Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:30
Throughout the 19th century, countless artists travelled to Greece in search for the splendours of antiquity. Many were disappointed by the rugged and mountainous country -
but for many Scottish travellers Greece proved surprisingly similar to their homeland. We will focus on these Scottish artists and antiquaries travelling to Greece, and their experiences.
The course is based on the study of material in Aberdeen collections, serving also as hands-on training in work with primary sources.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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In his important “History of the Art of Antiquity” (1764), art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann argued that the superiority of Greek culture is rooted in the country’s beneficial climatic conditions. Only “under the Greek sky” could art blossom in its highest form. This course takes up Winckelmann’s cue and asks for the significance of theories on climate, landscape and environment for 18th and 19th-century art. The course aims to develop a fresh perspective on the 19th-century’s quest for the Greek ideal.
Winckelmann never went to Greece, but innumerable others followed his rallying cry and began travelling to Greece and Asia Minor, hoping to immerse themselves first-hand in the promised land of beauty. While Greece was a revelation to some, many travellers were bitterly disappointed. The splendours of antiquity they were longing for were long forgotten and eroded by time and Ottoman rule. Even the landscapes described by Homer had changed, with the plains of Troy being a desolate, arid land, and the Greek mainland a rugged mountain range populated by outlaws and bandits.
For many Scottish travellers, however, Greece proved surprisingly similar to their homeland. We will focus on these Scottish artists and antiquaries travelling to Greece, and their experiences. The course is based mainly on the study of artworks and archival material in Aberdeen Collections. The course serves both as an introduction to a fascinating period of art history, as well as hands-on training in work with primary sources.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback; in-person feedback on request |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Show a thorough understanding of the Scottish reception of Greece in late 18th- and early 19th- century art. |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate a broad and integrated understanding of the conceptual relations between art and travel in late 18th and early 19th-century art history. |
| Procedural | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay. |
| Reflection | Apply | Develop familiarity with methodological debates about art and environment. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Continuous assessment Written feedback for presentation; in-person feedback on request |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Show a thorough understanding of the Scottish reception of Greece in late 18th- and early 19th- century art. |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate a broad and integrated understanding of the conceptual relations between art and travel in late 18th and early 19th-century art history. |
| Procedural | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay. |
| Reflection | Apply | Develop familiarity with methodological debates about art and environment. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback; in-person feedback on request |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Show a thorough understanding of the Scottish reception of Greece in late 18th- and early 19th- century art. |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate a broad and integrated understanding of the conceptual relations between art and travel in late 18th and early 19th-century art history. |
| Procedural | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | Word Count | 4500 | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate a broad and integrated understanding of the conceptual relations between art and travel in late 18th and early 19th-century art history. |
| Reflection | Apply | Develop familiarity with methodological debates about art and environment. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Show a thorough understanding of the Scottish reception of Greece in late 18th- and early 19th- century art. |
| Procedural | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay. |
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