Short course
Modern Art in Europe, c.1900-1939
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
02/10/2026 - 04/12/202614:00 - 16:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
After 1900, the great tide of Modernism swept through France, Russia, Germany and Britain, exemplified by artists like Marcel Duchamp, Natalia Goncharova, Otto Dix and C R W Nevinson. After the First World War, there followed a counter-reaction in the form of the movements like the 'New Objectivity' (Neue Sachlichkeit) and the 'return to order' (rappel à l'ordre), which can be seen as artistic reactions to the destructive machinery of the First World War. This course considers some Modernism's many strands. It begins with Vitalism and ideas about the regenerative effects of sunlight on the body in Germany and the Nordic countries. It then considers the diverse cultural contexts of Modernist practice: in Russia, the influence of folk art; in France, the innovations of Duchamp and Dada; and in Britain, the challenge posed by Vorticism to Edwardian cultural norms. The course also addresses influential movements such as the Bauhaus and De Stijl, and the prominence of women artists within Modernism from St Ives to Russia.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Friday 2 October 2026
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Fridays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Edvard Munch and Vitalism
Week 2: Russia: From the Easel to the Machine
Week 3: Marcel Duchamp
Week 4: Richard Nevinson and Vorticism
Week 5: Bauhaus and De Stijl
Week 6: Field Trip – Tate Modern
Week 7: Rappel à l’Ordre in France
Week 8: Neue Sachlichkeit and ‘Degenerate’ Art
Week 9: Women Artists in St. Ives
Week 10: European Modernist Film
Please note: students will have to arrange their own transport for the field trip, and cover the cost of any entry fees.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to explore the rise of Modernism in art in Europe after 1900.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- examine the development of art in western European in the early twentieth century
- discuss the rise of modernism and counter-reactions against it
- analyse the impact of modernity on European art
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be familiar with a range of styles of modern art in Europe in the period 1900-1939, and the reasons for the backlash against them
- developed your understanding of the reactions of audiences and critics to the exhibition of modern art
- practised visual analysis of a range of art works through class discussion and the option written assessment
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
This course will be taught through seminar-style discussion, including:
- Presentation of PowerPoint images and key texts to provide a stimulus to discussion
- Use of film to provide a stimulus for discussion and provide background information
- Case studies of specific artists
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Jan Cox
Dr Jan Cox has been awarded a BA (Hons) by Oxford Brookes University, an MA from Bristol, and a PhD from the University of Leeds (Nordic Art). He specialises in nineteenth-century European art and British art of the early twentieth-century.
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- Modern Art and Modernism: A Critical Anthology / Frascina, Francis & Harrison, Charles
Module code: O26P465ARW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
