AH3132 The Relief

Academic year

2023 to 2024 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

To be confirmed

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr R M Ezra

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr R Ezra

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Caught between two and three dimensions, the relief remains hard to pin down. It is at once an aesthetic concept and a category of object, a deceptive fiction and a solid reality, a bearer of knowledge and a storehouse of memory. This course studies salient examples of relief in virtual exhibition and in person, attending to functions and conditions of display; to narrative strategies; to constructions of space; and to material distinctions between painting and sculpture, carving and modelling, low and high elevation. Focus objects and weekly readings introduce key debates in the history of art, from the hierarchy of media and the invention of perspective to the didactics of dioramas and the design of monuments. Special attention will be paid to the development of the relief in early modern Europe (1400-1750). Other case studies include ancient stonecarving, medieval bronze doors, nineteenth-century topographic models, modern choreography, and contemporary memorials.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AH1001 OR PASS AH1003 AND PASS AH2001 AND PASS AH2002

Assessment pattern

Coursework 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1h lecture (x10 weeks), 2h seminar (x10 weeks), 1h office hour (x12 weeks)

Guided independent study hours

30

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Analyze and interpret three-dimensional works of art with confidence and precision. This includes describing forms, processes, tools, and materials with appropriate technical vocabulary introduced in lectures and readings.
  • Enter into dialogue with past viewers, contemporary scholars, and peers through readings, text annotations, and in-class discussions, thereby appreciating art history as an ongoing conversation to which their voice adds value.
  • Conceive and develop an original argument, and present it in an articulate and compelling manner.
  • Conduct independent research through the use of library resources, the study of artworks and period sources, and other forms of art historical investigation.
  • Participate in constructive group discussion and present their ideas to others.
  • Work diligently under strict deadlines.