History of Art

Course summary

History of Art is a unique and fascinating subject that mines ideas and knowledge across disciplines to understand the art and architecture of past and present civilisations. Lessons examine the composition, techniques and materials of art, exploring cultural contexts to ask why, how and for whom works of art were made — and how those works reveal something of the people and culture from which they came. Pupils learn to think critically, and question received wisdom from artists and art historians. They develop essay writing skills and are taught how to construct persuasive lines of argument to answer specific questions. Through our two themes, Nature and Identities, pupils will learn about art from the ancient world to the present day and from both Western and non-Western traditions. In the Periods section of the course, pupils will gain a deep understanding of our chosen areas: British and French Avant-Garde (1848–99) and Modernism in Europe (1900-39). There is no requirement for experience in the subject or for GCSE Art, but pupils must possess curiosity about art and architecture. Every year we arrange a day trip to London galleries as well as a long trip to either New York or a European city, in recent years we have visited Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florence and Paris.