Art History
Are you interested in art history and how to interpret art? Then why not browse our range of art history courses and choose from introductory courses, or explore further into practices, debates and discover the work of some of the greatest artists of all time. Daytime, evening and weekend classes are available at our main learning centre in London's cultural heart - Covent Garden.
You can now study in the comfort of your home with our online courses.
For a limited time you can enjoy 20% off our online courses with a start date from 1 September 2020 using discount code: NEWONLINE. (Terms & Conditions apply )
To participate in online classes you will need an email address, a reliable internet connection, a computer/laptop/tablet with fully updated browser (preferably Google Chrome). Your device will need a microphone, and preferably a camera. Many classes use Google Classroom.
Contact us to find out more about art history - call 020 7492 2700 Monday - Friday between 10am - 5pm or email visualarts@citylit.ac.uk.
- Italian beginners: module 1
Course start date: Tue 6 May 2025 (and 15 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Veronica De FeliceWith its rich culture and history and its incredible landscapes and architecture, there are countless reasons to learn Italian. Whether you wish to learn Italian in order to make your visits to Italy more enjoyable, or because you'd like to speak with family and friends in their native language, this course will provide the groundwork for you to begin your journey towards fluency. Our emphasis is on speaking and listening skills so that you can start communicating quickly in Italian. Once you've completed this course you can continue with 'Italian beginners: module 2.’
Learn to speak Italian on this intensive evening class. Taught in Italian, the emphasis is on developing your speaking and listening skills. Each lesson is a bit longer than our standard lesson time, so you'll cover the same ground as you would in a standard beginners course, but you'll do so in fewer weeks. Based on Nuovo Espresso 1 (Alma Edizioni).Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £115.00 - Tree walks in Golders Hill Park Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Letta JonesJoin Letta Jones for 2 Saturday morning tree walks, meeting in Golders Hill Park in North London.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Rescue, Revealed, Restored: The Blitz and Preserving HistoryCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneThis walks covers an area devastated in the Blitz explaining what happened in 1940/41, the efforts to rescue St Paul's, the Roman remains that were revealed as well as post war restoration and rebuilding of historic buildings. Meeting place Moorgate tube station outside Café Nero.
London guide: Marilyn Greene.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - The Courtauld: an introduction Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowThe Courtauld collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts, ranging from the medieval period to the present day. This two-part course is an opportunity to explore an outstanding collection which includes one of the richest holdings of early Italian art in Britain alongside Impressionist and Post-Impressionist gems such as Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. - Spanish beginners: module 1 Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 18 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Keylor Murillo MoyaLearn to speak Spanish on this lively, communicative course for complete beginners. Taught in Spanish with the emphasis on developing your listening and speaking skills.
Based on Units 1-3 of Nos Vemos Hoy 1 Compacto; publisher: Campus Difusión (please see the relevant section for the ISBN)
Please do not buy the book until after the first class as if you transfer to another level, you may use a different book.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £142.00 - French beginners: module 1 Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 11 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pascale VuittenezLearn French in the heart of London on this lively interactive course for beginners. The course will be taught in French, with an emphasis on developing your speaking and listening skills.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £142.00 - Renaissance art at the National GalleryCourse start date: Wed 14 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Emma Rose BarberThis course explores the Making, the Locating and the Viewing of Renaissance paintings in the collection of the National Gallery. This course takes place at the National Gallery.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00 - Keats and eternityCourse start date: Sun 18 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Laurie SmithIn the house where many of them were written, we will explore why Keats’s poems are regarded as exceptionally beautiful. How did he achieve this? We will see that it wasn’t luck or simply inspiration, but the result of choices which reflect important aspects of Keats’ personality. Includes ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, Ode to a Grecian Urn’ and ‘To Autumn’.
This course will take place at Keats House, 10 Keats Grove, Hampstead, London NW3 2RR. - A day at the V&A: an introduction to the collections Course start date: Mon 19 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresSpend a fascinating day at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum exploring a range of galleries. We shall be looking at the decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and design from across the world and across the centuries in this remarkable museum.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Sketching at the museum: British Museum Course start date: Tue 20 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane MartinExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of objects and artifacts in The British Museum.
Please note - meet at Montague Place entrance - the front entrance is now only for ticket holders.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Private portraits: European miniatures at the V&ACourse start date: Wed 21 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresPortrait miniatures are some of the most exquisite likenesses ever produced, initially gaining favour in the court of Henry VIII as love tokens and tiny pieces of propaganda. This session in the V&A’s collection of portrait miniatures can be taken as a single stand-alone visit (no previous knowledge required, all welcome) or as a final lesson for the three-week online VB776 Private Portraits course.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Mews, monuments and museumsCourse start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneThis circular walk explores the alleys lanes, squares and delightful mews houses and passes a disused tube station in the mainly in the Knightsbridge conservation area and contrasts with the grand museums, institutions and monuments built in South Kensington (Albertopolis) developed with profits of the Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park in 1851. Meets outside the main entrance to the V&A ends outside the Natural History Museum. Meets outside the main entrance to the V&A ends outside the Natural History Museum.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - London photography: River Thames Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Michael HardingExplore and discover London through photography walks around locations rich in photographic potential.
The walks revolve around photographing views along the River Thames, from the Aldwych area eastwards to the City, from London Bridge to the Southbank and from Westminster to the newly developed Nine Elms area. Bring your own camera and comfortable walking shoes as you capture places, spaces, objects and people.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £139.00 - Looking at contemporary artCourse start date: Wed 4 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Francesca CavalloExplore and discuss contemporary art on show in London. Each week we’ll visit 1-2 commercial galleries or a public gallery and examine specific exhibitions of contemporary art across a range of media including painting, works on paper, photography, new media and sculpture.
Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Nature Connection in the City: Nurturing Mental Well-Being with Urban Green Spaces Course start date: Sat 7 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Christopher CollierAmidst the bustle of urban life, finding moments of solace and nature connection can be a challenge. Yet research has shown that proximity to green spaces and cultivating connections with nature can significantly enhance mental well-being and overall quality of life. This session will explore the transformative power of nature in urban environments through a mix of informative content and participatory techniques.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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