Leonardo da Vinci: Art and Knowledge



Overview

This course will cover the whole of Leonardo’s career, from his early years in Florence to subsequent periods in Milan, Florence, Rome and his late years in France. It will examine his paintings, drawings and notebooks within the interdisciplinary framework of ‘art and science’. The course will look at how Leonardo considered painting as a form of visual knowledge, and how he believed in an all-embracing theory of knowledge according to which the laws of nature could be deduced from direct observation and repeated experimentation, and that the artist should understand these natural laws in order to successfully create a ‘second nature’. The course will be complemented by an overview of the landmark 2019 exhibition at the British Library, Leonardo da Vinci: A Mind in Motion. It will also offer a viewing of drawings by Leonardo and artists of his circle in the Ashmolean Museum (Print Room).

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school.

Programme details

Seminars meet each weekday morning, with afternoons free for course-related field trips, individual study, or exploring the many places of interest in and around the city.

Monday

  • Leonardo’s comparison of the arts: painting, poetry, music and sculpture 

  • Apprenticeship and early works 

Tuesday

  • Portraiture and the art of communication 

  • Visual narratives in space 

Wednesday

  • Devotional compositions 

  • Cartoons and workshop compositions 

Thursday

  • Viewing of selected drawings in the Ashmolean Museum 

  • Viewing of selected drawings at Christ Church

Friday

  • Leonardo’s library 

  • Leonardo’s mind at work and the role of motion in his art and thought - Overview of the British Library exhibition, Leonardo da Vinci: A Mind in Motion 

Field Trip
Destination: Ashmolean Museum (Print room)

Website: leonardodigitale.com

Excursion Rating: Easy - up to an hour’s walk on even ground or less than half an hour’s walk on uneven/unpaved ground. 

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2295.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £1965.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2145.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1610.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Payment terms

If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.

If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Extended stay fee

Participants staying multiple, consecutive weeks will be charged an additional bed and breakfast fee for the cost of the Saturday night between courses.

Cancellations and refunds

1. Cancellation by you

Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or by post to Inspiring Oxford, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:

  • Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid. 

  • Cancellations received up to and including 30 April 2024 – OUDCE will retain an administration fee of £100 per week booked; all other fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received between 1-31 May 2024 – OUDCE will retain 60% of the fees paid; the remaining 40% of fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received on and after 1 June 2024 - no refunds will be made under any circumstances.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

2. Cancellation by us

Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2024. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2024, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, and if we are unable to find a replacement tutor, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Inspiring Oxford course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

3. Travel insurance

All participants must purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred. OUDCE cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. 

Tutor

Dr Juliana Barone

Tutor

Juliana Barone was awarded her Doctorate at Trinity College, Oxford University, had a Junior Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Oxford University, and is both Research Fellow at the Warburg Institute and Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London. She has published extensively on Leonardo da Vinci’s visual and written works, as well as on their historical reception in Italy, France, England and northern Europe. She has also curated exhibitions in London, Milan and Florence, is on the board of specialised Leonardo journals, and of the Leonardo da Vinci Society in London.  

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people, teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/Presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Field Trip

Assessment methods

There are no assessments for this course.

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2024. Courses can fill up fast so early registration is recommended.

Single accommodation may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page. 

If you would like a twin en suite room, please send us a completed enrolment form that names the other course participant you will be sharing with. Please note these rooms have limited availability.

If you experience any difficulties enrolling online please contact the Programme Administrator at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Level and demands

Inspiring Oxford is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. The courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

Accommodation

During your course you will stay in typical Oxford student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. Please note that bedrooms are modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. 

You can find out more about Brasenose by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available:

  • Single en suite
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together
  • Standard single: bathrooms are shared between, on average, four participants

  • a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.

    Non-residential participants are encouraged to attend all aspects of the academic and social programme, and they have equal access to Brasenose as residential participants.
     

En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support