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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- The mirror of nature: art and culture in the 17th century
Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Leslie PrimoThe 17th century produced some of the greatest artists of all time: Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez and Bernini to name but a few. Explore the work of these key artists and understand the history, styles and ideas that shaped the century.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Art in Britain since 2000: where are we now?Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronDiscover how exciting, new UK-based artists use both experimental and traditional approaches to art to address issues of identity, history and personal experience. - Modern art in America, 1900-1930: the Ashcan School to Precisionism Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersStudy American art, including paintings, illustrations and cartoons from late-nineteenth century Impressionism and Realism to Precisionism, analysing movements and styles, social and political context, materials, and art theory. - 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. - Introduction to Latin American art Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore the art of Latin America from indigenous cultures to colonisation and through the revolutions of the 20th and 21st centuries. - 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 - Modern art in America, 1930s: the age of Hopper, Rivera and the New Deal Course start date: Sat 17 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersFrom Edward Hopper to Philip Evergood to Diego Rivera, study American art from the turbulent 1930s, analysing movements and styles, social and political context, materials, and art theory.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Illuminated manuscripts of the Islamic worldCourse start date: Sun 18 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anita ChowdryStudy book design and production in the Islamic world. The art of the book is one of the cornerstones of Islamic visual culture, with the role of the Qur’an driving the development of the arts in general.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £48.00 Concession £45.00 - 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 - 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 - Ways into Islamic art Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita ChowdryAn introductory course providing an overview of the development of the visual language of Islamic cultures in Asia, Africa and Europe.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00 - Art for social change: introducing the photography of Gordon ParksCourse start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayAn introduction to the photography of Gordon Parks and its significant impact on social justice in the United States. We’ll develop Parks’s biography before looking at some of his famous photo-essays for Life and Ebony Magazines in the 1940s and 50s.
Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £7.00 - 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 - Symbols and stories: saints in art Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresSaints are represented in masterpieces of Christian art from 1200 to the present – learn how to recognise them, decode their meanings and iconography and enhance your understanding of this aspect of art history. This course includes a gallery visit. - Origins of the Italian Renaissance: the PrimitiviCourse start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover the history, politics and intellectualism that fuelled the Italian Renaissance. Explore the art of Giotto and his peers from a new perspective.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
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