Drawing on recent developments in the field of animal studies, this special subject module will explore the representations, and uses of, animals (or ‘non-human animals’) in Western art from the nineteenth century to the present day. As an interdisciplinary, and often highly politically-charged, field of study, animal studies can offer us a new perspective on modern art, demanding consideration of objects and artists usually seen as being outside ‘the canon’. Though images of animals have always been popular (think Edwin Landseer’s Victorian dog paintings), and despite the centrality of animals in the contemporary art scene (Damien Hirst’s shark suspended in formaldehyde), art historians have often been resistant to the representation of animals – perhaps mindful of the dark truths many of these images conceal. This module offers a thematic rather than a chronological overview of the subject, with key themes including empathy, ethics, anthropomorphism, imperialism, domestication, symbolism, sexuality, and conservation. We will examine a wide range of material, from natural history illustrations to children’s books, equestrian portraits to performance art, zoo architecture to taxidermy. There may even be some works of art by animals. Artists discussed will include figures as varied as George Stubbs and Mark Dion, Beatrix Potter and Lucian Freud.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
demonstrate a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the module’s taught content.
describe relationships between relevant artworks and the cultural and social environment of the period covered by the module.
identify and analyse relevant artworks produced during the period covered by the module.
comment on theoretical and other matters embodied in primary or other sources relating to the period covered by the module.