France, 1850-1900: Visual Culture and Social Change (U01185)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : ACE-4-HFran1850

The course will be about art and history, and their inter-relationships. It will involve the reading of historical as well as art historical material, and will consider art as an essential part of the processes of historical change. The course begins with the 1848 revolution, considering the role of the revolution in the emergent realism of Courbet, Breton, and Millet. Manet will be studied as an artist who both 'opposed' the academic hierarchy and the political regime. Particular attention will be given to Baron Haussmann and the rebuilding of Paris. The ramifications of the rebuilding, in terms of social engineering, will be analysed in the inner city paintings of Caillebotte and the suburban subjects of Monet, Renoir, and Raffaelli. The Franco-Prussian War and the Commune will come into play, both as events which challenged artists in the depiction of their uncomfortable subjects and also in relation to their legacy in both politics and art. The politics of gender will be a vital component of the course. Not only will the work of women artists be considered, but representations of the feminine and the masculine according to the contemporary doctrine of the 'separate spheres' will be studied. The Third Republic will be particularly considered in relation to social control eg. the promotion of republican values in public art will be assessed. Landscape and rural life painting will be discussed in terms of regions versus the centre, the specifically 'local' art against the more city-orientated canvases. Landscape painting will also be tackled in relation to tourism and the 'construction' of local values both by native artists and visitors. Consumption and consumerism in the modern metropolis, with the entertainment culture of Montmartre, will be tackled in relation to the work of Seurat. The course will deal primarily with painting, printmaking and sculpture, though photography and urbanism will have a part.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A pass in either History of Art 2 or Architectural History 2a and 2b

? Prohibited combinations : This course is not available to students on the BA Humanities and Social Science degree.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History of Art, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

? Additional Class Information : Seminars will take place on Mondays 0900-1050 and 1110-1300. Students to attend one of these.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

This course is very specifically aimed at students who want to study art in relation to history. While objects will be to the fore, they will be considered in terms of historical processes. Thus, students will be expected to read beyond 'conventional' art historical texts and study the historical literature on this period. The course is not intended to be a survey course, but rather to take certain specific social, political and artistic issues in France between 1850 and 1900 and study them in detail.
Students taking this course will hone close skills of picture analysis, based on the close study of objects both in the classroom and on a gallery visit. They will get a fuller understanding of the social history of art. In particular, they will be encouraged to think in interdisciplinary terms, and to key the making of images into historical processes. In terms of learning they will be encouraged to explore periodical literature and to read critically and widely. All students will be expected not only to prepare for classes, whether giving a paper or not, but also to contribute in an informed way to discussion.