Women Artists of Scandinavia



Overview

Some of the finest artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were women born in Scandinavia and Finland, yet we have little exposure to them in the UK. This course concentrates in detail on these pioneers, many of whom trained in France and Germany.

These artists achieved great success at the Paris Salon and were feted in Continental Europe. They are exemplified by Anna Ancher (Denmark), Hilma af Klint (Sweden), Harriet Backer (Norway), and Helene Schjerfbeck (Finland). We will also examine the Ukrainian artist Marie Bashkirtseff, whose journals and artworks give a great insight into women artists in Paris in our time period.

Programme details

Courses starts: 24 Jan 2025

Week 1: Harriet Backer and Kitty Kielland I  – International Norwegians

Week 2: Harriet Backer and Kitty Kielland II  – International Norwegians

Week 3: Bertha Wegmann – Denmark’s Portraitist

Week 4: Marie Bashkirtseff – Artist and Diarist of the Académie Julian

Week 5: Swedish, Norwegian and Danish artists I

Week 6: Elin Danielson-Gambogi and artists from Finland

Week 7: Anna Ancher – Painter of Skagen

Week 8: Swedish, Norwegian and Danish artists II

Week 9: Helene Schjerfbeck – from Naturalism to Modernism

Week 10: Hilma af Klint – Abstract Pioneer

Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Jan Cox

Dr. Jan Cox has been awarded a BA (Hons) by Oxford Brookes University, an MA from Bristol, and a PhD from the University of Leeds (Nordic Art). He specialises in nineteenth-century European art and British art of the early twentieth-century.

Course aims

To explore the artistic output of women from Scandinavia.

Course objectives:

To examine the art and lives of women artists from the Scandinavian area.

To analyse why these artists were both prolific and internationally successful.

To discuss the obstacles and challenges that these artists faced.

 

Teaching methods

Teaching will be seminar style and may incorporate a variety of teaching methods including:

  • Presentation of PowerPoint images and key texts to provide a stimulus to discussion.
  • Use of film to provide a stimulus for discussion and provide background information.
  • Case studies of specific artists and their circle.

Learning outcomes

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

-possess a comprehensive knowledge of the numerous fine painters who originated from Scandinavia and Finland.

-be able to analyse the different art movements and styles that were utilised by these women artists.

-have an understanding of the many difficulties that faced women artists in the period under discussion.

 

Assessment methods

Students will be able to choose from two assessment options:

Option 1:  Choose two portraits by two different women artists and analyse and discuss them. This may include - but is not limited to - subject, style, artist's intentions, use of colour, social background, historical and political context. (2 essays x 750 words)

Option 2: Choose a picture by two of our women artists that share a common theme (however broad) and analyse and compare them. This may include - but is not limited to - subject, style, artist's intentions, use of colour, social background, historical and political context. (1 essay x 1500 words)

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 the required standard.

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

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

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.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support