Seeing inside paintings

About this course

The course examines how paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries were made, focusing on pigments, paint media, workshop practices and the trade and manufacture of materials. Examples include Tudor and Stuart court painting, Rembrandt, Rubens, Netherlandish painting, Fuseli and British painting. Lectures and slide presentations introduce artists’ treatises, contemporary accounts and relevant social history, while case studies explore forgery, hidden images and the discovery of an underlying portrait. Group discussion considers scientific examination and how alteration, conservation and restoration affect the appearance of artworks.

What you'll learn

• Identify techniques and approaches used in Early Modern European painting
• Discuss changes in artists’ practice across the Early Modern period and apply them when visually analysing paintings
• Explain the uses, benefits and limitations of selected historic materials and techniques
• Compare approaches to painting conservation and describe their effects on how artworks are viewed

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for learners at all levels. Participation involves listening to lectures, following slide-based teaching and contributing to group discussion. Learners should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and health and safety information, and be willing to use Google Classroom for supplementary material.

• Requires following simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and health and safety information
• Some course material is accessed through Google Classroom

Before you go

• Some documents are printed, while supplementary documents may be distributed through Google Classroom and cannot be emailed.
• A notebook may be useful for taking notes.
• Books from any reading list may be purchased separately.