Last modified: 14 Dec 2023 10:46
The twelfth century was a period defined by upheaval and innovation, when ancient learning and new ideas combined to transform European society across the continent. This course explores the artistic dimension to cultural, social, and political change, and brings marginalised communities into focus. We will draw on a range of sources, including manuscripts, architecture, stained glass and metalwork to understand a range of lived experiences, from isolated monks to Jewish communities.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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The twelfth century was a period defined by upheaval and innovation, when ancient learning and new ideas combined to transform European society. Focused on Paris, there was new interest in scientific discovery, divergent ways of engaging with God and the development of the new Gothic style of architecture, which in the following centuries would dominate urban skylines around the world. The period is sometimes referred to as a renaissance, paralleling the exciting resurgence of antique learning in the better-known Italian renaissance of the fifteenth century.
The course begins by questioning the label of ‘renaissance’ and how useful it is when applied to the twelfth century. Then, it takes a broad view of the period, where a variety of sources forms the case studies, from manuscripts, architecture, stained glass, and metalwork, all of which formed the basis of visual culture at the time. The aim will be to get sense of art’s role in the lived experiences of people at the time, and how it paralleled, and some ways defined their lives. We will explore marginalised communities such as Jewish experiences and artistic production, illustrating the often complex attitudes to the Other in the Middle Ages. We will get a sense of popular religion in the form of pilgrimage accounts and the material culture of religious experiences. Aberdeen’s own collections will be used and consulted to give students the opportunity to work with the manuscripts from the Middle Ages.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Article / Book review Written feedback; in-person feedback on request |
Word Count | 3500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of artistic production and cultural history in the European twelfth century. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Apply knowledge of objects and texts critically evaluate for the interpretation of artistic and cultural change in the central Middle Ages. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Show a critical understanding of medieval discourses on the methods and contexts of artistic production in Europe during the twelfth century. |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback after presentation; in-person feedback on request |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of artistic production and cultural history in the European twelfth century. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Apply knowledge of objects and texts critically evaluate for the interpretation of artistic and cultural change in the central Middle Ages. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Show a critical understanding of medieval discourses on the methods and contexts of artistic production in Europe during the twelfth century. |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback and additional verbal with student as required |
Word Count | 3500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of artistic production and cultural history in the European twelfth century. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Apply knowledge of objects and texts critically evaluate for the interpretation of artistic and cultural change in the central Middle Ages. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Show a critical understanding of medieval discourses on the methods and contexts of artistic production in Europe during the twelfth century. |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Apply knowledge of objects and texts critically evaluate for the interpretation of artistic and cultural change in the central Middle Ages. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Show a critical understanding of medieval discourses on the methods and contexts of artistic production in Europe during the twelfth century. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of artistic production and cultural history in the European twelfth century. |
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