The art of desire: visual pleasure across the centuries
Seven-week art history and theory course
8 October 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm15 October 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm22 October 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm29 October 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm5 November 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm12 November 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm19 November 2018 6.30 - 8.30pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, 6 Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
6.30 – 8.30pm each week (registration from 6pm) £420. Includes all materials, light refreshments throughout, and a drinks reception at the end of week 7.
Klimt / Schiele
Terms and conditions
Join international scholars for a seven-week series on erotic art and explore how artists from across cultures have treated one of the most intrinsic human desires, from ancient civilisation to the present day.
Since we made our first paintings on cave walls, humans have used art to represent their needs, fears and accomplishments. Depictions of nudity also date back to this early period. The Venus of Willendorf– an 11cm symbol of fertility dating from 30,000 BC – is now considered one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of sculpture. However, the accentuation of parts of the Venus’s body – the breasts, buttocks and stomach – suggest that the sculpture could also be considered one of the first ever erotic works of art.
While the human sexual drive unites us all, the depiction of erotic themes has evolved hugely over time and differs dramatically across cultures. Widely acclaimed examples of erotic art include Hellenistic vases, murals located in the red-light district of ancient Pompeii and Japanese Shunga woodblock prints. However, there are many lesser-known examples of erotic representation, including those from the Middle Ages and Renaissance when the genre was often banned, leading to the use of allegory and symbol in place of explicit depictions.
This seven-week course explores the history of erotic art and how the erotic art of each era or culture can reflect the prevailing ideas of the time. It coincides with an exhibition of the drawings of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele at the Royal Academy. Initially considered pornographic by many, Schiele’s drawings and oil paintings are now perceived as a pioneering leap in modern art and a blisteringly keen observation of the human form and psyche. Today, the exploration of this theme could not be more timely, as social conservatism and liberalism again come to blows. What constitutes erotic art in our increasingly liberal age? Might erotic art see another pushback from social conservativism?
This course will include discussions of a number of questions, including:
• What are the cultural foundations of the universal desire to depict sex and sexuality in art?
• How has erotic art changed over time?
• To what extent does our culture determine what constitutes erotic art and what constitutes pornography?
• What is the role of contemporary artists in depicting sex and sexuality?
• Should erotic art be considered a form of political art?
Leading art historians and experts will explore landmark paintings and sculptures from ancient times to the twenty-first century, which have changed the way we understand sex and the erotic. They will take an interdisciplinary perspective on core themes in the history of art, including both fine and decorative arts.
The course has a broadly chronological sweep – from the arts of the ancient world to the Middle Ages, European seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the treatment and meaning of contemporary erotic art.
6.30 – 8.30pm each week (registration from 6pm) £420. Includes all materials, light refreshments throughout, and a drinks reception at the end of week 7.
Klimt / Schiele
Terms and conditions
During the seven sessions, leading art historians and art-world scholars present and consider the evolving representations and connotations of erotic art, from ancient civilisations to the contemporary. The course provides the opportunity to explore this controversial artistic genre within the wider art-historical context.
Registration from 6pm
6.30 – 8.30pm each week. The course is held in the historic setting of the Life Room at the Royal Academy of Arts
The course is designed to provide an historical overview for those new to the field, but is also relevant for those with prior knowledge who are keen to learn more from experts.
This course is for you if:
• You have a general interest in the history of art and erotic art and would like to experience a new approach
• You want to learn about the art world in general and the interrelation between the arts and cultural environment from an historical perspective
• You are interested in learning more about the representation, symbolism and connotations of erotic art
The course will be delivered in a lecture format, with ample opportunity for questions and discussion between speakers and participants.
Minimum age 18
£380. Includes all materials, light refreshments throughout, and a drinks reception at the end of week 7.
What will you get out of this course?
• A rich combination of lectures, discussion and expert-led Q&A sessions
• A deeper understanding of erotic art and its potential relationship to pornography
• Skills and knowledge relevant to those with art-historical, curatorial, and anthropological interests
• The opportunity to learn and reflect within a peer group, with discussions facilitated by an expert in the field
• The opportunity to socialise and network in a friendly environment
• A certificate of participation at the end of the course
• Light refreshments at the beginning of each session
• A drinks reception at the end of week 7
About the space
The Life Room
The Royal Academy’s historic Life Room sits at the heart of the RA Schools. Usually closed to the public, this unique and significant space was designed in the 1860s, when the galleries and art school first moved to Burlington Gardens.
The semi-circular seating arrangement, based on an ancient design, traces its British history back to Hogarth’s Academy in St Martin’s Lane, c.1730. Directional light is used to enhance the delineation of the model’s musculature and aid life drawing, which has been practised in this room by generations of Royal Academy artists and students.
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.
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