The Renaissance Nude undressed
Weekend-long art history course
18 May 2019 10am - 5pm19 May 2019 10am - 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
The Renaissance Nude
Terms and conditions
This art history and theory course considers the nude as a Renaissance subject in the 15th and 16th century art world, and examines some of the practicalities involved in its invention.
Led by art historian, Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe, this weekend course examines the problems and solutions involved in representing the nude in the Renaissance world. The naked human figure had been a frequent subject for artists of classical antiquity, but within early Christian culture it became tainted with sensuality and bodily indulgence. It retreated into the background of the artist’s repertoire, not to emerge until the new world of the Renaissance.
The RA’s wide-ranging exhibition The Renaissance Nude brings together a fascinating array of works that demonstrate the return of the nude in art. This phenomenon began in the early 15th century and continued to develop during the subsequent century. Artists across Europe may have returned to classical antiquity for some of their inspiration but they also invented a new visual language, moving between the different goals of idealisation and naturalistic observation.
This course considers the practicalities involved in making art in the Renaissance – a period which saw increasing anatomical understanding, moves towards drawing from life, and development of techniques in oil to suggest more convincingly and seductively the soft forms of warm human flesh.
The course explores the social and artistic context in which these works of art were produced – how did their audience respond to them? Who was their audience? What difficulties did artists, patrons and the wider viewing public face when confronted with this new subject? Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe examines some of the complexities for artists in approaching a semi-taboo subject. In a religious context, where the sacred is close to the profane, the naked figure required delicate navigation between sensuality and corporeality.
What of accessories? Are nude figures only ever those that are wholly naked, or should we also consider the lightly clad, the scantily clad or the improperly clad to be a cousin of the nude? How much clothing is enough to qualify for decency? Or can a semi-clothed figure be more emphatically nude and seductive?
Today, you are the audience. This course opens your eyes to a whole new way of seeing and understanding the historical nude.
The course includes a directed tour of The Renaissance Nude.
About the course
This art history weekend course is a unique opportunity to study the artists and masterpieces of the Renaissance alongside the RA's exhibition of Renaissance nudes.
This course will be delivered primarily through lectures but will also include an opportunity for debate and discussion from participants.
The course is held in the historic setting of the Wolfson British Academy Room.
You will enjoy the friendly setting and a course which is designed both to provide a historical overview of this fascinating topic for those new to the field and to provide depth for those with a long-standing interest in the topic.
This course is suitable for enthusiastic beginners as well as those with previous knowledge who would like to develop their understanding further.
This course is for you if:
• You have a general interest in art history and would like a specialist introduction to the art of the Renaissance
• You would like to understand further the cultural and historical changes in art during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
• You would like to deepen and enrich your knowledge with an expert perspective and explore in detail the nude in Renaissance art
Minimum age 18
£420
Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 May 2019
10am-5pm on both days
• 2 days of expert-led lectures and discussions
• Access to the Renaissance Nude exhibition
• The opportunity to socialise and network with peers in a friendly environment
• Light refreshments provided on both days
• A drinks reception at the end of day one
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
About the tutor
Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe
Dr Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in History of Art, and completed her PhD at the Warburg Institute, University of London. She trained briefly as a paintings conservator, but her utter ignorance of Chemistry drove her to the more forgiving embrace of Art History. She has worked for 30 years at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and for a number of institutions in London, as a lecturer teaching a wide range of topics within fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth century European art. Her interest is in the approach of the traditional connoisseur, teaching the analysis of those stylistic features of a painting or work of art, that can sometimes tell us the identity of the artist, and when a painting is a copy, good or bad. An interest in historical techniques and materials is an integrated aspect of this approach.
Dr Anita Viola Sganzerla
Curator
Dr Anita Viola Sganzerla has an MA and PhD from The Courtauld Institute of Art. She is curator of a private collection and recently co-curated with Deanna Petherbridge the drawings exhibition, Artists at Work, The Courtauld Gallery, 2018. She regularly lectures at the Victoria & Albert Museum on Renaissance and early modern art, and previously held positions at The Courtauld Institute and the University of Kent. Anita is a specialist in early modern Italian art, with a particular research interest in the technical and conceptual complexity of works on paper, and the relationship between painting and the graphic arts. Other recent projects include working as Research Assistant on the book project The Drawings of Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) by Florian Härb (Rome 2015), and co-editing the volume I Pittori del Dissenso (Rome 2014).
Elisa Paola Sani
Research Fellow
Courtauld Institute of Art
Elisa Paola Sani is Research Fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Elisa served as assistant curator of ceramics and glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum and was previously curatorial assistant at The Wallace Collection. She studied Art History in Italy, at Perugia and Siena Universities. Elisa’s main area of interest is Renaissance decorative arts. In 2012 she organised an exhibition on the V&A’s collection of Italian Renaissance maiolica and authored the accompanying publication Italian Renaissance Maiolica, V&A Publishing, 2012. Most recently she was the lead curator of Maiolica before Raphael,Sam Fogg Gallery, 2017. She is currently working on the catalogue of Italian maiolica and other ceramics of the Courtauld Institute, London.
Dr Albert Godycki
Art historian and curator
Based in London, Albert Godycki studied art historian in New York, Paris and London specialising in Northern European art of the 15th through 18th centuries with his doctoral studies at the Courtauld Institute focused on Dutch Mannerism. After completing his MA and curating a few contemporary exhibitions, he joined the curatorial team at the National Gallery, London, where he contributed to the exhibitions Late Rembrandt, Vermeer and Music, and Making Colour, as well as conceived of several temporary displays. He continues to lecture and publish widely, and is currently preparing a major loan exhibition on Polish Symbolism for the Munich Kunsthalle. Since 2017, Albert has been helping UBS Wealth Management to help broaden the bank’s outreach to art pre-1900, developing a network of like-minding collectors who are enthusiastic about historical art and its institutions.
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.
Give this course as a gift
All of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or family member – giving the gift of education and a remarkable experience. To arrange a personalised Gift Voucher, please contact Anna Pojer, Academic Programmes Manager, by calling 020 7300 5684 or email anna.pojer@royalacademy.org.uk