Makers and Markets: Italian Art in Britain
Dr. Meghan Callahan
This course explores how Italian art came to Britain, from the 15th century Tudors hiring sculptors to the 19th century magnates buying up paintings from Tuscan dealers. Eager to own the latest in Renaissance and Baroque art, English kings and queens filled their courts with Italian imports. Desire to expand some access to the public eventually led to the creation of the national museums in London, and we will examine how these collections were formed.
-
LECTURE 1 "The Tudors and Torrigiano"
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Tudors needed sculptors and artists to promote their family after Henry VII ascended the throne. Pietro Torrigiano needed an escape route after punching Michelangelo in the nose in Florence. The sculptor saw his opportunity and moved to England to work at the r...
-
LECTURE 2 "King Charles I, Charles II and Collecting"
In the 17th century Charles I brought Italian artists such as Orazio Gentileschi and Artemisia Gentileschi to his court. After he was executed by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army, his son Charles II fled to the courts of Europe, where the rest of his family was protected. But upon the restoration...
-
LECTURE 3 "Making museums: How the V&A and National Gallery..."
"Making museums: How the V&A and National Gallery Built their collections of Italian Art"
While Italians reshaped their country during the Risorgimento, the need for money and modernity meant many nobles sold family heirlooms. At the same time, the British were forming national museums and seeki...
