This course presents students with historical documentary and visual testimonies on artistic practice from the eleventh century to the present. A historiographic review of the key primary art technological texts on artists' techniques relevant to books and paper will be the focus of the course. Primary sources may include Archives & Special Collections, The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections, National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh and artists' studio archives.

Lecture: 1 x 1 hr over 5 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

Seminar: 1 x 1 hr over 5 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

1x2hr Workshop in special collections

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Essay (2500 words) - 100%

This course aims to:

■ Provide detailed knowledge of key documentary and visual sources, on artists' techniques and materials across a wide historical range.

■ Provide a theoretical and historical context for interpreting such sources.

■ Provide students with the methodology to study such sources, as well as the tools to arrive at a correct interpretation.

■ Critically address the ways in which traditional notions of artists' practice can be evaluated through primary source material

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Apply the studied methodology and interpretative skills to primary art technological sources.

■ Interpret and contextualise a broad range of source material on techniques and materials across the full historical spectrum covered by the course.

■ Apply knowledge of historical source material to the examination of artworks in books and on paper.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.