Art and Architecture of Andalucía, c.750-1550

Course begins: 3rd March 2022

Week 1: Introducing Andalucía: Arts, Architecture, and Ancient History

Week 2: Córdoba: the Umayyad, the Mesquita, and Madinat al-Zahra

Week 3: Granada: the Nasrids, the Alhambra, the Albaicín, and the [Re]Conquista

Week 4: Berber Dynasties, Christian Conquest, Mudéjar, and Convivencia

Week 5: Andalucía and the Renaissance to c.1550   

All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.

There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.

Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.

• Spain: a History \ Carr, Raymond (Ed.)
• A Guide to Andalusia \ Jacobs, Michael
• Museum Without Frontiers \ Multiple
• Islamic Arts from Spain \ Rosser-Owen, Mariam

Recommended Reading List

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

To provide a comprehensive introduction to the major works of art and architecture of Andalucía produced between about 750 and 1550 CE.

Course Objectives

1. Study the key works of art and architecture of Andalucía, from about 750 to 1550 CE.

2. Outline what is distinct and most important about the cultural production of each city and period in Andalucía's history within this time frame.

3. Provide an intellectual framework and historical context for understanding the artistic and architectural legacy of Andalucía.

Classroom-based: Each week there will be two or three illustrated lectures, on related topics, each of between 20 to 40 minutes' duration, followed by group discussion and questions.

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

• Understand and distinguish the key factors and period's of Andalucía's cultural history.
• Recognize and be able to interpret some of Andalucía's most famous buildings and artefacts.
• Have developed an appreciation of what makes Andalucía's artistic and architectural legacy particularly important and its influence on the artistic development of other cultures.

A short formative piece (250 words), followed by a book review, critical visual analysis of a building or work of art, or an ekphrasis (750 words).

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

This will be an introductory course, for which no prior knowledge of the subject will be required.

This course has five CATS points assigned to it.  Five CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of five two-hour sessions.  It is expected that, for every two hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)