Art History courses online and in London
Looking to build your confidence in discussing and interpreting art? Or are you interested in taking your established knowledge of art in new directions? Then come and join City Lit’s Art History learning community!
Our exceptional range of courses, both introductory and in-depth, are designed for all learning levels. Our programme approaches art history from a variety of perspectives including social and cultural context, art theory and philosophy, curation and collecting, general art appreciation and so much more.
Choosing the right class for you
Our courses are open to all. Our students come from all backgrounds and learning experiences, from the absolute beginner to those refining their knowledge and understanding. We aim to give you the confidence to engage meaningfully with art, whatever level you are working from. Our students use our courses for personal fulfilment as well as professional and educational development. Many of our students go on to advanced degree and certificate programmes and many are able to use their knowledge in art making and gallery work.
Learn from expert tutors
At City Lit we are proud of the expertise of our tutors who are all professional art historians working actively in museums, galleries, research and writing, universities and auction houses. As experts in the field, they are able to provide you with the support and guidance you need to develop your art historical knowledge. As teachers they provide student-focused education, helping students achieve their art historical goals, both the personal and the professional.
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- Focus on: Van Gogh
Course start date: Sun 20 Oct 2024Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julia MusgraveFamously unsuccessful in his own lifetime, Vincent van Gogh developed his unique style be engaging with his contemporaries, old masters and Japanese art. Discover van Gogh’s influences and legacy in this one-day course. - Study day: Velázquez, painter to the King Course start date: Sun 3 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mark Stuart-SmithInvestigate the work of the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez, including enigmatic paintings such as Las Meninas (1656), and learn about how his art relates to his political role as court painter to Philip IV. Includes visit to the National Gallery.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Surrealism - everything you’ve wanted to know, but were to afraid to ask Course start date: Sun 17 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronThe Surrealist movement marks its centenary in October 2024, marking the moment that the First Surrealist Manifesto was launched in Paris led by its chief protagonist, André Breton. Come and celebrate this art historical landmark in this special workshop dedicated to Surrealist art. Get closer to the roots of the movement, discover its leading and less well-known artists; have a go at automatic drawing; and engage with Surrealism’s central themes of the dream world, unconscious and desire.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Leonardo da Vinci, art to understand the world Course start date: Sun 24 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayArtist, scientist, and ‘Renaissance Man’ Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest minds in history. We look at his inspirations, his theories, his process and some of his major works.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Michelangelo – poet, philosopher, artist Course start date: Sun 1 Dec 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore Michelangelo's art through the perspective of his philosophical beliefs. Using the artist’s context, his poetry and letters, this course delves into the cultural concepts behind the subjects and symbols in some of the artist's key works.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Rembrandt and 17th century printmaking Course start date: Sun 8 Dec 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Caroline RaeRembrandt, one of the most famous painters of the Dutch Republic, was also an innovative printmaker. He produced a large oeuvre of printed works, which in their expressive effect and astounding use of light can be considered artworks which rival his paintings. This course will offer a deep dive into Rembrandt’s practice and the seventeenth century Netherlands to explore how he experimented with the medium. Rembrandt as a collector of prints will also be discussed.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Think like an artist: in 16th century Venice Course start date: Sun 26 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julia MusgraveFind out how the art of the mercantile republic of 16th century Venice reflects its unique location, trade routes and society. - Focus on: Dürer Course start date: Sun 2 Feb 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoExplore the life, works, and legacy of one of the most innovative German artists of his time: Albrecht Dürer. See how he assimilated the art of Venice into his style and exploited the possibilities of print.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Cutting it fine: collage in modern & contemporary art Course start date: Sun 2 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronImmerse yourself in an exploration of the history of collage going as far back as ancient China to international contemporary art today. This engaging study day will enhance your knowledge of the roots of this fascinating media, and illustrate how collage techniques have been pivotal to major modern and contemporary art movements, from Cubism, Dada and Surrealism to photomontage and digital art.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Focus on: iconography Course start date: Sun 16 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoEver wondered whether there’s a hidden meaning behind paintings? Discover why there are signs and symbols in paintings and how to find and interpret their meanings in medieval and Renaissance art.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Study day: Fakes, forgeries and the experience of artCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayWhat gives an artwork get its value? Investigate the very fine boundary between the real and the fake and who makes the call by looking at various interpretations of authenticity.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - A day at the V&A: an introduction to the collections Course start date: Mon 19 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
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 - Pioneers of modern art Course start date: Sun 13 Oct 2024
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneDiscover how in the first half of the 20th Century, Hampstead was home to or the social scene for pioneering artists and designers. We walk in the footsteps of both Slade School artists who studied together around the time of the First World War and the Modernists who thrived in Hampstead in the 1930s. We will also pass by the Isokon Flats near Belsize Park which housed some of the most famous Bauhaus designers for a few years.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Islamic art at the British Museum Course start date: Sun 17 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Anita ChowdryTake a Sunday afternoon to explore the British Museum’s newly refurbished Islamic galleries and learn the stories behind one of the world’s great collections of Islamic art.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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