AH4208 The Portrait in Western Art

Academic year

2025 to 2026 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 10

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.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

tba

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

Module coordinator

Dr E J M van Kessel

Dr E J M van Kessel
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Elsje van Kessel

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

Module description

Studying portraiture means studying representations of human faces. Most of the time, these are faces of people who lived long ago, and their portraits give us access to the way they looked, as well as the way they wanted to represent themselves to society. Yet portraits are also often highly complex constructions designed by major artists; as Leonardo had it, every painter paints himself. So what exactly is it that a portrait portrays? Why did people commission their portraits, and what were they used for? What knowledge did people bring to looking at portraits? What did it mean for an artist to paint or sculpt a 'true likeness'? With a focus on the early modern period, yet including some excursions to both earlier and later periods, this module will address the above questions and more, approaching portraiture from a wide range of perspectives as well as focusing on some of the major practitioners and commissioners of the genre.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AH2001 AND PASS AH2002

Assessment pattern

100% continuous assessment: 40% Mid-term paper (2000 words) - 55 % Research Essay (3000 words) - 5% Participation

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

3 hours lecture/seminar x10 weeks, 2 office hours per week x11

Scheduled learning hours

65

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

235

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

Intended learning outcomes

  • To develop an understanding of and the ability to work with various perspectives on the role of (historical) portraiture in contemporary society
  • to think critically and articulate complex ideas, concerning portraiture and its history in relation to its social, political, religious and economic contexts
  • to gain initial experience in curatorial thinking and decision-making, specifically in relation to portraiture
  • develop their critical thinking by the assimilation and evaluation of ideas, the development of an argument in relation to problems, and the appropriate presentation of evidence
  • Advance your mastery of language through the development of writing and discussion skills