Great Italian Art & Where to Find It

Learn about space, light and movement with our art history short courses in Sydney.

If you’ve ever stood before an Italian fresco or marble sculpture and wondered how it fits into the context of history, this course is for you. Great Italian Art (and Where to Find It) traces the evolution of Italian art from the dawn of the Renaissance through to the grandeur of the Baroque — exploring how style, perspective and emotion transformed Western art.

Rather than focusing solely on individual artists or movements, this course examines art in situ — where it was created to be experienced. We will take an armchair journey through Italy’s most remarkable chapels, churches and civic spaces, discovering how location, light and architecture shape meaning. Whether you’re preparing for travel to Italy or simply fascinated by the relationship between art and place, this richly illustrated and guided exploration offers both context and inspiration.

Delivered in an accessible, discussion-based format by an experienced art historian, the course combines visual analysis, historical commentary and virtual “site visits” to masterpieces by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and others. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how art, faith, power and place intersect across centuries of Italian creativity.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Italian art course, you should be able to:

• Distinguish between key evolutionary styles of Italian art from the early Renaissance to the Baroque.
• Understand how artists used space, light and movement to evoke emotion and meaning.
• Situate major artworks within their architectural, cultural and socio-political contexts.
• Recognise how geographic location and patronage influenced artistic innovation.

Course content

This Italian art course covers the following topics and locations:

• Session 1 – The Dawn of the Renaissance: Giotto, Fra Angelico and Cimabue.
  Explore early fresco and mosaic cycles that redefined sacred art. Sites include the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, San Marco and the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, San Marco in Venice, Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and San Vitale in Ravenna.
• Session 2 – The Discovery of Perspective: Alberti, Masaccio and Piero della Francesca.
  Trace the birth of mathematical perspective and spatial illusion at the Vatican, the Duomo of Siena, Brancacci Chapel and Santa Maria Novella in Florence, the Duomo and San Francesco in Arezzo, and the Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini.
  Session 3 – Mannerism and the Human Body: Raphael and Michelangelo.
  Examine expressive figure drawing and idealised anatomy through works in the Sistine Chapel, the Medici Chapel, the Accademia and Piazza della Signoria in Florence, and the Villa Farnesina in Rome.
• Session 4 – Colour and Chiaroscuro: Bernini, Caravaggio and Carracci.
  Delve into the drama and dynamism of the Baroque through sculpture and painting in Santa Maria del Popolo, Sant’Agostino and San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, Santa Maria della Misericordia in Naples, St John’s Co-Cathedral in Malta, and Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.

You may also like to continue your art history journey with our Art of the Italian Renaissance or European Art History courses.