Helen Dejean
Tuesday 10 – Friday 13 September 2024
£495
Course description
This course explores the distinctive iconography and fascinating materiality of Italo-Byzantine and late medieval Italian panel painting and investigates the visually striking and spiritually engaging nature of works produced c. 1260 – 1380. Specific examples from The Courtauld’s collection and the National Gallery provide the focus for close object study and classroom discussion, in combination with practical sessions to demonstrate and explain the making process.
The art historical journey begins in Byzantium, with an appraisal of key iconographic themes, their origins, form, and function. The transmission of this imagery into the Latin West, its subsequent modes of translation and different functions are contextualised within the dynamic milieu of the ‘long thirteenth century’. The many aspects of patronage and reception are considered, including devotion and sensory experiences.
The twelfth- and fourteenth-century treatises by Theophilus and Cennino Cennini provide the technical art history sources that explain the methods and materials involved in panel preparation, gilding and painting in egg tempera. Participants have the option to engage with a range of these traditional materials and try out selected processes. No previous artistic experience or ability is required for this hands-on ‘workshop’ element.