Art & the History of Art 136 - Towers to Teapots: British Art and Design 1500–1900

In this introductory course we will explore over four hundred years of British art and design. Global interest in British art and design endures, as seen in the phenomena of period dramas like Bridgerton and the spread of Arts & Crafts patterns for interior decor. But what were the historical contexts that gave rise to these styles, and how do we understand, or perhaps misunderstand, these histories in the present? The creation of the British Galleries at the Met (2020) and the reopening of the Yale Center of British Art (2025) provide exciting opportunities to reconsider popular movements and motifs. How were art and design, including architecture, domestic goods, and the fine arts, inflected by artists’ and consumers’ identities and beliefs? We will discuss how colonization and appropriation, cultural exchanges, political movements, religious conflicts, and technological revolutions impacted the look and feel of British life. This course will include the in-person study of objects in local collections and further afield. We will explore different kinds of art writing as we seek to analyze objects and trends of the past and their persistence in the present. 

Limited to 35 students. Spring semester: Professor Dostal

How to handle overenrollment: Prioritize ARHA, ARCH and EUST majors

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, field trips, historical research, visual analysis