William Morris:
the theory and practice of craft BRST 497c
Professor Edward Cooke, Jr., Dept of History of Art, Yale University

At various points in his life William Morris (1834-1896) was celebrated as a writer, painter, designer, craftsman, socialist, preservationist, and historian. He wrote prose and essays throughout his life, but he also became an accomplished dyer, weaver, printer, and designer. In the late nineteenth century, his influence was substantial but his stature has fragmented or even declined over the course of the twentieth. Today he is best known for his designs for wallpaper, textiles, and books. Yet familiarity with the full range of Morris?s activities reveals that his influence has been considerable in the subsequent practice and theorizing of the decorative arts. It was Morris who articulated the view that craft, the act of pleasurable skilled work, could be both a form of art and a form of political activism. Taking full advantage of resources in the London and Oxford area, this seminar will consider the full measure of Morris, provide a sense of his context, and explore his influence in the twentieth century. There will be a 3-day field trip to important Morris sites in the Cotswolds, including Kelmscott Manor, Oxford University and Chipping Campden, in order to see and experience Morris' work and influence in situ.

Modernist London:
Literature and the Arts BRST 171c
Pericles Lewis, Prof of English & Comparative Literature, Yale University

Survey of the modernist movement in English literature and art from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, with a focus on developments in London and the role of London in modernist works.  Texts to include Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest"; Joseph Conrad, "The Secret Agent"; E. M. Forster, "Howards End"; poems by Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot; Virginia Woolf, "Mrs. Dalloway"; and David Lodge, "The British Museum is Falling Down." Consideration of movements in the visual arts from impressionism to vorticism with visits to relevant galleries and museums including the Courtauld Institute, the Imperial War Museum, and the Tate Gallery.