AH4263 Art and Disability in the Early Modern World

Academic year

2026 to 2027 Semester 2

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.

Planned timetable

To be confirmed

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

Module Staff

Dr Pierre Von-Ow

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

Module description

This module studies the history of art through the lens of disability between 1500 and 1800. It critically examines representations of the disabled body in multiple mediums and across geographies, highlights the work and voice of disabled artists and makers, offers an introduction to key texts and concepts in disability studies, and addresses connected issues of accessibility in museums. Articulated around weekly, object-based lectures centered on a primary artwork, the module addresses topics ranging from the design of prosthetics, the history of sign languages, ‘monstrous’ bodies, the representations of blind figures and depictions of mental illness. Although primarily focused on the early modern period, this module will also discuss work of contemporary art, films, and series that revisit the history of disability and its representations.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AH2001 AND PASS AH2002

Assessment pattern

100% coursework

Re-assessment

100% coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 lecture (x11 weeks), 1 seminar (x11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

58

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

Guided independent study hours

234

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

Intended learning outcomes

  • Develop an increased awareness of the methodological challenges associated with the interpretation of artworks and the reading primary textual sources in relation to their social, political, and cultural context.
  • Offer critical and theoretical tools and adequate terminology necessary to examine historical works from an interdisciplinary standpoint, and especially key concepts and authors in the field of critical disability studies applied to the history of art.
  • Gain awareness and practical skills in the pressing issues of accessibility in museums and other historical sites.
  • Conduct independent research using library and online resources as well as special collections on campus, to develop an original argument presented in a clear, timely, and compelling manner.