History of Art

Course summary

WHY STUDY HISTORY OF ART? Students usually choose to study History of Art because they want to: - develop their ability to process, analyse and conceptualise complex primary and secondary sources into coherent narratives; - confidently and clearly synthesise and re-present ideas; - assess the quality and reliability of information; - explore several centuries of human success and failure through the media of their artistic and cultural endeavours. CONTENT OF THE COURSE: The course will allow a breadth of study looking at painting, sculpture and architecture from Ancient Greece to the present day (500BCE-2015) through thematic study. Two further units in the second year will offer a more in-depth study of two distinct periods in history, 1900-1939 or 1960-2015 for example, which will allow for greater historical, cultural, political and social insight and will take in key philosophers, theorists, writers and poets to provide a solid contextual grounding for the works produced.