ARTHIST 701 : Art for the City and the Court

Arts

2025 Semester Two (1255) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines the production, patronage and display of art and its function within the political, religious and social frameworks of the early modern court and the city. It focuses on Amsterdam and The Hague in the Dutch Republic and London as the epicentre of the Stuart court. The full panoply of visual and material culture are discussed including painting, sculpture, tapestries, clothing, jewellery and interior decoration.

Course Overview

The Dutch Republic and Stuart England were major centres of political power and cultural efflorescence in the seventeenth century. There were close and at times fraught political and cultural relationships between the two countries, which saw the exchange of diplomats and artists as well as intermarriage and war. The Republic was a complex space, since it had both financially and politically powerful cities, especially Amsterdam, but also had a court based in The Hague that served as a figurehead, site of international diplomacy and princely display. This paper will examine the production, patronage and display of art and its function within the political, religious and social frameworks of the court and the city. It will focus on Amsterdam and The Hague in the Dutch Republic and London as the epicentre of the Stuart court. The full panoply of visual and material culture will be discussed including painting, sculpture, tapestries, prints, clothing, jewellery and interior decoration. Gender will be a key theme, since women played active roles as patrons and subjects of art. Artists covered include Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Honthorst and Inigo Jones.    

Course Requirements

To complete this course students must enrol in ARTHIST 701 A and B, or ARTHIST 701

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Graduate Profile: Master of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Acquire an overview of the mechanics of power and the role of visual and material culture in the early modern Dutch Republic and England (Capability 3)
  2. Engage in an interdisciplinary study of the early modern period (Capability 3)
  3. Become conversant in different methodological approaches and be able to articulate your approach (Capability 4)
  4. Use both primary and secondary sources (Capability 3 and 4)
  5. Gain confidence in critically engaging with key readings (Capability 4)
  6. Develop and deploy skills in connoisseurship (Capability 4)
  7. Hone research, formal essay writing and academic presenting skills (Capability 6)
  8. Create your own research topic and questions (Capability 4)
  9. Provide a basis for future postgraduate research in the early modern period (Capability 3, 4 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
4 x critical reading reviews 25% Individual Coursework
Essay 25% Individual Coursework
Research Essay 50% Individual Coursework

Next Offered

2028

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each one semester 30 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures,  8 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 9 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation each week.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course  is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ.
Attendance is expected at all seminars.
The course will not include live online events.

Lectures will not be available as recordings.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student feedback is encouraged throughout the year - either directly to the lecturer or through the Class Representative. Students are also asked to provide feedback through SET at the end of the course.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 06/11/2024 08:32 a.m.