Goldsmiths - University of London

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Second and third year undergraduate courses (Half units)

Art and Culture in the Dutch Golden Age

HT520 / HT530

The course will introduce students to the methods of cultural and visual history through an analysis of Dutc art and culture of the seventeenth century. The course will analyse the cultural conditions (religious and economic) for the emergence of new forms and genres of art during the period. It will focus on the relationship between art and the market and the innovations in patronage and choice of subject matter. The course will introduce students to Dutch culture, analyse the emergence of diverse centres of art production (Amsterdam, Delft and The Hague) and finally focus on the work of Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Mode of assessment

A portfolio of one essay of 3000 words and a visual analysis of 2000 words. The latter will comprise an in-depth analysis of a single image.

Learning outcomes

LEVEL 2

The learning outcomes for Level 2 focus on extending historical knowledge and familiarity with diverse historical methods by focusing on discrete themes and topics. In this course Level Two students will:

  • Understand the broad cultural history of Holland during the seventeenth century
  • Gain an introduction to the methods of cultural history.
  • Gain familiarity with the skills of the evidentiary uses of images.
  • Understand the diverse positions adopted in historical debate.

LEVEL 3

The learning outcomes for Level 3 students focus on developing an in-depth knowledge of the period, an ability to critically assess the value of visual sources and to relate them to other forms of evidence and to develop an independent critical judgement with respect to historical debate. Level 3 students will:

  • Develop a critical understanding of the cultural history of the Dutch Golden Age
  • Develop a familiarity with the use of the methods of cultural and visual history.
  • Relate visual to other forms of historical evidence.
  • Develop the capacity for independent judgement with respect to historical debate.

Introductory (Summer) reading list

S. Alpers, The Art of Describing: Dutch Art in the 17C (1983)
J. Israel, The Dutch Republic (1995)
J.M. Montias, Artists and Artisans in Delft : A Socio-Economic Study of the 17C (1982)
M. Westermann, A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic (1996)