| Unit name | Art, Politics and Patronage: The Medieval Court |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HART20150 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Williamson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History of Art (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit considers art produced in and for the courts of monarchs, prices and popes, including: the papal court at Avignon; Charles V's royal court at Paris; the ducal courts of Charles V's brothers, Jean de Berry, and Philip the Bold; the court of the Visconti dukes of Milan; and the royal court of Richard II at Westminster. In particular, the course will aim to focus on the patronage of art objects, and on the relationship between art objects and the court societies in which they are produced and used. Issues of courtly patronage and the uses of art within a court setting will be examined critically and concepts such as that of the 'court-style' will be re-assessed in the light of recent research. Emphasis will be placed on the historical and artistic connections between the various centres, which were often linked in both cultural and dynastic terms, but an attempt will be made to discern the differences as well as the similarities between the cultural production of the various court centres. The consideration of the audience(s), meaning and function of objects produced in this milieu will be central. The unit will provide an opportunity to examine works in a wide variety of media, including architecture, painting, goldsmith's work, sculpture and illuminated manuscripts.
