Late Medieval (in-person)

Join us to explore the artistic crosscurrents of a rapidly changing Europe between 1250-1400, from soaring gothic cathedrals adorned with glowing stained glass, to intricate ivories, enamels, and manuscripts, and Giotto’s robustly realistic paintings… The iconic gothic style emerged in Paris – the cultural capital of Europe in this period – and dominated European art from England in the North down to Italy in the South. But at the same time, artists in Pisa, Florence and Siena were developing newly realistic styles inspired by classical Antiquity and naturalism. On this course, you’ll meet the first great names to emerge in art history: Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Duccio, Simone Martini and Giotto. You’ll discover impressive churches and secular buildings, and beautiful objects such as illuminated manuscripts, carved ivories, enamelled goldsmiths’ work and embroidered textiles that exemplify the richness and material diversity of late medieval art. Plus, in addition to your expert-led lectures, you’ll also enjoy an exclusive demonstration from egg tempera artist and academic Lara Broeke, as well as deep-diving into the V&A’s world-renowned collections of medieval art with curators and experts though inspiring gallery talks. This course runs every Wednesday for 10 weeks at V&A South Kensington, plus you'll get an extra 10 weeks to catch up with all your lecture recordings once the course ends. Not able to join us in person? You can also attend the course lectures online, both live and on catch-up. Not ready to end your learning journey in 1400? Check out our 3-term year course, The Story of European Art at the V&A, 1250-1650. For more details on how our courses work, see V&A Academy questions · V&A. This course is suitable for participants aged 18 and over.