COURSE DESCRIPTION

Giorgio Morandi is one of Italy’s most loved modern artists. This two-session course explores his life and work in depth, from his childhood and early studies in Bologna, his time as a professor of art and his mature work - the muted still lifes for which he is best known.

But there is more to his art than still life painting, and his art prior to World War II includes landscapes, etchings and engravings. Looking closely at these reveals his formative influences, such as the Cézannes and Rembrandts he’d analysed in prints and reproductions which explain so much about his approach to composition.

COURSE CONTENT

Session 1
Morandi’s early life; the influence of prints and reproductions of past masters; his engravings and landscapes

Morning tea break

Session 2
Mature Morandi; variety and variation in still life painting; a peculiar legacy

LECTURER

Dr Nick Gordon is a cultural historian and artist with an encyclopedic knowledge of European and Australian art. His research on the Italian Middle Ages and Renaissance has won numerous academic scholarships and prizes (including a University of Sydney medal in History). He has extensive experience as a history and art history lecturer, and has led small group cultural tours from Australia to Italy, the Low Countries, Germany and Scandinavia for more than ten years.

COURSE STRUCTURE

2 x 1.5 hour sessions. Each session includes an interactive lecture and time for group discussion and analysis.

REQUIREMENTS

This course does not require any assumed knowledge, only a willingness to learn and an interest in art. Sessions require access to ZOOM (which is free), a device with a camera (such as a tablet or computer with a webcam), and an internet connection.