2011/12 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
ARTF2085 Old Mistresses: Gender in the Visual Arts
20 creditsClass Size: 60
Module manager: Dr Elizabeth Watkins
Email: e.i.watkins@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2011/12
Pre-requisite qualifications
At least 20 credits from ARTF1014, ARTF1015, ARTF1042, ARTF1043, ARTF1045, ARTF1046, CULT1000, CULT1001, CULT1002, CULT1003 or ARTF2000This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
PRE-REQUISITES: At least 20 credits from ARTF1014, ARTF1015, ARTF1042, ARTF1043, ARTF 1045, ARTF1046, CULT1000, CULT1001, CULT1002, CULT1003 or ARTF2000This module expands art historical practices to acknowledge the full participation of women. Students will develop knowledge of the contribution made by women artists to the history of art, engage with the feminist critique of art history, look at discourses that sustain a myth of artistic masculinity, and examine the broader social and cultural implications of this gendering process.The module engages with the literatures of the histories of art in which women have been and continue to be erased, and those which have reclaimed their histories. Key topics will include: the ancient worlds, the baroque; the eighteenth century; women and the academies; the practice of nineteenth century sculpture; Impressionism; abstract art; and contemporary art practice.Students will analyse paintings and sculpture from a wide range of historical periods and understand the relation between visual representation and social and historical processes. They will have a grasp of key issues in art historical methodology, including cultural theories of gender and production of visual meaning. They will also develop key skills in textual criticism.Assessment: 1 x 3,000 word essay (50%), 1 x group presentation (20%) subject to peer review of content, research methods and presentation, with feedback and final mark given by module tutors, and 1 x individual portfolio showing research for a contribution to group presentation, evidence of research for each session and a log of each class (30%).Objectives
On completion of this module students will have a broad knowledge of the history of women artists in the visual arts. They will have engaged with the feminist critique of art history and explored the new ways in which studies of the work of artists who are women have expanded the understanding of artistic practices and their social and cultural histories.They will have studied art from pre-historic times to the present, acquiring a broad knowledge of the pattern of western and non-western artistic cultures while also gaining a deeper knowledge of key artists in the western tradition such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Angelika Kaufmann, Mary Cassatt, Suzanne Valadon and Lee Krasner.
They will also have looked at some of the discourses that create a myth of artistic masculinity. They will be able to analyse a range of visual media and understand the relation between visual representation and social and historical processes.
They will have a grasp on key issues in art historical methodology and cultural theories of gender and the production of visual meaning. They should be able to offer textual criticism and offer audio-visual presentation.
Skills outcomes
- Verbal and written fluency in constructing a logical and coherent argument.
- Use of audio visual aids.
- Participation in group discussions.
- Co-ordination and dissemination of a range of historical, contextual visual information.
- Using bibliographies and databases.
Syllabus
This module offers a broad survey of the work of women artists in the histories of art since Prehistoric times to the present by means of three kinds of work: case studies of major artists and moments, an engagement with the literatures of the histories of art in which women artists were 'disappeared' and those which have reclaimed their histories, and analysis of the myth of the artist and its cultural and gendered implications.
Students will have the opportunity to learn how to analyse paintings from a wide range of historical periods and cultural practices, to become skilled in textual critique and discourse analysis, to study the development of a feminist critique of art history and the methodological revolution effected to confront the exclusion of women from art history and the expansion of art history to acknowledge the full and consistent participation of women in cultural practice.
The module will introduce students to the contemporary situation as a preparation for advanced study of women in modern art in Level III.
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Lecture | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
Seminar | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
Private study hours | 180.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 |
Private study
150 hours - class preparation30 hours - essay research and writing
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
- attendance at seminars/lectures- registers taken
- contribution to class discussions
Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Essay | 1 x 3,000 word essay | 50.00 |
Presentation | 1 x group presentation (subject to peer review on a structured assessment sheet, providing feedback on content, research methods and presentation, with additional feedback and final mark to be given by the module lecturers) | 20.00 |
Portfolio | 1 x individual portfolio, showing research for a contribution to group presentation and including evidence of weekly research for each session and a log of each class | 30.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 25/05/2012
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- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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