Learn the art of the Italian Renaissance by drawing. The course combines a practical programme of drawing with a historical survey of Renaissance drawings and prints. The first five weeks will be spent studying Renaissance drawings by drawing from them, using and learning a variety of media and techniques as used in the drawings being studied. Then four weeks will be devoted to an art historical study of Renaissance prints and drawings, consolidated by a visit to the Ashmolean Museum in the last week.
Renaissance Drawings: A Practical course
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Course starts: 23 Apr 2026
A: Practical drawing
Week 1: Introduction: the materials, methods and purpose of drawing in the Renaissance. Trying out materials.
Week 2: Leonardo, Dürer, Holbein: contour, empiricism, enquiry, disegno.
Week 3: Michelangelo, Raphael: expression, mass, posture
Week 4: Titian, Tintoretto: Composition, spatial dynamics, expression of form.
Week 5: Students choose two contrasting drawings from the period to study using a medium of choice.
B: History of Renaissance drawing
Week 6: Early Renaissance drawing
Week 7: High Renaissance drawing
Week 8: Renaissance woodcuts
Week 9: Renaissance engravings and etchings
Week 10: Visit to the Ashmolean Museum print room
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Optional preparatory reading:
- Italian Renaissance Drawings / Chapman, Hugo
- Prints and Printmaking: An Introduction to the History and Techniques / Griffiths, Anthony
- The Art of Drawing, an Instructional Guide / Rawson, Philip
- Michelangelo and Raphael Drawings. / Whistler, Catherine
Certification
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. Please follow this link for more information on Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points
Digital Certificate of Completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Please note students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £300.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutors
Mr Patrick Doorly
Patrick was educated at St John's College, Oxford; Stockholm University; and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was Acting Director of Studies for Art History at the Department for Continuing Education in 2001-02. His book The Truth about Art: Reclaiming quality was published by Zero Books in 2013. www.thetruthaboutart.org.uk
Mr Oliver Gosling
Oliver Gosling
Oliver Gosling is a painter. He studied at the Royal College of Art and since graduating in 1985 has been exhibiting nationally and internationally; latterly in China, where he lived for nearly eight years. He is a senior lecturer in BA Hons Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton. He also runs a module annually for the Certificate in the History of Art on the materials and techniques of Western painting, historical to contemporary.
Patrick Doorly
Patrick Doorly is an art historian who taught in a school of art and design before joining the Department for Continuing Education in 2001. He wrote the entries on old master prints for the British Museum’s original website. His book The Truth about Art: Reclaiming Quality was published in 2013.
Course aims
To acquire some appreciation of the various techniques, functions, and styles of Renaissance prints and drawings.
Course objectives:
1. To examine the different roles fulfilled by drawing in the Renaissance.
2. To appreciate how different media met the needs of artists.
3. To gain an understanding of the way artists think through drawing.
4. To observe how rivalry between artists can drive stylistic change.
Teaching methods
The first five weeks of the course are primarily practical. Students will be guided in the use of various drawing media used by Renaissance artists, and will be helped to draw from drawings. Previous experience is helpful but not necessary.
The second five weeks will be spent examining Renaissance prints and drawings historically. Each week will start with an illustrated talk, after which students will be encouraged to discuss images among themselves. The course will work from slides in the classroom for four weeks, then end with a visit to the Department of Prints and Drawings at the Ashmolean Museum
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the use and purpose of different drawing materials.
2. Assess the role of drawing in the Renaissance for devising form and composition.
3. Appreciate the way artists think through drawing.
4. Build on the historical framework they have acquired to explore the websites of the Royal Collection, British Museum, and other major collections of drawings and prints.
Assessment methods
Students will be asked to write an essay of 1500 words. Students will also be able to submit a 500 word formative assignment during the course.
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.
Application
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
Students who do not register for assessment and credit during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
Level and demands
No prior knowledge of drawing or Renaissance art is required.
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a some amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.