History and Myth in Painting, Sculpture and Photography

Overview

What you will study

The History and Myth in Painting, Sculpture and Photography course offered by University of Oxford will explore art forms ranging from some to the great ancient buildings of Greece and Rome, through painting and sculpture to photography, conceptual art and contemporary installations. Great artist from Phydias and Exekias, to Bernini, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Picasso and Marc Quinn will be included.   

The central premise of the day is to investigate the way in which artists have taken some of the great stories of the past and used them to explore their own experiences of the world. The universal themes of war, death, love, heroism and evil have inspired some of the most exciting paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, performances and even buildings. These well-known and well-loved stories have also inspired artists when they have been confronted with great contemporary events, such as wars, revolutions and tragedy. Some of these events and the associated art works will form part of this exploration.  

Key to our understanding will be the forms created by artists in the ancient world – the classical sculptors, architects and painters of Greece and Rome in particular, as it was their artistic expression that was then revived in the 1500s and led to the language of Western art that persists to the present day.