Impressionism in France originated from many sources. Beginning with Ingres and Delacroix, we will explore in detail many artists described as the Barbizon School, focussing on Daubigny, Corot and Millet. These artists were painting en-plein air at a time when landscape painting was poorly regarded in the hierarchy of the genres. Gustave Courbet will be considered as will Monet's friendships with Boudin and Bazille. This course will also include exploring the birth of Impressionism in the 1860s, women artists at the Paris Salon and British art and Impressionists during the Franco-Prussian War.
The Artists who Preceded the Birth of Impressionism in France
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 12 Jan 2024
Please note: there will be no class on 15 March
Week 1: Delacroix and Ingres
Week 2: The Barbizon School
Week 3: Camille Corot
Week 4: Millet and Courbet
Week 5: Charles-François Daubigny
Week 6: Jongkind and Boudin
Week 7: Impressionists in the 1860s
Week 8: Frédéric Bazille and Monet
Week 9: Impressionists at the Paris Salon (Morisot and Cassatt)
Week 10: Constable, Turner and Impressionists in Britain
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.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- The Barbizon School and the Origins of Impressionism / Adams, Steven
- Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism / Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Daubigny and Impressionism / Fowle, Frances
- Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) and the birth of impressionism / Hilaire, Michel (ed.)
Digital Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this 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 you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £257.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £10.00 |
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:
Tutor
Dr Jan Cox
Dr. Jan Cox has been awarded a BA (Hons) by Oxford Brookes University, an MA from Bristol, and a PhD from the University of Leeds (Nordic Art). He specialises in nineteenth-century European art and British art of the early twentieth-century.
Course aims
To provide an understanding of the many origins of Impressionism.
Course objectives:
- To examine the numerous different sources that the Impressionists in France called upon.
- To analyse the art produced by painters who preceded the Impressionists.
- To discuss the reasons why Impressionism came into being.
Teaching methods
- Presentation of PowerPoint images and key texts to provide a stimulus to discussion.
- Use of film to provide a stimulus for discussion and provide background information.
- Case studies of specific artists and their circle.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- possess a comprehensive knowledge of the numerous different sources that the Impressionists in France utilised;
- be able to analyse the art produced by painters who preceded the Impressionists;
- have an understanding of why Impressionism came into being.
Assessment methods
Students may choose from:
Option A) Choose one picture by a Barbizon artist and one picture by a French Impressionist artist and analyse them in terms of colour, style and subject matter (2 essays of 750 words)
or
Option B) Choose two works by artists from different artistic backgrounds that possess a similar theme or subject matter. Compare them in terms of colour, style and subject matter. (1 essay-1500 words)
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 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' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).
Level and demands
The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in art history and the art and culture of nineteenth-century France.
Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. 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.
Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.