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Department Reviews

HISTORY OF ART

A new AS syllabus, a trip to Paris and Nice and some blockbuster exhibitions in London marked the beginning of the academic year and the students have had lots of opportunities for study outside the classroom.

The new syllabus has opened up innovative possibilities for teaching. We have retained a strong emphasis on understanding the visual and formal elements of art and architecture but along side this there is greater potential for observation of change and development in art as a thematic approach has taken the place of learning discreet ‘stand alone’ modules. This brings the introduction to the subject more in line with current approaches to the presentation of works of art in galleries and museums. At the start of term students of both years spent time in the National Gallery looking at the Italian and Northern European painters of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, becoming familiar with differences in treatment of figures, settings and subjects. To complement their learning we spent the rest of our time in the wonderful ‘Renaissance Faces’ exhibition that resulted in a presentation on this theme in Prayers in November.

The SFC2 sets had the experience of a trip abroad to consolidate their understanding of their course topic on The Impressionist Period 1852-1886. Art and History of Art students combined a visit to Paris and to Nice, although each group was given a different experience. Despite the crowds of tourists, which gather in the museums of the Louvre and the Musee D’Orsay, it is still possible to give the students the thrill of seeing important works they have been studying for the first time. It is also possible to understand why painters in Paris in this period responded so keenly to modern urban life in the Second Empire and Third Republic and how this response produced such memorable and famous images such as The Bar at the Folies Bergère and Déjeuner sur L’Herbe. We were also fortunate to be in Paris at the same time as the Picasso Museum was being renovated and enlarged; this had prompted curators to install many of Picasso’s works in other galleries juxtaposed with appropriate works by other artists. Since Picasso constantly pitted himself against great artists of the past, it was a thought provoking way to encounter his art in a new context.

Once again the Literature Festival offered some dynamic and relevant talks for students of history of art. Both SFC1 and SFC2 girls were able to hear talks by important writers and curators including those on Francis Bacon and Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. We were also treated to talks by members of ‘Art History Abroad’ and ‘John Hall Italian Tours’ in the autumn term. These talks often give girls a taste of the possibilities of extending their study of art in their gap years, especially in Italy and several CLC girls emailed with accounts of memorable trips learning more about Renaissance Art in the cities of Florence, Rome and Venice.

Recently girls who have begun their university study in History of Art have been in touch to speak about their experience of the subject and their new areas of study whilst others are preparing to start their courses this coming September. These include Tara Lawrence, Alex Locker and Grace Storey.

This piece was written in Florence, where I have been on sabbatical, improving my Italian and researching the jewels of the Renaissance at first-hand.

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