Learning objectives

The course provides the basic methodological tools for studying and putting into context any aspect of fashion that can be related with art history. Lessons will focus on female and male fashion’s formal traits and how they are reproduced in the visual media (painting, sculpture, prints, etc.), in the modern age and in the western culture, even though – when necessary – the relationship with extra European areas and different periods might be considered as a relevant part of the course. Sources and methods of other disciplines (such as history, history of fashion, history of literature, economic history) will be also of help, in order to adopt an interdisciplinary reading of the visual texts. The main course’s goals are: Aid students in interpreting and putting into context different forms; Analyse their fall-out in the iconographies that are used in the visual arts; understand the semantic peculiarity of fashion, when ‘depicted’ in visual images; Read the sources, when appropriate, in the original text (with translation). During the course, students will be invited to develop their judgement and express their opinions on the works of art (slides will be loaded on the e-learning site). Furthermore, students will be encouraged to verify the reliability of the theoretical statements they have learnt from the teacher by analysing the works of art by their own, in order to increase their skills.