Art In England Research Articles

Collingwood on Spinoza and the Social-Political Role of Art

Abstract We argue that the proper context for understanding Collingwood’s The Principles of Art is his claim that it has bearing “upon the condition of art in England in 1937”. We thus argue that he formulated a philosophical argument that underpins avant-garde dramatic poetry and theatrical practices (Eliot, Auden and the Group Theatre), taking his interpretation of Spinoza’s Ethics 5 prop. 3 to be the book’s central thesis: it is through art that one knows, against the ‘corruption of consciousness’, what emotions one feels and recognizes them as one’s own. Collingwood further believed that this could only be achieved through collaboration between the artist and the community, validating new theatrical practices involving interaction with the audience. We analyse these views in the context of England in 1937: in an era marked by the rise of Fascism and Nazism, Collingwood believed that art thus conceived could help restoring emotional support for the defense of liberal democracies. We conclude with an exploration of parallels with and divergences from the Spinozist idea of ‘mobilizing affects’ in contemporary ‘left populism’ (Mouffe).

The role of Nicolo Grimaldi (Nicolini) in the Italian opera development in London in the early 18th century

The subject of the research is the artistic phenomenon of Nicolo Grimaldi, an outstanding Italian operatic castrato of the early 18th century. The author examines the creative biography and focuses on the analysis of the stage skills of the singer, who set the bar high for dramatic art in England. Nicolo Grimaldi (1673–1732) became famous under the pseudonym Nicolini (or Nicolino). His name became widely known thanks to the legendary performances on the stage of the Royal Theater in London in 1708–1712 and 1715–1717. The reconstruction of the vocal-dramatic profile of the singer, based on reliable historical sources, required to employ a comprehensive methodology, including historical, cultural and linguistic research methods. Information about Nicolini’s life and work has been still unknown to the Russian musical community and is being published in Russian for the first time. Various sources of information about Nicolini have been preserved: music-critical reviews in London newspapers, scores and librettos of operas, essays, letters and memoirs of contemporaries who testified to the character of the artist’s vocal and acting skills. They served as material for a historical and biographical analysis, the results of which will be of interest to both practicing singers and researchers of Italian baroque opera. The historical significance of Nicolini lies in the fact that, as an excellent singer and actor, he influenced the strengthening and development of Italian opera in the early period of its existence in London.

Who runs the arts in England? A social network analysis of arts boards

Recent research on cultural production has drawn attention to significant inequalities. This paper aims to unpack one possible explanation for these inequalities by focusing on the people with ultimate responsibility for arts institutions: the boards of directors. Using data from the UK's Companies House, it analyses the boards of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations. It then “hops” to the other organisations with whom arts organisations also share board members, and their directors. While the network of NPOs is relatively sparse, with most organisations not sharing board members with any others, in the one-hop network the majority of these organisations are indirectly connected to one another. In addition to a large number of arts and cultural organisations, this network also contains a large proportion of film funding companies and financial services companies. The most central company in the network, measured by betweenness, is the Royal Opera House, followed by companies associated with significant tax advantages for their directors. Our results raise questions for the governance of culture, drawing further attention to its ties with financial institutions.

Books and Manuscripts 2020

Books and Manuscripts 2020

КУЛЬТУРНО-МИСТЕЦЬКІ ВІДНОСИНИ ВІЗАНТІЇ ТА АНГЛІЇ В ЕПОХУ РАННЬОГО СЕРЕДНЬОВІЧЧЯ

The purpose of the article is to consider the dynamics of development and special features of artistic and cultural relations between the Byzantine Empire and England in the early Middle Ages; to find out the ways of the dissemination of the Byzantine culture; to characterise the activities of missionaries, clergy, and Kings of England who contributed to the interpenetration of cultures. The research methodology consists of the general scientific principles of historicism and systematic approach. The article applies general scientific and theoretical methods: source studies – to study the historical prerequisites for the formation of artistic and cultural relations between the Byzantine Empire and England in the early Middle Ages; analysis – to establish the influence of the Byzantine art on the development of art in England; systematisation – to understand the processes of development of cultural and trade relations of the countries in the specified period. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography, it examines the influence of Byzantine culture on the culture of England in the early Middle Ages, which is a part of the Romano-Germanic civilization tradition. Conclusions. It has been revealed that in different historical periods the nature of relations between the Byzantine Empire and England underwent a transformation. The article confirms the hypothesis that for several centuries after the fall of “Roman Britain”, the south of Britain continued to remain in the sphere of influence of Byzantium, its partially isolated part. The recognition of Byzantium as the centre of Christianity stimulated the interest of English artists, sculptors and icon painters in Byzantine art and the Byzantine influence could be traced in their works. It has been proved that Britain maintained a constant interest in Byzantine art, transmitting and refracting the traditions of Byzantium through the prism of its national traditions. However, Byzantium conceptually rejected the cultural achievements of England and the West, demonstrating its closed nature, preventing the penetration of foreign elements from the outside. Cultural integrity dominated cultural assimilation.

