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In this 4 month interdisciplinary module, we explored the theme of Outsiders and Outliers by investigating how visionary thinkers, artists, and politicians pushed boundaries in Renaissance Florence. We began by visiting Etruscan sites to compare their architecture and engineering with Renaissance innovations. This provided a foundational understanding of how ancient technologies influenced later developments, particularly the breakthroughs achieved by figures like Filippo Brunelleschi. Our exploration into the Medici family’s political and cultural power also gave students insight into the relationship between patronage and the flourishing of art during the Renaissance.

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Throughout the module, we emerged into the works of iconic artists, including Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. I guided the students on excursions to significant sites such as the Uffizi Gallery, where they studied Botticelli’s oil painting techniques, and Michelangelo’s David, where we discussed how its movement through the city altered its symbolic meaning. In addition to these studies, students worked on their own hands-on projects, learning traditional oil painting techniques and creating their own tempera pieces. They also conducted independent research on an artist of their choice, which they presented in the form of oral commentary guides for a hypothetical exhibit at the Uffizi Gallery.  In addition, we examined Dante’s Inferno, analyzing how his depiction of the human condition influenced Renaissance thought and humanist ideals. Students applied this learning by working on their own oil and tempera paintings, reflecting Renaissance techniques.

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As part of our broader exploration of Renaissance influence, we took inspiration trips to the Vatican, Venice Biennale, and San Marino. These visits allowed students to connect Renaissance art and humanist ideas with contemporary politics and art movements. The module culminated in a final showcase where students presented their research alongside their paintings, celebrating their growth as both scholars and artists while reflecting on how the Renaissance’s outsiders and outliers reshaped the cultural landscape.

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ASSESSMENTS

• Formative Assessments: Weekly journal reflections, art critiques, and peer reviews.

• Summative Assessments: The final product for the module was a three-part artistic and research showcase.

  • First, students created two class paintings, one using traditional oil painting techniques they had learned during the module and the other a personal tempera painting that reflected their own interpretation of Renaissance styles and concepts.

  • Comparative essays exploring how Dante’s portrayal of morality, politics, and human nature shaped the intellectual environment of the time. 

  • Alongside these artworks, each student presented an in-depth case study of a chosen Renaissance artist, which was delivered as an oral commentary guide, simulating a curated exhibit for the Uffizi Gallery. These final presentations highlighted both their creative and research skills, tying together the historical, artistic, and personal insights gained throughout the course.

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KEY SKILLS

• Oil Painting - We closely examined at Sandro Botticelli's techniques for oil painting.  Students learnt the basics of traditional oil painting techniques, from priming the canvas to creating preparation sketches.

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• Literacy - In terms of art history and art theory, students had autonomy to choose their own artist to conduct an in-depth case study of an artist of their choice. They presented some of their investigations in the form of an Oral Commentary Guide for the Uffizi Gallery for works they have researched on

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• Sketching urban Florence - I led walking excursions around Florence to create urban landscape drawings in 3  techniques:  pen drawing, watercolour, pen and wash.  Some places we painted include the Ponte Vecchio

 

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MY REFLECTION

It’s clear that we achieved a great deal in a short time, offering students a rich, immersive experience into Renaissance Florence. At the time, we hadn’t yet integrated the project-based learning (PBL) structure, which I introduced a year later, so our approach lacked the driving questions that would guide the learning process with more clarity. If I were to retroactively assign a driving question, it would likely be:

 

"How did outsiders and outliers in Renaissance Florence challenge traditional boundaries to reshape art, politics, and culture?"

 

This theme was central to our methodology, as students engaged directly with art, architecture, and primary sources rather than relying solely on traditional textbooks.

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We certainly did a lot during the module, from exploring Botticelli’s techniques at the Uffizi Gallery to studying Dante’s Inferno, and visiting sites like the Vatican and Venice Biennale. While this breadth of experience enriched the students’ learning and made the module highly engaging, I now realize that it came at the cost of focus on the final product for assessment. Without a clear emphasis from the beginning, the product took a back seat to the learning process. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—the students had a great time and learned deeply through hands-on experiences—but the final showcase didn’t shine as brightly as it could have in terms of polished, finished work.

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If I were to redesign this module again, I would allocate more time to developing the final product, allowing students to dive deeper into their research and artistic creations. By giving more weight to the final product, students would have the opportunity to refine and develop their work to a greater degree, achieving a stronger balance between hands-on learning and the culminating showcase. In retrospect, this experience has highlighted the importance of deliberate design and weighting, ensuring that both process and product are given the attention they deserve.

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KEY PLACES WE VISITED ITALY

San Lorenzo Medici Chapel

Palazzo Vecchio (Medici Home)

Florence Catheral (The Duomo )

Uffizi Gallery

Machiavelli Office & Bargello Machiavelli Imprisonment

Rome: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum

 

 

FURTHER RESOURCES 

PBS:  Godfathers of the Renaissance series