Pre-requisites

Available to students in Programme Year 5

Co-requisites

History of Dissertation I: Sources and Source Criticism

Notes

Overview

The course consists of one-to-one supervision with a member of staff. Students will be expected to produce a dissertation of 15,000 to 20,000 words.

Structure

4 x 1 hour supervision sessions in total

Assessment

Continuous assessment: dissertation (100%)