To study seminal approaches to art and architecture in the Renaissance period. This week we will look at two primary sources: Leon Battista Alberti’s De re aedificatoria (On the Art of Building) and Giorgio Vasari’s Le Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori (Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects). We will explore how the work of the Italian architect and theorist Alberti epitomises the reawakening of classical architecture in the Renaissance period, and how it relates to the context of Humanist learning at that time. We will examine the motivations and narrative techniques of the Italian painter and writer Vasari and how his work served to establish a canon of art and artists.

To study seminal approaches to art during the European Enlightenment. This week we will look at two theoretical works: Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture and Immanuel Kant’s The Critique of Judgement. We will explore how the work of the German art historian Winckelmann reflects the notion of an idealist classicism, and how it relates to the rediscovery of Ancient Greek heritage during the Enlightenment. We will examine how the work of the German philosopher Kant contributes to debates about aesthetic judgement and the concept of genius.

To study the rise of modernism in the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries. This week we will look at extracts from Charles Baudelaire’s The Painter of Modern Life and Jacques Derrida’s Restitutions of the Truth in Pointing. We will explore how the work of the French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire reflects upon the purpose of art and the role of the artist. We will also look at the impact of Baudelaire’s art historical criticism upon later art theory and practice. We will examine the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida, including his response to the work of Immanuel Kant, and his own contribution to the analysis and understanding of the visual arts.

To study new approaches to Art History that emerged following World War II, which challenge previous traditional approaches. This week we will look at two examples of ‘New Art History’: Feminist Art Theory and Postcolonial Theory. We will analyse the seminal essay by American art historian Linda Nochlin, Why have there been no great women artists?, to see how it dismantles the concept of greatness and the male-centric genius in art. We will examine Globalization and its Discontents by American art historian Donald Preziosi to see how Art History can be broadened to incorporate a wider geographical context. Both of these approaches will be considered with reference to specific works of art.