The Renaissance Series:
month-long History of Art courses
Summer Cycle 2012:
The Dawn of the Renaissance
April 16 - May 11
The Early Italian Renaissance
May 14 - June 8
The Italian High Renaissance
June 11 - July 6
Art in Renaissance Florence
July 9 - August 3
Our three month-long History of Art courses focus on Italian art from the Middle Ages to the High Renaissance, with an emphasis on Florentine art.
Artists are never examined in isolation but are firmly placed in their social, political, religious and historical context. As well as learning to identify specific styles, subjects and symbols, emphasis is given to the techniques and materials of Italian Renaissance art.
All our courses combine lectures and on-site teaching in museums, churches, palaces, and themed walking tours. Our lecturers represent a mix of nationalities and have their own individual approaches to teaching. The BIF ‘house style’ of lecturing is informal and relaxed, with engagement with the participants a key factor.
Our courses are accessible to those coming to the subject with no previous background in art history, but are at the same time pitched at a level that will engage all those who are already familiar with the subject. It is possible to take the courses by week or even by session, if one cannot make the full month.
Hands-on Workshops and History of Art short courses
Throughout the year, the British Institute runs a number of short courses of four to five days. These are devised around particular themes and are taught through lectures, site-visits and in most cases hands-on workshops.
While our thematic short courses repeat annually (March: Women in Renaissance Art, May: Florentine Frescoes, September: Experiencing the Renaissance Workshop, December: Awaiting the Nativity, and starting in May 2013: Enchanted May), we occasionaly create courses to complement special events or exhibitions in Florence, as with Exploring the Macchiaioli, a four day course (June 1-4) on the famous group of Italian Impressionists, which will accompany the Palazzo Strozzi exhibition ‘Americans in Florence - Sargent and the American Impressionists’.