Re-thinking accountability measures for secondary school arts in England: lessons we could learn from New Zealand

This paper, a critical examination of educational concepts, policies and practices, presents findings from research into the impact of accountability agendas on teacher professionalism and pedagogic practices. The study, theoretically framed through Halstead’s notions of contractual and responsive accountability, and Gramsci’s hegemonic practices, examined secondary arts teachers’ pedagogical autonomy and professionalism in England and New Zealand. We provide an overview of current education policy contexts in both countries, and their impact upon secondary school arts education (years 11–16). Drawing from interview data from 15 England and New Zealand teachers, we offer a critique and innovative counter-narrative for the accountability measures currently dominating English schooling. Drawing together perspectives from both jurisdictions, we suggest more inclusive, democratic and responsive assessment and performative measures for the English context.

A 60-year dysfunctional relationship: How and why curriculum and assessment in fine art in England have always been problematic and still are

This article gives a brief account of the last 60 years of fine art in English art schools, concentrating on the curriculum and assessment only. Sixty years ago, there were national examinations and teachers taught to the test. The main causes of changes to assessment and curriculum were policy decisions of the 1960s, which abolished national examinations. This was followed a decade later by the need to accommodate post-Duchampian art practice. This new paradigm of fine art placed an emphasis on criticality, information and interdisciplinary practice with a reduced role for self-expression, formalism and traditional skills. The challenge this offered to the curriculum was that there was no longer any core set of skills or knowledge that all students need to learn. This has come up against higher education sector requirements to provide a detailed description of what all students should learn and against which they are assessed. Behind this intractable contradiction lies a clash of two incompatible world-views: the one interpretive within fine art and the other positivist held by those who determine assessment policy. A consequence of the ubiquitous adoption of these assessment regimes and the pressures of marketization is that teaching to the test is once again becoming the norm, albeit without standardized examinations.

Hogarth and Bad Taste: The Sculptures at St. Bartholomew’s as Satirical Inspiration

The engraving Masquerades and Operas (1724), also known as The Bad Taste of the Town, was William Hogarth’s first self-published work. Despite this milestone, it has become a footnote to more studied works such as The Rake’s Progress. I have discovered that Hogarth used sculptures from the Henry VIII Gate at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London on his depiction of the Great Gate of Burlington House (home to the Royal Academy of Arts); I believe this is an overlooked element of the print that signals his distaste for foreign art. Hogarth strongly opposed Italianate painting and architecture, even painting frescoes at St. Bartholomew’s gratis, after learning the commission had gone to an Italian. Through visual, political, and contextual analysis, I argue that allusions to Raphael and Michelangelo in Masquerades and Operas associate Italian art with “lameness” and “disease” and are meant to show the decadence of Italian art and its impact on the arts in England. Their position on the Henry VIII Gate further alludes to the malignancy of the aristocracy, whom Hogarth saw as adversely affecting British culture by adopting foreign influences.
 The Brexit vote and global political turmoil are at the forefront of today’s political situation. In this regard, it is valuable to look back at times of significant cultural change and examine why artists like Hogarth, and contrastingly, Hogarth’s nemesis William Kent (a proponent of classical architecture inspired by Italian examples), strove for and against intercultural exchange.

Fresh expressions of Church The state of the art in England

Fresh expressions of Church The state of the art in England

Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery: Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonOctober 1, 2016–February 5, 2017CatalogueEnglish Medieval Embroidery: Opus AnglicanumEdited by Clare Browne, Glyn Davies, and M. A. MichaelNew Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016.336 pp.; 270 color ills.Cloth $75.00ISBN 9780300222005The Age of Opus AnglicanumEdited by M. A. MichaelLondon: Brepols

<i>Opus Anglicanum</i>: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery: Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonOctober 1, 2016–February 5, 2017Catalogue<i>English Medieval Embroidery: <i>Opus Anglicanum</i></i>Edited by Clare Browne, Glyn Davies, and M. A. MichaelNew Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016.336 pp.; 270 color ills.Cloth $75.00ISBN 9780300222005<i>The Age of <i>Opus Anglicanum</i></i>Edited by M. A. MichaelLondon: Brepols

