Baroque to Neo-Baroque

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
HIST 3004
Course ID icon
Course ID
200886
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
3
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

This course explores how dynamic religious, scientific, political, social, and economic forces transformed sacred and secular art, architecture, and decorative arts in seventeenth-century Europe, focusing on Italy, the Low Countries (Flanders and the Netherlands), and Spain. The first module examines the cultural complexity of the Baroque from an elaborate style and multimedia spectacle associated with the Counter-Reformation and monarchical Absolutism to an expression of earthy naturalism and emotive theatricality. The second and third modules concentrate on the golden ages of Dutch and Spanish painting, encompassing innovations in portraiture and inventive new genres, such as landscape and still life.

Course learning outcomes

  • Understand the cultural diversity and social contexts framing the Baroque in seventeenth-century Europe and as a global phenomenon
  • Analyse and interpret technical, stylistic, and thematic elements of Baroque images and objects
  • Critically examine art historical methodologies and theories to articulate a research question for investigation
  • Engage in respectful, reflective, and inclusive discussion of methodological approaches, theories, and concepts reflecting a variety of perspectives
  • Conduct advanced research using credible academic sources to propose a question for an extended analytic, argumentative essay

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A