One Landscape,Two Artists: Deconstructing the World Around Us

Please note that you will need to be familiar with Zoom in order to participate – we do not have the capacity to provide any back-up or advice on the use of Zoom. We recommend that you log on to Zoom 15 minutes before the start time of the event even if you are familiar with the app since the process can take some time if a lot of participants are logging on at the same time. You will receive an email first thing on the day of each lecture with details of how to join the event. If you do not receive it please check your spam/junk mail folder.

Programme

Although not classified as an independent subject matter and genre until the seventeenth century, landscape was the subject of constant investigation in Western art from at least the fourteenth century. Whether as a mere backdrop to elaborate narratives or as the accurate portrayal of identifiable places, the landscape has often been used by painters to situate stories, represent identities and shape society. These three sessions will investigate different approaches to landscape painting and how they were adopted by different artists at different periods. We will explore London and Venice with Monet and Canaletto, walk in nature with Poussin and Rubens and understand hidden symbolism with Titian and Bellini. We will consider the growing importance of the preservation of nature, the development of new aesthetic ideals and the social stratification of collective identities. We will work on specific case studies, deconstruct images and discuss art theory issues such as the definition of landscape, the opposition between drawing and colour (Poussinists vs Rubenists) and the limits of iconographical interpretation. Sessions will also feature a ‘third wheel’ artist (Pissarro, Jan Brueghel and Giorgione) to promote critical thinking and support discussion.

1. Canaletto and Monet: Grand Tourist’s Souvenir or Cultural Statement?

2. Rubens and Poussin: Paradise Lost or Dreamy Countryside?

3. Bellini and Titian: Sugar-coated Reality or Brutal Honesty?