Admission requirements
No specific admission requirements. Same as admission requirements for the BA Art History/BA Arts, Media and Society.
First-year students are assigned into seminar groups by the education coordinator at the start of the year. Higher-year Art History/Arts, Media and Society students who want to retake the course should contact the education coordinator (stuco-ba-kg@hum.leidenuniv.nl).
NB: students of the specialisation Arts, Media and Society who did not pass Photography: Analysis & Theory in 2024-2025, willl have to follow this course.
Description
Close analytical and critical observation is a necessary academic skill for the art historian, and a skill that is important for both the study of painting and other two-dimensional art forms, but also for the study of three-dimensional objects of art, such as architecture, decorative art, and sculpture. To be able to report on visual analysis in a scientific manner, it is important to develop a good understanding of the terminology and to have insight into the different aspects of formal arrangement of the work of art, and to have knowledge of the different ways in which artists can approach composition, light, colour, form, etc..
In the Visual Analysis course students are introduced to the art historical skill of looking and describing through four assignments, which relate to the different subdisciplines of art history, namely painting, architecture, decorative art, and photographic media. Alongside learning how to look at these different artforms and how to put these observations into words, students will also practice with the correct use of art historical jargon, and students will develop insight into how visual analysis can be used to support an academic argument.
Course objectives
Students acquire skills in visually analyzing artifacts, which is necessary for conducting scientific art historical research;
Students acquire basic knowledge of the conceptual apparatus and terminology used in alayzing and describing the formal characteristics of artifacts (composition, use of colour, etc.);
Students learn to write short reports containing scientific visual analysis of an artifact (painting, photographc, architecture, and objects from applied arts or design);
Students learn to convey the visual analysis both orally and in writing.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Excursion
Important: attendance in seminar sessions and excursions is mandatory! In case of no-show, the tutor should be informed by e-mail about your absence and the reason prior to the actual seminar session. Two ore more absences will be followed up on by the tutors. Only in exceptional cases, the Examination Committee may consider the possibility of an additional or substitute assignment. See the Course and Examination Regulations for further information.
Assessment method
Assessment
The course is assessed through a portfolio of visual analysis assignments, which is made up of
Analysis of a two-dimensional artwork, of 500 words;
Analysis of a photographic artwork, of 500 words;
Analysis of architecture, of 500-700 words;
Comparative analysis art object, of 1000 words.
Weighing
Analysis of a two-dimensional artwork, of 500-700 words (20%);
Analysis of a photographic artwork, of 500 words (20%);
Analysis of architecture, of 500-700 words (20%);
Comparative analysis art object, of 1000 words (40%).
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average must be 5.5 or higher. Additionally, the mark for each of the three essays must be a 5.5 or higher.
Resit
A resit examination can be done for examinations which are failed. As far as applicable all resits take place at the same time, after the final (constituent) examination.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
- Will be announced via Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal
Remarks
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is part of the additional requirements regarding components that have to be completed for the first (positive) binding study advice. This means that the student should have passed this course in order to be able to continue in the programme. See the programme-specific part of the Course and Examination Regulations
Because of excursions and seminars taking place on locations, the schedule changes every week - the exact schedule per week will be posted on Brightspace.
This course needs to be passed before enrolling for the following courses:
BA2 seminar;
Global Renaissance;
AMS on Site.