THEME I: ART, RELIGION AND SOCIETY
Course 1: Dr Cecily Hennessy
Nike to Angel: The Inception of Early Christian Art
 £420

Christian imagery is central to our knowledge and experience of western art during the past two millennia.  This course explores the origins and influences of that imagery as it appears in wall paintings and monumental mosaics, in ivories, metalwork and manuscripts. In order to gain a perspective on its roots and influences, we look at key images and symbols from the pre-Christian world. We analyse their meanings and significance and discuss how they gained new interpretations when borrowed and adapted for fundamental aspects of Christian iconography. We also examine the role of art in religious belief and practice, focusing on key sites, such as Dura Europas in modern Syria and fascinating Late Antique cities, such as Ravenna, Rome and Constantinople as well as questioning major visual concepts such as the representation of Christ and of the Virgin. Visits include a special handling session at the British Museum.


THEME II: ART AND LIFE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE

NEW COURSE
Course 2: Professor Paul Crossley

‘A New Heaven and A New Earth’. The Gothic Cathedral in France and England

£445

The Gothic church, with its vast and complex architecture, its monumental sculpture, its richly ornamented stained glass and handsome textiles, is impressive both visually and intellectually.  The Gothic adventure begins in northern France, in and around Paris, in the mid 12th century, and reaches its political apogee a hundred years later. It elicited some of the most daring feats of structural engineering in the history of western Europe; but it combined this technology with a genius for invention, as much in its marginal grotesques as in its mainstream  spaces.   It housed the bodies of saints, whose cults attracted international pilgrimage, and it provided pantheons and platforms for the cults of kings.  At the same time, under its high vaults, it sheltered small-scale and infinitely precious works of liturgical art – ars sacra – which transformed these giant structures into shelters for public worship and private devotion. In a brutal and flawed world, these great churches erected a utopian vision of heaven, promulgated by the medieval Church and its ministers, but also supported by kings and their courts.

You may also be interested in Professor Crossley’s Study Tour to the cathedrals of Ely and Lincoln from 7-8 May 2010

 

THEME II: ART AND LIFE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE

NEW COURSE

Course 10: Dr Alexandra Gajewski

In the Shadow of the Cathedral: The Gothic Church in its Urban Context

£445

The Gothic church, with its tall vaults and its towers stretching into the skies, dominated its environment not only physically, but also economically and socially. It was the focus of urban religious life, of civic functions and civic pride. As the embodiment of the Church institution it was even, at times, the target of violent attacks. Medieval life and its buildings structured themselves around the great church: situated immediately adjacent to the church was the cloister for the canons or monks. In an episcopal town, the bishop had his palace close to the cathedral. Often a secular ruler established his own castle or palace in the vicinity. Parish churches and diverse monastic institutions completed the urban scenery. And of course, the burghers and people with their town halls, shops and businesses were clustering around the church. In this course we will discover how the great Gothic church was integrated in its urban and social context. We will look at urban topography and the architecture, the building types, their style and decoration, comparing London with other medieval cities, such as Prague and Paris. Visits are planned to the Tower of London and Saint Bartholomew’s, as well as a day trip to Rochester.

THEME II: ART AND LIFE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE

Course 19: Dr Rose Walker

Between Caliphs and Kings: Art, War and Diplomacy on  the Frontiers c.711–c.1250

£420

Islamic art developed rapidly during the seventh and eighth centuries in tandem with the equally swift expansion of Islamic rule across North Africa, into the Iberian peninsula, and to the island of Sicily. The Mosque of Córdoba is the most potent reminder of the time when the city was fabulously rich and sophisticated. By the ninth century Christian kingdoms in the north had begun to grow and establish new identities, which they expressed partly through art and architecture.  From 1085 two successive Berber dynasties from the Maghrib seized power. This change coincided with a hardening of attitudes on both sides. These dynasties were zealous in the Muslim faith, while the First Crusade was preached in Christian lands to the north.

We shall look at the ways that art operated across the notional and real boundaries between these realms.  Buildings that had been churches became mosques; later mosques were again used as churches. Exquisite ivory caskets with scenes of life at a Caliph’s court were reused to house the relics of Christian saints, their bones wrapped in the finest Islamic silks. The Islamic rulers prized the technical skill of Byzantine artists, whilst Christian kings were keen to enjoy the luxury goods of their Islamic neighbours. Questions of stylistic ‘influence’ and ‘appropriation’ have given rise to fierce debates.  What does working in a particular style really tell us about an artist’s ethnic or religious origin? The course will visit the V&A and The British Library.

THEME II: ART AND LIFE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE

Course 28: Dr Catherine Yvard
The Weird and the Wonderful: Illuminated Manuscripts in the Middle Ages
£445

When opening an illuminated manuscript, one always feels a tingle of excitement at the sight of the shimmering gold and vibrant colours that still grace its pages after so many centuries. And indeed, a study of Western medieval and early Renaissance painting would not be complete without taking into account the minute masterpieces preserved in the pages of the numerous manuscripts that have survived from this period, stretching from the fifth century to the mid 16th century.

Producing a manuscript required a quill, inks and colours, and animal skin to write on. How were these books made? By whom and for whom? What texts did they contain and how were they illustrated? This course will explore the medieval library, turning the pages of Bestiaries, Bibles, accounts of travels to faraway lands, history chronicles, chivalric romances and many more, thus discovering the medieval world and thought through their fascinating illustrations. General trends in book production will be outlined in relation to individual manuscripts considered in their artistic, social and historical context, with a special focus on the late Middle Ages. The lectures will be complemented by visits to prestigious collections including the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, where students will have the unique opportunity to examine manuscripts and early printed books at first hand.