Module Directory

This module will be covered by the latest research work of one of our members of staff, introducing their research field and its debates.  The module offers an interdisciplinary study that concentrates on the material and visual culture of prints in Italy and the north of Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, England) between 1450 and 1650.

The module will consider issues with ongoing relevance today, such as the definition of ‘obscenity’ and ‘copyright’, links between print and observational ‘sciences’, relationships between printing techniques and artistic virtuosity, the development of book genres, the role of censorship, and the art historical problems raised by mechanical ‘copying’ and ‘reproduction’.

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to specialised debates in past and recent literature in the history of art;


• To raise student awareness of different methods of approaching the discipline through cutting edge and innovative research;


• To stimulate students to develop skills in written communication through essay and oral communication and debate in seminars;


• To encourage students to reflect upon research at post-graduate level and beyond;


• To cultivate a critical attitude to the use of art-historical resources;


• To develop an understanding of the role of critical debate in research;


• To foster the participation of students in research-led discussions of challenging subjects.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Display detailed knowledge of the art historical texts studied in the module;


2. Develop a critical assessment of at least some of the views examined in class and articulate their own views on the same topic;


3. Be able to write a well-researched paper on a subject related to the topic of the module.

The Shock of the New: Print Cultures in Renaissance Europe

From their inception around 1400 in Europe, the graphic media have established social functions and aesthetic criteria that differ markedly from those of painting, sculpture, and architecture. The introduction of printing with moveable type and new techniques of pictorial reproduction had a major and lasting impact on European culture and society, comparable in scope and impact to the explosive rise of the Internet and social media in recent decades. 

Students will become familiar with a range of different printing techniques (woodcut, engraving, etching, drypoint, etc.) and different categories and functions of prints, in both single-leaf issues and illustrated books.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour seminar per week.
• One reading week with no seminars.

Discussion will be encouraged throughout.