| Unit name | Art & Architecture of the English Medieval Church |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HART20152 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| 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 |
This unit will introduce students to the main architectural styles used in medieval churches in England, enabling them to distinguish one style from another and to date medieval structures of all kinds. It also forms an excellent introduction to architectural style as a concept, providing students with the analytical visual skills that underly the informed analysis and understanding of buildings in general. Medieval churches - like other works of architecture - cannot be understand for their formal qualities alone, and the course will outline the rich range of decorations and fittings - from stained glass to altarpieces - for which the architecture was a framework, and introduce the rich liturgical and institutional world which created them. These buildings, after all, were more than anything else the setting for a series of sacred performances and other events. As such, the course will question the usefulness of the idea of 'style' itself, revealing the limitations as well as the strengths of analysing buildings in this way. This, after all, was a culture in which religion and its art permeated life itself.
