2 Audley Square
Mayfair, London W1K
UK
Established in 1994, The Course offers exciting lectures in Art History, Literature and Music.
From the earliest times, there has been criticism of art, both positive and negative. A substantial body of text survives and this series will look at a wide variety of European art works in the context of their critical reception. Concentrating on major works and significant artists from 1300 to 1900 and beyond, we will observe the impact on the public’s appreciation of art and how that might be influenced by critical analysis including the vagaries of fashion. What impact did these commentaries have on art practice and the artists themselves and can critics be seen to be responsible for influencing and thus changing the course of art history?
The Rise and Fall in Critical Favour of Caravaggio and Bernini
Taste and the invention of Baroque/An Age of Conspicuous Consumption (1577 – 1680)
What is Baroque and why did it fall so heavily out of favour; a position from which it has, arguably, never recovered? This session will look at Baroque through the prism of two of the most influential Italian artists – Caravaggio and Bernini. It will also look at their most iconic works, their lives and how their works were received within their lifetime and in the decades following their deaths.