Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate the following:
- an ability to regularly and punctually attend classes, work to set deadlines and under exam conditions (without notes or consultation of class material) and submit original, non-plagiarised work in accordance with the standards expected at university (without recourse to AI tools, chatbot etc or other sources which may compromise academic integrity).
- familiarity and understanding of a range of set texts and critical/ theoretical sources relevant to the course.
- a historical appreciation of Venice, its culture and artistic development particularly with regard to painting, and the position of Venetian art within a wider Italian, and occasionally European, context.
- an understanding of how Venice's artistic development relates to its environmental, social and geo-political situation.
- be able to articulate an appreciation of the particular technical characteristics of the art of Venice, and identify, date, and critically analyse the work of its leading practitioners.
- develop connoisseurial skills relevant to a competency in the history of art, and with particular relevance to prominent Venetian artists.
Indicative Module Content:
We shall continually engage with the so-called ‘Myth of Venice’; from its origins during the Barbarian invasions of the fifth and sixth centuries to its downfall at the hands of Napoleon in 1797, the Venetian Republic enjoyed an unparalleled level of stability and prosperity; protected by their lagoon defences, yet steeped in the luxuries that a maritime empire had won them, the Venetians perpetuated the idea that their city was a new Rome; an ideal city bequeathed by God, blessed by the Virgin Mary and protected by St Mark. We shall analyse how art played a vital role in sustaining this myth and how it enabled the Venetians to rehearse and embellish their own heritage and identity.