All forms of art and artefacts – from paintings and sculpture to jewellery and clothes to palaces and temples – exhibit visual aspects that are specific to the place and period from which they originate. As an A-level History of Art student, you will analyse and interpret them to discover their meaning, purpose and impact over time. You will engage in lively discussions and debates exploring the context of works of art and architecture from different and diverse cultures across the globe, spanning from 500 BCE to the present day. The National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Art, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the Wallace Collection and the Victoria and Albert Museum are just some of the world-class galleries and museums you will have the chance to explore to broaden and enrich your studies. London’s architectural heritage, spanning 2000 years, will also provide a wealth of sites to visit including St. Paul’s Cathedral and The Lloyds Building. The three main areas of this linear A-level course are visual analysis, themes and periods. Visual analysis Mother and Child (1943), Hepworth How is this sculpture made? What materials were used and why? What was the technical process of making the piece? How has the sculpture been conceived to convey a specific meaning? Was it created for a specific location? Why has the sculptor chosen abstraction? In this section of the syllabus, students learn to analyse the formal characteristics of works of art and architecture and begin to interpret the choices made by artists relating to subject matter, materials, techniques and processes, and the impact these have on meaning and effect. They will examine the artist’s manipulation of elements – such as composition, line, scale, texture, colour and space for example – to create an effective visual language. Themes Nature in art and architecture (B1) The natural world plays a vital role in shaping art and architecture. Students examine a wide range of artists (listed in full below) to explore how motifs, messages and materials found in nature are used by artists and architects. JMW Turner: Snowstorm – Steam Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (1842); Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway (1844) Barbara Hepworth: Oval Form (Trezion) (1961-3); Squares with Two Circles (1963) Frank Lloyd Wright: Taliesin (1937); Fallingwater (1935) Katsuhika Hokusai: The Great Wave off Kanagawa (British Museum c. 1833) Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds (Tate Modern 2010) Angkor Wat (Cambodia c. 1150) Abu al-Hasan: Squirrels in a Plane Tree (British Library 1610) Wen Zhengming: Wintry Trees (British Museum 1543) Constantin Brancusi: Bird in Space (MOMA NY 1924) Max Ernst: Europe After the Rain II (1940-2) Identities in art and architecture (B2) Students investigate the ways artists and architects represent their identities – social, religious, ideological, cultural etc. – through art and architecture, particularly focusing on the evolution of cultural traditions, their cross-fertilisation with other cultures, and their re-interpretation in the contemporary period. Jan van Eyck: The Ghent Altarpiece (1432); The Arnolfini Marriage (1434) Grayson Perry: Huhne Vase (2014); I’m a Man (2014) Richard Rogers: Pompidou Centre, Paris (1977); Senedd, Cardiff (2006) Bichitr: Shah-Jahan receives his three eldest sons and Asaf Khan during his accession ceremonies (1628, Royal Collection) Shiva Nataraj (c. 1100, Victoria and Albert Museum) Mimar Sinan: Sülemaniye Mosque, Istanbul (1558) Yoruba Mask for King Obalufon Ife (c. 1300, British Museum) Gianlorenzo Bernini: Bust of Costanza Bonarelli (1635) Pablo Picasso: Yo, Picasso (1901) Marc Chagall: The Fiddler (1912) Periods Brave New World: Modernism in Europe (1900–39) (C4) Art in Europe and America changed significantly in the early 20th century as artists responded to the challenges of a changing urban environment and new ways of seeing prompted by developments in science, philosophy and in visual culture, such as photography and cinema. Students have the opportunity to explore a selection of European and American artists and some of the key movements and styles of the era such as Fauvism, Cubism, German Expressionism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism as well as the new ideas of Modernism in architecture. Pop life: British and American contemporary art and architecture (1960–2015) (C5) The 1960s witnessed the expansion of consumer culture, along with widespread political upheaval as groups of young people expressed their opposition to a range of issues. In many ways, this decade laid the foundations for society today: from celebrity culture to democratic claims made by some for the internet. By surveying the works, trends and styles of art across two key countries students will be able to explore the impact and effects of change in art and architecture with a detailed understanding of the context of the era.
Students who continue to Year 12 at Ashbourne are expected to be able to gain a minimum of 6 grades 6s (or equivalent) for their GCSE results and must have a determination to work towards their academic potential.
