Explore UCD

UCD Home >

AH30710

Academic Year 2026/2027

Caravaggio and his Followers (AH30710)

Subject:
Art History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Art History & Cultural Policy
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Philip Cottrell
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Please note: this is a small-group seminar module designed to make maximum use of first-hand access to relevant paintings by Caravaggio and his followers in Dublin. As a result the course will heavily depend on students' ability to attend field trip sessions at the National Gallery of Ireland and Dublin Castle in the city centre. These classes will lie outside, and be in lieu of, core class times (usually on occasional Thursday evenings 6-8pm).

During a brief and violent career in Rome, Naples, Sicily and Malta, Caravaggio left an indelible mark on the history of art. His work was revolutionary in its vivid approach to narrative, unsettling realism, and dramatic manipulation of light and shade. Although Caravaggio discouraged imitators, this did not deter the development of a pan-European Caravaggist style in the decades after his death. The extraordinary nature of his critical rehabilitation during the 20th century also highlights his appeal to modern sensibilities. This course seeks to place Caravaggio in the context of the movement he inspired in 17thc Europe. We will explore the different ways in which Caravaggio's innovative style was manipulated by his followers in Italy, the Low Countries, France and Spain. In profiling major
participants, Caravaggism’s visual vocabulary will come under scrutiny in an attempt to isolate the source and significance of certain stylistic motifs.

We will attempt to rationalise the Caravaggist phenomenon by addressing the cultural background of the period, taking into account the various demands of private and ecclesiastical patronage. In addition to gauging contemporary and modern perceptions of the artist and his followers, students will be encouraged to consider works in the context of psychoanalytical, feminist and other theoretical approaches relevant to the history of art. Often we will be discussing Caravaggio's impact
through the prism of works present in local collections.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to:

- regularly and punctually attend classes at Belfield and, when required, at the National Gallery of Ireland/ Dublin Castle, work to set deadlines, and submit original, non-plagiarised work in accordance with the standards expected at university and without recourse to AI supports.

- shape the content of their class/ written work according to themes and arguments discussed in class.

- show familiarity and understanding of a range of set texts and critical/ theoretical sources relevant to the course (available primarily through the Francoise Henry Reading Room, UCD Library, and in some cases at the National Gallery of Ireland Library) and be able to discuss relevant works under test conditions without reliance on supplementary notes.

- to identify and discuss the main practitioners of the Caravaggesque style and their contribution to the development of European painting.

- place the work of Caravaggio and his followers within its social and cultural context.

- demonstrate an analytical appreciation of Caravaggesque works in local collections.

- understand the defining characteristics of the Caravaggesque style and how to relate them to a variety of analytical methodologies relevant to the history of art.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Seminar (or Webinar)

16
Field Trip/External Visits

6
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Total

224

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
In addition to lectures, the course will be largely seminar led, with time set aside for class discussion, student presentations and field work at the National Gallery of Ireland (the latter to take outside of, but in lieu of core class time - usually on Thursday evenings). Students are encouraged to develop their own ideas and not depend upon replicating received scholarly opinion. However, in forming their own informed critical responses they will be strongly encouraged to read widely and familiarise themselves with a range of recommended books and articles available in the library and elsewhere. AI resources are not appropriate to this module and should not be used. Students will strongly be discouraged from relying on other electronic resources and digital supports. It is incumbent any undergraduate student who fails this module to contact the lecturer concerned to announce their attention to resit, and to obtain details of the resit. Any resit/ repeat registration issues should be dealt with by the Arts programme office.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: One presentation to, and discussed with, the class written up as an essay within a week of delivery. Each student's deadline will, therefore, vary and be individually assigned by week 3 of the module. Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14 Graded No
40
 No
Exam (In-person): One two-hour written exam, to be completed under conventional exam conditons (without class notes etc), to be scheduled in the exam period. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
60
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 12:00 - 13:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.