Four Northern Renaissance Masters: Bosch, Dürer, Holbein and Bruegel (10 credit points)

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

This course offers a detailed examination of the careers and work of four key figures in the Northern Renaissance: Bosch, Dürer, Holbein and Bruegel. Classes will take each artist in turn to examine their style, subject matter and background: the highly detailed religious narratives of Bosch; the range of media in the work of Dürer; the patronage and portraiture of Holbein; and Bruegel's depictions of everyday life. The work of each artist will be examined in detail, and considered in the context of the politics and culture of northern Europe as well as alongside artistic developments elsewhere in Europe.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

None.

Content of Course

1. Bosch, early career.
2. Bosch: painter of works 'tainted with heresy' or maker of paintings akin to 'books of great wisdom'?
3. Dürer, early career.
4. Dürer in Venice.
5. Dürer's changing view of self.
6. Holbein, early career.
7. Holbein and Henry VIII.
8. Bruegel: 'Pieter the Droll', peasant yokel of popular tradition or cultured urbanite?
9. Bruegel and his 'all-embracing sympathy with humanity'.
10. Material Culture.

Teaching method(s)

The course will be taught by informal lecture and discussion. Students will be guided in close analysis of paintings and other works of art, and will be introduced to key concepts in the study of Art History at this level. Students taking the course for credit will receive guidance on how to present their art history essay, and will be able to discuss their assessment with the course tutor, through a formative assessment essay plan which leads directly to the final essay.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the work and careers of these four northern renaissance artists
assess the cultural and political context of the northern renaissance
assess critically works of art from the period covered by the course

Sources

Core Readings

Oskar Bätschmann, 1997. Hans Holbein. London: Reaktion.
Jeffrey Chipps-Smith, 2012. Dürer. London: Phaidon.
Susan Foister, 2005. Holbein and England. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Keith Roberts, 1982. Bruegel. New York: Phaidon.
Larry Silver, 2006. Hieronymus Bosch. New York: Abbeville Press.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

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.