This course will examine the expansion of the European art market and the establishment of auction houses in Paris and London as collecting became increasingly popular with the middle classes. Focusing on masters like Rembrandt, Van Dyck or Vermeer, it will also explore the rise of Holland and Flanders as key centers of artistic innovation and production, rivaling Florence and Rome. Other topics will include Rubens as an artist-dealer, the importance of the Grand Tour and the collecting of classical antiquities, and the Parisian market for luxury goods.
In addition to studying artworks and masterpieces, a unique and distinct feature of the course will be the study of the art markets that have underpinned art production and patronage. By locating the major art historical movements within historical market structures, the course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the socio-historical contexts in which works were produced, sold and collected during this period.
The course is aimed at individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the art world, or those who wish to engage in further study at postgraduate level.
This Intensive Course consists of live-streamed lectures and discussions. Recordings of the live sessions are accessible anytime during the course via our online learning platform, Canvas.
Students will learn:
- To identify, date, and analyze a range of styles and art forms from the Baroque to the Romantic period.
- To locate and interpret works of arts and artistic movements within their socio-cultural contexts.
- To decode the complex historical mechanisms that have shaped patronage and the art market.