Aspects of Portraiture

In 2011, I developed a new course on Portraiture as a 50:50 Blended Learning course. I find that a blend of in-class and on-line teaching and learning can offer flexibility and unique learning opportunities. While students like the flexibility of schedules, I like the flexibility of learning modes available.

This course considered the particular problems and issues relating to the study of portraiture as a genre of art, concentrating primarily on western European art since the Renaissance. Concepts in this course provoke students to think about what a portrait reveals, what it keeps hidden, and why.

Who looks out – who looks inward? Key themes include: constructions of identity, the use and display of portraits, artistic approaches to portraiture (miniatures, drawings, paintings), the self-portrait, group portraiture, gender and portraiture, and changes in the roles of portraiture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Students find web-based forums provide unique opportunities for discussion and developing deeper understanding:

...This was my first facilitation of this nature. I really enjoyed the process of becoming the teacher but ended up learning as well.

The object research question definitely elicited the most interest from my group. I was surprised at how open everyone was at revealing both what they (often secretly) hoped people would glean from their profile pictures, versus what they thought people actually saw.

I found it especially useful to see new and relevant examples in the forum pertaining to the reading questions.

Take a look at the syllabus here.