Certificate of Achievement
has completed the following course:
Art and the Environment in Southeast Asia: Landscape as Ideology
This course explored how landscapes in art reflect the underlying ideologies of late 19th- and early 20th-century Southeast Asia. Through an examination of techniques and perspectives in artworks such as landscape paintings and colonial photography, we uncovered how artists in the region progressively turn away from colonial influences, expressing themes of change and nation-building.
5 weeks, 1 hour per week
Dr Seng Yu Jin
Director (Curatorial, Research & Exhibitions), National Gallery Singapore
National Gallery Singapore
Transcript
Learning outcomes
- Develop insights and perspectives on landscape and its underlying ideologies in late 19th- and early 20th- century Southeast Asia
- Explore how subjects of landscapes are shaped by colonial rule and socio-cultural turn at the time
- Encounter ways of thinking from Southeast Asia through art
- Apply vocabulary and visual analysis strategies to form artwork interpretation
Syllabus
Week 1 | Introduction
This section gives you an overview of the course. Let’s start by meeting the team and getting to know other learners!
Week 2 | Cataloguing the Colonies
This week, we will examine the colonial and commercial agendas behind selected natural history drawings and landscape paintings.
Week 3 | Producing Paradise
This week, we will look at photographs produced in the Dutch East Indies, exploring the constructed colonial ideologies behind each image.
Week 4 | Picturesque or Political
We will examine paintings by S. Sudjojono and Chua Mia Tee to explore the building of a post-colonial world and its nation-state.
Week 5 | What is next?
We invite you to review what we learned and reflect on the ever-changing representations of Southeast Asian landscapes.
Issued on 14th August 2025
The person named on this certificate has completed the activities in the transcript above. For more information about Certificates of Achievement and the effort required to become eligible, visit futurelearn.com/proof-of-learning/certificate-of-achievement.
This certificate represents proof of learning. It is not a formal qualification, degree, or part of a degree.