Art historians have recently begun to challenge the definition of ‘British Art’ by emphasising the centrality of the British Empire to the production, display and reception of art. This module explores the relationships between art and empire in one of the periods most associated with British imperial expansion, 1837-1901, and pays particular attention to questions of race and ethnicity. It examines a broad range of media, including painting, sculpture, decorative arts and photography, and new contexts of display, including art museums and international exhibitions. The module will introduce you to key historical and theoretical frameworks for analysing these artworks and contexts, drawing on a wide range of primary source material in tandem with approaches from history, post-colonial studies, museum studies and gender studies to explore how the imperial contexts of art production contribute towards racialised, gendered and national identities. It will also consider the ongoing legacies of the relationships between art, race, and empire, exploring the often contentious afterlives of visual culture produced and collected in this period.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the key artistic practices addressed in the module;
Demonstrate an understanding of the place of those practices in terms of the wider cultural and social context;
Display a sound knowledge of the relevant critical debates over the question of how to interpret these practices;
Apply knowledge of those debates to the analysis of individual artists and works of art;
Identify primary and secondary sources relevant to the understanding and interpretation of art featured in the module, and subject them to critical analysis.
Assessment
37040-01 : 4000-word essay : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions
Assessment: One 4,000-word essay (100%).
Reassessment: Re-submission of 4,000-word essay (100%)