Научное знание, неоплатонизм и свободные искусства в культуре Англии раннего Нового времени

&lt;p&gt;Статья посвящена влиянию неоплатонистского дискурса на научное знание и свободные искусства Англии и Европы раннего Нового времени. Гуманисты стремились преодолеть влияние схоластики и Аристотеля и обратились к философии Платона. Публикация полного свода сочинений Платона М. Фичино предшествовала началу научной революции и аналитическому интересу к деталям физического мира. Платоновская философия проникает в Англию через переписку М. Фичино и Дж. Колета. Тексты Платона, наряду с аристотелевскими, в середине XVI в. становятся основой английского университетского образования. Платоновская Академия дала европейцам и англичанам идею открытого научно-образовательного пространства, что позволило быстро продвигать новое знание. В Англии появились Грэшем-колледж и Лондонское королевское общество, стали проводиться публичные лекции.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;К учению Платона восходит представление о визуальном, которое становится основой наблюдательных наук и аргументом, доказательством в новой философии. Обращение к платоновскому пониманию геометрии, гармонии и человека позволило дать статус свободных искусств живописи и анатомии, которые ранее относились к «техне», ремеслам, требующим физического труда. Идеи Платона, неоплатоников и представителей новой философии можно обнаружить в поэтических произведениях Ф. Сидни, К. Марло, У. Шекспира, Б. Джонсона и др. В анатомических теориях А. Везалия и У. Харви, наблюдательной астрономии Т. Браге, И. Кеплера, Г. Галилея и теоретико-методологических построениях Дж. Бруно, Ф. Бэкона, Р. Декарта и И. Ньютона использовались платоновские представления о гармонии, пропорции и мере. Это позволило точно описывать и измерять наблюдаемые объекты.&lt;/p&gt;

William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) and the “Interim Period” in the history of English etymology

Henry Fox Talbot, the father of photography, was a polymath, and among his many publications we find works on mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, archeology, ancient history, mythology, and Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions. He was also at home in botany. In 1847 he brought out a thick book titled English Etymologies. His archive at Cambridge allows one to trace the preparatory stages for this work. Talbot’s book is instructive as an example of how some talented, brilliantly educated, and industrious Englishmen in the forties of the nineteenth century went about discovering the origin of Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English words. Talbot was aware of sound correspondences but did not feel bound by them. A list of his sources gives a good idea of the state of the art in England. Talbot’s etymologies are interesting only from this point of view. They should be studied as we study the efforts of much earlier researchers, that is, as part of the history of science.

A NEW ROAD TO MODERNITY: THOMAS JECKYLL’S DESIGN INNOVATIONS OR THE REFORMATION OF THE MID-VICTORIAN DECORATIVE ARTS THROUGH THE JAPANESE CULTURE. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Un nuevo camino hacia la modernidad: el diseño y la innovación de Thomas Jeckyll o la reforma...

Through the numerous upheavals of the course of design and decorative arts in England in the second half of the nineteenth century, the emergence of a new style which was based on the philosophy and aesthetics of the Japanese culture combined with the British tradition, stood out. The so-called Anglo-Japanese Style within the Aesthetic Movement broad framework, although mainly associated with the decoration rather than with the structure of objects, ushered innovative approaches to abstraction and geometry in design, thereby defining, in a way, Modernity itself. Although there were many representatives of this new style, the less known architect and designer Thomas Jeckyll, constituted through his work, the culmination of that new world order by contributing in a silent but meaningful way to an emerging new design aesthetic reality. This article intends to research through important mid-Victorian period historic events and new ideologies of the time the effect of Jeckyll’s Japanese culture driven innovations on the evolution of the British decorative arts towards the era of Modernity.

Revealing and re-valuing cultural intermediaries in the ‘real’ creative city: Insights from a diary-keeping exercise

From critics and cultural commentators to professionals who mediate between production and consumption for economic gain, the term ‘cultural intermediaries’ has been variously interpreted over recent decades. Often framed as self-interested entrepreneurs seeking to maximise economic value the wider set of political, social and moral motivations of cultural workers have been often overlooked.Drawing on a diary-keeping exercise with 20 cultural workers in Greater Manchester and Birmingham in 2013, we suggest that a ‘third’ wave of studies of cultural intermediaries is needed, which emphasises socially engaged practices and non-economic values. The study reveals a field of cultural work which mediates between professionalised and everyday cultural ecologies, one which is often invisible and undervalued. Combining methodological insights into diary-keeping as a reflexive exercise, the study suggests that we should reclaim and re-value the term ‘cultural intermediary’ to make visible this socially grounded cultural work, particularly in the current era of austerity and cuts to the arts in England.

