The History of Art Lecture Series

Service Description

Why not kick off Friday night with a bit of pre dinner culture?! It's a wonderful way to start the evening after a hard weeks' work.... Course Outline: From Symbolism to Realism: The evolution of the representation of the Human Face in Western Art Lecture 1: Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Art Exploring the symbolic way the human face was portrayed during the medieval period, before diving into the Renaissance’s shift toward realism. Lecture 2: Symbolism in Medieval Art In this lecture, we’ll look at how the human face was a powerful symbol in medieval art, often representing spiritual themes more than individual identity. Lecture 3: The Rise of Humanism and Individual Expression The Renaissance brought a dramatic change: artists began focusing on the individual. This lecture explores how the rediscovery of classical ideas helped shape more human-centered depictions. Lecture 4: Anatomy and the Study of the Human Form Renaissance artists began studying the body like never before, using dissection and anatomical studies to create more realistic faces. This lecture focuses on how the study of anatomy influenced portraiture. Lecture 5: Portraiture and the Expression of Personality Early Renaissance portraits started to convey the personality and inner life of the subject. We’ll examine how these works capture the subtle nuances of human identity. Lecture 6: Emotion and Physiognomy in Portraiture We’ll look at how the study of physiognomy – the belief that you can read someone’s character from their face – influenced portraiture, allowing artists to capture emotion and personality more clearly. Lecture 7: Chiaroscuro and Perspective in Depicting Faces The Renaissance saw huge advancements in perspective and the use of light to create depth. This session explores how these techniques helped artists bring faces to life. Lecture 8: Heritage of Renaissance Realism in Western Art Finally, we’ll look at how the Renaissance's approach to the human face laid the foundation for later art movements, such as Baroque and Realism. With extensive knowledge of art history, Capucine connects historical context to contemporary artistic practices, offering a perspective that spans cultural shifts in representation and expression from early medieval art to Renaissance realism. Fluent in English, French, and Italian, Capucine brings a multicultural approach to curation and art history education. For more info on her incredible background, see our staff page.