Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:08
This course examines the use of art as a tool for propaganda, diplomacy and education in England between 1520 and 1640. It explores how paintings were commissioned, created and consumed in a world of changing religious and political circumstances, and considers the role of art in both consolidating and challenging power. Case studies range from Queen Elizabeth I’s construction of a distinct visual identity as a female monarch, and Peter Paul Rubens’ creation of a grand mural scheme for King Charles I, to the function of jewel-like portrait miniatures, and the recording through pictures of the first encounters between English colonialists and Indigenous American peoples.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 3 |
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| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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This course examines the use of art as a tool for propaganda, diplomacy and education in England between 1520 and 1640. It explores how paintings were commissioned, created and consumed in a world of changing religious and political circumstances, and considers the role of art in both consolidating and challenging power.
In 1612, Henry Peacham wrote that he was "sorry that our courtiers and great personages must seek far and near for some Dutchman or Italian to draw their pictures, and invent their devises, our Englishmen being held for 'vaunients' [worthless persons]." While England, and particularly London, form the 'base' for our studies, a consistent thread of enquiry examines the ongoing impact of European art and artists on visual culture within the English court and beyond.
Case studies range from Queen Elizabeth I's construction of a distinct visual identity as a female monarch, and Peter Paul Rubens' creation of a grand mural scheme for King Charles I, to the recording through pictures of the first encounters between English colonialists and Indigenous American peoples. 'Painting' is considered in its broadest terms, from the use of oils on panel and canvas to portrait miniatures in watercolours on vellum, encased in jewelled frames, and from large-scale wall paintings to the exquisitely decorated hand-held 'limning' of Esther Inglis, bound up in embroidered covers.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | Word Count | 3000 | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
3,000-word essay (book review) |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Factual | Remember | ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide. |
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