Secondary school art

This case study explores the way that school art in England remains a marginalised subject at secondary level, despite the expansion of art-based career opportunities. A recent government document evaluating art, craft and design education highlights the potential role of head teachers in raising an art department’s profile. The current study found that school management having low expectations of the art department, together with the unimportance attached to art by parents, contribute to the continued undermining of the subject. It is proposed that leadership has a part to play in expecting the art curriculum to include effective differentiation in order to improve subject esteem and attainment without alienating less engaged students. In particular, individualised learning can ensure that academic drawing skills are taught where appropriate, enabling access to vocational degree courses.

England's Rivera: The Lost Murals of Viscount Hastings 1931–1939

Beyond his work as Diego Rivera's assistant in San Francisco and Detroit, little has been written about the British mural painter Viscount ‘Jack’ Hastings, creator of the Worker of the Future Upsetting the Economic Chaos of the Present at the Marx Memorial Library in London. Drawing on a range of documentary sources and discussing some hitherto unknown murals in both the US and the UK, this article will examine the development of Hastings’ work as an artist and political activist. A key theme of this article will be to explore Hastings’ role in attempts to promote mural painting and socially committed art in England through his involvement with the Artists International Association and his writings for Left Review and Architectural Review. This article will also examine the relationship between Hastings’ work and his political interests, which culminated in his abandoning his artistic career in order to serve as a junior minister in Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government.

The Silent Rhetoric of the Body: A History of Monumental Sculpture and Commemorative Art in England, 1720‐1770 – By Matthew Craske

The Silent Rhetoric of the Body: A History of Monumental Sculpture and Commemorative Art in England, 1720‐1770 – By Matthew Craske

The English virtuoso: art, medicine, and antiquarianism in the age of Empiricism

Contrary to twentieth-century criticism that cast them as misguided dabblers, English virtuosi in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were erudite individuals with solid grounding in the classics, deep appreciation for the arts, and sincere curiosity about the natural world. Reestablishing their broad historical significance, The English Virtuoso situates this polymathic group at the rich intersection of the period's art, medicine, and antiquarianism.At the heart of this profoundly interdisciplinary study lies the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, which from its founding in 1660 served as the major professional organization for London's leading physicians, many of them prominent virtuosi. Craig Ashley Hanson reveals that a vital art audience emerged from the Royal Society - whose members assembled many of the period's most important nonaristocratic collections - a century before most accounts date the establishment of an institutional base for the arts in England. Unearthing the fascinating stories of an impressive cast of characters, Hanson establishes a new foundation for understanding both the relationship between British art and science and the artistic accomplishments of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Daring to Think Seriously: the Need for Aesthetic Judgements

The issue of attitudes towards the arts in England is here compared and contrasted with those evident in the rest of Europe today. This article was written in June 2009, following discussions in Wroclaw during the festival ‘The World as a Place of Truth’, part of the Year of Grotowski. Jon Hewitt is Artistic Director of Admiration Theatre Company, based in London. He has directed several productions, the most recent being Romeo and Juliet Docklands, set in the East End of London. In February 2010 his latest production, Tower Hamlet, opens at the Courtyard Theatre.

Labour and the Arts : Managing Transformation ?

Public support for the arts in England as introduced in 1945 was already atypical in many ways since it operated through an arm's lengthbody and left an important role to the private and voluntary sectors. The adoption of New Public Management (NPM) did not mean a total overhaul of the system, but meant that the State took back some power of decision and control through a specialized Department, created originally in 1992. This Department has asked funding bodies to adopt new management methods which are aimed at their beneficiaries as well... Attempts have also been made to formalise and modify local government support for the arts.The implementation of NPM to the arts sector proved to be complex. The assessment criteria that were adopted were criticized by most administrators and artists alike for being inadequate and simplistic when applied to this sector.The effectiveness of the new framework is assessed in the context of the recent growing support for public spending in the arts from a traditionally sceptical public. The new management, accompanied by budget increases, has led to an instrumentalisation of the arts sector through attachment and this can be equated more generally with a trend towards the commodification of the arts.