About Education Provider
| Region | London |
| Local Authority | Kensington and Chelsea |
| Ofsted Rating | Outstanding |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| ISI Report | View Report |
| Boarding Fee | Unknown |
| Sixth Form Fee | £32,250 - £34,500 |
| Address | 17 Old Court Place, Kensington, London, W8 4PL |
All forms of art and artefacts – from paintings and sculpture to jewellery and clothes to palaces and temples – exhibit visual aspects that are specific to the place and period from which they originate. As an A-level History of Art student, you will analyse and interpret them to discover their meaning, purpose and impact over time. You will engage in lively discussions and debates exploring the context of works of art and architecture from different and diverse cultures across the globe, spanning from 500 BCE to the present day. The National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Art, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the Wallace Collection and the Victoria and Albert Museum are just some of the world-class galleries and museums you will have the chance to explore to broaden and enrich your studies. London’s architectural heritage, spanning 2000 years, will also provide a wealth of sites to visit including St. Paul’s Cathedral and The Lloyds Building. The three main areas of this linear A-level course are visual analysis, themes and periods. Visual analysis Mother and Child (1943), Hepworth How is this sculpture made? What materials were used and why? What was the technical process of making the piece? How has the sculpture been conceived to convey a specific meaning? Was it created for a specific location? Why has the sculptor chosen abstraction? In this section of the syllabus, students learn to analyse the formal characteristics of works of art and architecture and begin to interpret the choices made by artists relating to subject matter, materials, techniques and processes, and the impact these have on meaning and effect. They will examine the artist’s manipulation of elements – such as composition, line, scale, texture, colour and space for example – to create an effective visual language. Themes Nature in art and architecture (B1) The natural world plays a vital role in shaping art and architecture. Students examine a wide range of artists (listed in full below) to explore how motifs, messages and materials found in nature are used by artists and architects. JMW Turner: Snowstorm – Steam Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (1842); Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway (1844) Barbara Hepworth: Oval Form (Trezion) (1961-3); Squares with Two Circles (1963) Frank Lloyd Wright: Taliesin (1937); Fallingwater (1935) Katsuhika Hokusai: The Great Wave off Kanagawa (British Museum c. 1833) Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds (Tate Modern 2010) Angkor Wat (Cambodia c. 1150) Abu al-Hasan: Squirrels in a Plane Tree (British Library 1610) Wen Zhengming: Wintry Trees (British Museum 1543) Constantin Brancusi: Bird in Space (MOMA NY 1924) Max Ernst: Europe After the Rain II (1940-2) Identities in art and architecture (B2) Students investigate the ways artists and architects represent their identities – social, religious, ideological, cultural etc. – through art and architecture, particularly focusing on the evolution of cultural traditions, their cross-fertilisation with other cultures, and their re-interpretation in the contemporary period. Jan van Eyck: The Ghent Altarpiece (1432); The Arnolfini Marriage (1434) Grayson Perry: Huhne Vase (2014); I’m a Man (2014) Richard Rogers: Pompidou Centre, Paris (1977); Senedd, Cardiff (2006) Bichitr: Shah-Jahan receives his three eldest sons and Asaf Khan during his accession ceremonies (1628, Royal Collection) Shiva Nataraj (c. 1100, Victoria and Albert Museum) Mimar Sinan: Sülemaniye Mosque, Istanbul (1558) Yoruba Mask for King Obalufon Ife (c. 1300, British Museum) Gianlorenzo Bernini: Bust of Costanza Bonarelli (1635) Pablo Picasso: Yo, Picasso (1901) Marc Chagall: The Fiddler (1912) Periods Brave New World: Modernism in Europe (1900–39) (C4) Art in Europe and America changed significantly in the early 20th century as artists responded to the challenges of a changing urban environment and new ways of seeing prompted by developments in science, philosophy and in visual culture, such as photography and cinema. Students have the opportunity to explore a selection of European and American artists and some of the key movements and styles of the era such as Fauvism, Cubism, German Expressionism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism as well as the new ideas of Modernism in architecture. Pop life: British and American contemporary art and architecture (1960–2015) (C5) The 1960s witnessed the expansion of consumer culture, along with widespread political upheaval as groups of young people expressed their opposition to a range of issues. In many ways, this decade laid the foundations for society today: from celebrity culture to democratic claims made by some for the internet. By surveying the works, trends and styles of art across two key countries students will be able to explore the impact and effects of change in art and architecture with a detailed understanding of the context of the era.
Students who continue to Year 12 at Ashbourne are expected to be able to gain a minimum of 6 grades 6s (or equivalent) for their GCSE results and must have a determination to work towards their academic potential.