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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- Lunchtime lecture: Ithell Colquhoun - mystical surrealistCourse start date: Tue 10 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayAn introduction to the art of Ithell Colquhoun from her academic days at the Slade to her mystical landscapes in Cornwall. We explore her subject matter, artistic process and her surrealist tendencies.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £7.00 - Constable and the British landscape traditionCourse start date: Mon 16 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneDiscover the development of the British Landscape tradition from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Victoria and Albert Museum has the largest collection of John Constable sketches in the world, and we will discuss the works on display in detail and compare with works by J.W.M Turner and other artists on display.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - London's smaller galleries: Apsley House
Course start date: Wed 11 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowExplore the home and art collection of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Sanctuary in the city – public art by refugees and immigrantsCourse start date: Wed 18 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneCome on a walking tour of public art through the City of London created by Refugees and Immigrants. We will explore artworks such as the 17th century carvings on the Monument and a Victorian plaques relocated on to the post Modern Number One Poultry by economic immigrants to the country as well as looking at mainly works by 20th century artists from refugee backgrounds who were either commissioned to make art works for site specific places or their works have been bought or moved to their locations.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Friday lates: Text as image from the Renaissance to nowCourse start date: Fri 20 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayWhat happens when word becomes image? From Chinese calligraphy to the prints of Francisco Goya, the graffitied phrases of Jean-Michel Basquiat and truisms of Jenny Holzer, this short course explores how to read text as image. We'll explore how we might read differently in the context of an artwork and how to approach artworks that rely on text as part of their visual composition.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Study day: The Dada revolution from Duchamp to Hannah HöchCourse start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersThis course will explore the Dada movement, focusing on Duchamp and Höch as key examples, considering such issues as social and political context, theoretical interests, material experimentation, and artistic influences.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Arts of Imperial ChinaCourse start date: Tue 24 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Meitao QuExplore the arts of imperial China spanning across 13 dynasties and 2000 years. Study how painting, sculpture, and architecture were deeply shaped by its richly diverse culture, philosophy, and religion. - Women artists of the Renaissance: Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia FontanaCourse start date: Tue 24 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
An introduction to the life, art and career of Italian Renaissance artists Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana. We’ll explore notions of artistic identity and the distinct challenges faced by woman artists in a male-dominated art world.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Art and critical theory: rethinking 'nature' Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Irina ChkhaidzeExplore the role of critical theory within the field of art history, and learn new ways of thinking about art by focusing on how recent authors have been rethinking our understanding of nature.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00 - Van Eyck and the Pre-RaphaelitesCourse start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emma Rose BarberExplore the work of Van Eyck in relation to Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelites more generally; consider how this 15th century painter influenced artists some 300 years later. - A condensed history of sculpture: ten sculptors who’ve shaped art historyCourse start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersStudy sculptors from the Renaissance to the Post-Modern, including Donatello, Bernini, Canova, Rodin, Picasso and Whiteread, considering styles, materials, and techniques of key works within social and cultural contexts.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Tuesday talks: Emily Kam KngwarrayCourse start date: Tue 1 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Arjmand AzizIn July 2025 a major solo exhibition of Emily Kam Kngwarray, considered to be one of Australia’s greatest artists, will be held at Tate Modern. This course aims to introduce British audiences to the oeuvre of this remarkable artist.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Art history taster Course start date: Wed 3 Dec 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayCurious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories, from the ancient to the contemporary.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Art in England transformed: the court of Charles ICourse start date: Wed 2 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
The art collection of King Charles I (1600-1649) was magnificent and hugely influential. Explore the artists, craftsmen, agents and connoisseurs who shaped one of the most important European art collections and learn about how objects and artists from across Europe made their way to London.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Master drawings from Leonardo to Degas: experiment and expressionCourse start date: Thu 3 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore the significant role of drawing in shaping art and how artists have used different drawing techniques for creative expression.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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