The Impressionists: Painting Modern Life

Overview

The Impressionists: Painting Modern Life at University of Oxford expands to embrace the impact of women Impressionists such as Cassatt & Morisot, and investigates the trans-national impact of Impressionism. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Post-Impressionism, and the Impressionists’ creative techniques, are examined, analysed and interpreted.

Course aims

This course aims to introduce the participants to the group of artists known popularly as The Impressionists. It will place these artists within the aesthetic, social, and economic context of their time, and examine critical reactions to their art. We will look at a number of overarching themes such as body, landscape, and depictions of work and modern life. Additionally, we will analyse such areas as the important role of women artists and Impressionist painting techniques.

Teaching outcomes

By the end of this course students will be able to understand:

• The concept of Impressionism in terms of both a shared ethos and its many individual interpretations.
• The methods and ideals that informed the Impressionists engagement with ‘Modern Life’.
• The place of Impressionism in the canon of nineteenth-century European art.
• The strengths and weaknesses of the Impressionists’ approach to the creation of art.

By the end of this course students will have gained the following skills:

• Ability to assess and critically analyse different types and sources of evidence.
• Ability to think laterally across a range of issues and be able to evaluate and summarise the interaction between them.
• Ability to discuss and interpret specific issues in a clear and logical manner

Accreditation

FHEQ level 4, 10 CATS points