Postgraduate Course: The Scottish Country House in the Long Eighteenth Century (ARHI11002)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines the architectural, social and economic history of the country house in Scotland in the (very) long eighteenth century, between the Restoration and the end of the Georgian period. |
| Course description |
This course is concerned with the history of the country house in Scotland in a period which starts with the introduction of the classical country house and continues with its development and the introduction of other, historical styles. We will examine the work of all the main architects of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, starting with Sir William Bruce of Kinross and James Smith in the seventeenth and early eighteenth century, and moving on to the work of the Adam family: William, John, Robert and James, which dominates the eighteenth century. The course does not, however, concentrate solely on personalities, of either architects or patrons, or on purely stylistic matters. In examining the country house, great emphasis will be laid on the actual functioning of the buildings and in their wider role within the estates. Of particular interest is the theoretical and aesthetic background within which the houses were built. In this connection, we will focus on two main areas: the introduction of the classical country house in the earlier part of our period, and the the influences that shaped the castellated and mediaeval revivalist work that characterises the end of our period.
1660-1830 was also an important time for the social, political and economic development of Scotland and we will consider the relationship between these factors and the development of the country house, including issues like the economic basis of the estates; the significance of the continuation of a Court style after 1660; the architectural expression of Jacobitism in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries; and the significance of the Union for the country house in Scotland.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | Approx. £20 for field work travel |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- - Demonstrate knowledge of the stylistic development of country House architecture and landscape design in Scotland over the period in question
- - Evidence an understanding of the relationship between the Country House and its social, political and economic milieux
- - Evidence an understanding of the functional aspects of the planning of the Country House and the relationship between plan, furnishing and decoration
- - Demonstrate the ability to synthesise a variety of primary and secondary sources, written, visual and material, to create a convincing analysis of architectural/landscape design
- - Demonstrate the ability to plan, research, write and present, using a variety of media, a clear and well-argued point of view on a given topic, with some guidance
- Demonstrate an understanding of the usefulness and limitations of archival sources for researching the country House
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Scottish Architecture,Eighteenth century,country house,castle,landscape garden,domestic archite |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr John Lowrey
Tel: (0131 6)50 2314
Email: J.Lowrey@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lizzie Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3079
Email: lizzie.robertson@ed.ac.uk |
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