Decoding dress: National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery

City Lit

Course

In London

£ 49 VAT inc.

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Description

  • Type

    Course

  • Location

    London

  • Start date

    Different dates available

With costume and dress hitorian Jacqui Ansell, look at selected works in the National Gallery and National Portrait dating from around 1400 to 1850 exploring how artists use fashions and fabrics to denote differences in social status. We’ll consider the subtle distinctions between clothing and ‘costume’; the role of colour and it’s symbolism and get to know the wardrobe items of sitters through the ages.

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
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Keeley Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 4BA

Start date

Different dates availableEnrolment now open

About this course

- Discuss selected famous paintings with an informed understanding of meanings conveyed.
- Distinguish between the real and the ideal in depictions of dress and understand why ‘costume’ may be used by artists to convey character and tell stories.
- Identify items of clothing and use historically accurate language to describe them.

You might wish to bring a notebook. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list given out in class.

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Subjects

  • Fabrics

Course programme

- selected paintings (and sitters) from c1400 to c1850
- distinctions in fashions and fabrics to denote differences in social status
- distinctions between clothing and ‘costume’
- the role of colour symbolism
- The language of clothing - correct terminology for items of dress.

The course will be taught offsite with guided gallery visits, group discussion and short group activities. Please note we are unable to guarantee stools in the rooms that we visit so you might have to stand and to walk between objects.

Additional information

You might also be interested in: VB628 - Decoding Dress: Clothing and Culture at the V&A. General information and advice on courses at City Lit is available from the Student Centre and Library on Monday to Friday from 12:00 – 19:00. See the course guide for term dates and further details

See related categories

Decoding dress: National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery

£ 49 VAT inc.

The best History courses

See all

See all