Images, Visions and Dreams

Course Title: Images, Visions and Dreams: Medieval Manuscripts and Visual Culture
Type of Course: Adult Education
Credit: Not credit-bearing

Week
Session Title

1. Images Then and Now: Modern Readings of Images; Introducing Medieval Iconography

2. Word and Image: Ekphrasis; Images in the Gawain Manuscript

3. Monkey Business: The Hidden Language of Marginal Images in Manuscripts

4. Public Images: Wall Paintings and Statues; Preaching

5. Light of Heaven: Stained Glass; Religious Devotion

6. Other Worlds: Images of Heaven, Hell and Dream Lands

7. Controversy: Iconophobia and Iconoclasm

8. Facing the Past: Medieval Images Now

Course Overview

This course explores the rich visual culture of medieval Europe through its extraordinary imagery. Participants will investigate how images functioned in a world that made little distinction between lived experience, fantasy, dreams, and visions. From manuscript illumination to wall painting, stained glass to sculpture, medieval imagery reveals a world of profound devotion, biting humour, awe, fear, and imagination.

Sessions will examine the symbolic, narrative, and emotional power of visual forms and their relationships with contemporary literature, philosophy, and religious belief. Particular attention will be paid to how these images communicated complex ideas to a broad audience—whether through grandeur or grotesquery.

The course will also reflect on how our modern interpretations shape our understanding of the medieval imagination, and how visual traditions of the past continue to resonate in the present.

Required Previous Experience (if any)
None required.

Required Reading Material or Special Equipment Needed (if any)
None required.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, you will be better prepared to:

1. Identify and interpret a wide range of medieval images in their historical, cultural, and religious contexts.

2. Analyse the roles of medieval imagery in conveying knowledge, emotion, and belief.

3. Engage critically with modern responses to medieval visual culture and its continuing legacy.

Teaching and Learning Approach

The teaching and learning approach for this course combines tutor-led instruction, visual presentations, group discussion, and independent exploration. Classes are conducted face-to-face in a classroom setting and use a variety of media and learning methods to engage students, encourage debate, and accommodate different learning preferences. The course fosters an inclusive and supportive environment, drawing on the diverse perspectives of all participants.

Additional Information

This course descriptor may be subject to change during the delivery of the course, depending on the specific direction and nature of the learner cohort, and is intended to be responsive to group dynamics as they emerge.