The Exotic in Symbolist Art and Literature

Overview

This interdisciplinary course will look at one of the most important literary and artistic movements in nineteenth-century France and Belgium. Symbolist art and literature was concerned with mystery, myth and above all, imagination and dream. Texts by poets such as Baudelaire and Rimbaud will be discussed alongside images by painters such as Moreau and Gauguin. The magical worlds created by these artists and writers will be considered against the background of the social and political upheavals of the nineteenth century.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course it is intended that you will have acquired a detailed knowledge of late 19th-century France and Belgium and have an understanding of Symbolism as a literary and artistic movement.

Skills

You will have learned to synthesise material in order to present structured and coherent arguments in oral and written form, and have developed transferable skills, such as independent working and time-management.

Assessment