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Late Medieval to Early Renaissance 1250 – 1500
Year course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Examine the visual arts in an era of profound cultural, intellectual and social change. Chart important stylistic developments from High Gothic to the renaissance revival of classical antiquity, the rise of realistic representation and the emergence of artistic personalities. Study the work of well-known painters, sculptors and architects alongside the decorative arts, including tapestry, stained glass, goldsmiths’ work and majolica.
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Year Course Course Director
Dr Paula Nuttall
Dr Paula Nuttall is an art historian and lecturer specialising in the renaissance, and has taught on the Medieval and Renaissance Year Course since its inception in 1993. She gained her B.A. and Ph.D at the Courtauld Institute of Art, writing her doctoral thesis on artistic relations between the Netherlands and Italy.
Your courses with the written option were life enhancing as far as I’m concerned, and I still regard them as some of the best experiences of my life. 2015/16 Late Medieval Year Course student
Delve deeper into the subjects you love
Enjoy thought-provoking lectures and access to the V&A collections in a group who share your passion. Refreshments served on arrival each day. Year course students are eligible for NUS student cards, and have the option of a certificate of completion
Course overview
Autumn Term
12 weeks, 20 September – 6 December 2016
1250 – 1350
The era 1250 – 1350 was dominated by religious life, shaping the form and function of art. It also saw social change, with towns emerging as centres of patronage, and a dawning interest in Antiquity. The courtly gothic style spread from Paris across Europe. In Italy Giotto evolved a new, realistic visual language.
Spring Term
12 weeks, 10 January – 28 March 2017
1350 – about 1440
While in 1350 – 1450 gothic reached its apogee, new artistic ideas emerged. North and south, artists explored naturalistic representation, notably Van Eyck in Flanders and Donatello and Masaccio in Florence. In Italy, the classically inspired ideas of the Renaissance flowered, influencing style across the visual arts.
Summer Term
12 weeks, 25 April – 11 July 2017
1450 – 1500
Between 1450-1500 Florentine innovations spread to northern Italy and Venice, while Netherlandish influence spread across Europe. Antiquity inspired new art forms and subjects, including Botticelli’s mythologies for the Medici family, while new technologies, notably printmaking, impacted consumption and production.
Enrol now
Year course: Late Medieval to Early Renaissance 1250 – 1500
20 September 2016 - 11 July 2017
£73.00 - £1,950.00
Call to book +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
