‘Drawing-Room Gods’: Classical Tradition and Historical Genre Painting in Victorian Britain

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge required.

Content of Course

1. Introduction: Neoclassicism and its Georgian Offspring (Gavin Hamilton, Thomas Stothard and William Etty).

The Neoclassical legacy as seen in the paintings of Gavin Hamilton. The discussion of Hamilton, one of the most prominent proponents of a Neoclassical style, sets the scene for further developments preceding the Victorian period, looking at nowadays lesser known painters working in the Classical tradition.

2. William Frost: Sirens, Nymphs and Nereids.

The highly fanciful and ornamental works of William Edward Frost, a disciple of Etty’s. Some of the works addressed are Frost’s Prometheus Bound, which made his reputation with the Royal Academy of Art, and his Titianesque Venus and Cupid.

3. Frederick Leighton: Italian Dreams and Greek Myths.

Frederick Leighton’s pivotal works, such as Flaming June, Icarus and Daedalus and The Garden of the Hesperides. The works are discussed and analysed in light of Leighton’s development as an eclectic painter who studied in Italy and France.

4. Albert Moore: Rome Resurrected.

The decorative, suavely coloured works of Alfred Moore. A recluse and an eccentric, Moore was known for his darkly tinged works with a biblical subject matter, such as The Mother of Sisera. Like Leighton, he branched out into Classical subject matter.

5. Lawrence Alma Tadema: Rome – Opulence and Decadence.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s work, in particular his scrupulous reconstruction of what Victorians believed to be Rome at its height. Whereas Leighton’s pictures had a mythological core, drawing on Latin sources, rather than Greek ones, Alma-Tadema’s work turns the theme of Rome into jewel-like episodes, depicting the alleged quotidian in the City on the Seven Hills.

6. Frederick Goodall: Classical Masquerades and Oriental Nomads.

Frederick Goodall’s paintings of biblical themes, Victorian ladies in ancient garb and Bedouins. A lesser known painter than Alma-Tadema and Leighton, Goodall travelled to Egypt, showing a marked interest in the lifestyle of Bedouin tribesmen. This fascination with the Orient expressed itself in works with a biblical subject matter and in contemporary ‘oriental’ scenes.

7. John Waterhouse and Jean-Léon Gérôme: The Exotic ‘Other’.

Orientalism through the works of John Waterhouse and Jean-Léon Gérôme. We will follow this French connection and look at how Gérôme’s works have had an influence on British art, with specific reference to Waterhouse’s paintings of Egypt and the ‘Orient’.

8. Edward Burne- Jones: From Pygmalion to Merlin Beguiled.

Influenced at the beginning of his career by the Pre-Raphaelites, Burne-Jones made his name as a muralist for some of Britain’s most prominent churches, but also as a meticulous painter of scenes inspired by ancient Greek myths, such as the 1870 Pygmalion series, which established him as one of the main proponents of British Aestheticism.

9. Frank Dicksee: Roman Maidens and Medieval Knights.

A lesser known academic painter, Dicksee studied under Leighton and Millais. His works reveal the influence of Leighton through masterful renditions of the alleged Roman world. However, he relinquished the opulence of Rome and turned to medieval subject matter, being inspired by Dante and medieval ballads.

10. Edward Poynter and Gaston Bussière:  The Dark Side of Historical Painting.

A return to the theme of nereids and naiads at the end of the Victorian period, as depicted in pictures by Edward Poynter. While Etty’s and Frost’s sea dwellers were ethereal creatures, Poynter’s naiads turned into the seductive femme fatale, a theme that dominated late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century European literature and art, amidst heated debates regarding the emancipation of women and the burgeoning suffragette movement.

Teaching method(s)

The course is based on a combination of lecture and class discussion, focusing on texts and images (PowerPoint & handouts).

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Identify the main proponents of the Classical tradition in Victorian painting;

• Assess the socio-cultural and historical context in which the Classical trend developed;

• Analyse the iconographical components associated with Victorian painting as influenced by Classicism.

Sources

Core Readings

• Asleson, Robyn, 2004. Albert Moore. London: Phaidon

• Burnage, Sarah et al., 2011. William Etty: Art and Controversy. London: Philip Wilson

• De Cars, Laurence & de Font-Réaulx, Dominique, 2010. The Spectacular Art of Jean-Léon Gérôme. New York: Skira

• Lambourne, Lionel, 2003. Victorian Painting. London: Phaidon

• MacKenzie, John M, 2001. The Victorian Vision: Inventing New Britain. London: V&A Publications

• Said, Edward W., 2003. Orientalism. London: Penguin

• Treuherz, Julian, 1993. Victorian Painting. London: Thames & Hudson

• Wolf, Norbert, 2012. The Art of the Salon: The Triumph of Nineteenth-Century Painting. London: Prestel

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.