British Art and Internationalism c. 1600–1945: from van Dyck to the Modern Movement

Overview

This module will explore connections and conversations between British art and International art. Areas of enquiry will include émigré artists in Britain in the period, both in terms of their impact on British art and artists and the introduction of new genres and visual forms, and in the adaptation of émigré artists’ work to the tastes of British patrons and critics. It will also examine notions of international, national and local languages of art, considering for instance how classicism and international modernism were perceived in relation to British culture at specific historical moments. The module will consider these questions by examining case studies of key artists and issues, engaging in critical readings of current academic research on dialogues between British art and international art and by considering the role played by gallery displays and exhibitions in establishing definitions of British art and its relationship with internationalism at key historical moments. The module will combine analysis of key texts in group seminars with visits to Tate and other London collections including the forthcoming Schwitters in Exile exhibition at Tate Britain. The issues will also be explored through practical exercises including developing a display proposal on this topic using the Tate collection. The module will allow students to consider British art from an international perspective, to acquire skills in academic analysis and debate and to develop an understanding of some of the practical issues in presenting theoretical concepts through gallery displays.

Aims

By the end of the module students should have acquired the following:

• An understanding of how British art has been shaped in dialogue with international art in the period through the activities of émigré artists and the influx of new genres and languages of art
• A knowledge of the key debates in academic literature on the political and cultural shifts implicit in changing definitions of British art and its relationship with the international
• An understanding of how museums and galleries have shaped understandings of British art and the international through exhibitions and displays
• An ability to critique historical and theoretical approaches to the relationship between British art and the international through close reading of key texts and contributions to seminar discussion
• An ability to analyse how museums and galleries communicate ideas on the topic through their displays and exhibitions
• Skills in developing a display proposal that is able to communicate complex ideas through the juxtaposition of artworks and short texts
• An ability to research and develop an original topic for the written assessment