Workers Educational Association
South West Region, Bradninch Court, Castle Street, Exeter, EX4 3PL. Tel. 01392 457300
Fax. 01392 457344 Email southwest@wea.org.uk
Course information sheet
Course Title:
Exploring Spanish Golden Age Art and Culture
Course Ref:
C3524688
Title of qualification to
be gained (if any):
N/a
Awarding Body (if any):
N/a
Tutor:
Dr Janet Ravenscroft
Venue: Minster Rooms, Court Barton, Ilminster, TA19 0DU
Start date: Friday 18 October 2013
Essential materials
End date: Friday 22 November 2013
No of sessions: Six
Hours per session: 1.5 hours
Day(s)/time(s): Friday 1.30pm till 3.00pm
Course Aims
The aim is to introduce students to the experiences of people who lived in Spain
between 1500 and 1700 through the study of a wide range of paintings.
Course Description
What was it like to be a king, a court dwarf, a slave or a beggar in 16th- and 17thcentury Spain? In this course we’ll use fascinating and little-known paintings to
explore life at court and on the streets.
Entry Requirements
Not applicable.
Who is the course for?
Students who have an interest in history, but not necessarily in art.
Main topics covered
* monarchs and the aristocracy (court portraits)
* other members of court (portraits of dwarfs, jesters and children)
* life on the streets (portraits of beggars, black slaves, the poor, non-noble children)
* everyday culture (still-life paintings and bodegones or genre scenes)
* religious life (paintings and devotional sculpture)
Course Information Sheets V4/Tutor Template/RG/March 2011
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Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course learners will be able to:
* Interpret paintings for clues about the people and objects portrayed.
* Have an understanding of life in early modern Spain.
Teaching and learning methods used
Introductory talk then teacher-led discussion and debate.
How your work will be assessed
Q&A and observation – there are no formal tests or exams
Suggested progression routes
* The course would fit in well with Dr Allan Phillipson’s sessions on ‘Reading
Paintings’.
* Students could also go on to study other European Renaissance history and art
history courses, if offered.
* Students might also enjoy ‘Masters of the Northern Renaissance’, which I will be
offering next year.
Pre-course reading/preparation
* Nothing is required but I will make available copies of a short article I wrote for
History Today magazine about King Philip II’s letters to his daughters: ‘Past
Imperfect’ in History Today, vol 62, issue 12 (December 2012), 4
* I can prepare a book list for anyone interested in Renaissance history generally.
Tutor profile
Dr Janet Ravenscroft is a freelance writer, editor and academic with degrees in
English literature and Renaissance art and culture.
Course Information Sheets V4/Tutor Template/RG/March 2011
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