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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- Friday lates: the East India Company and the passion for chintzCourse start date: Fri 29 Sep 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita ChowdryExplore the story of how Indian painted and printed cottons became an important trade commodity for the Western domestic market, and the far-reaching impact of their design and manufacture.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Understanding contemporary art: ideas and originsCourse start date: Mon 2 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierEver wondered what's going on in the mind of contemporary artists? This course explores the ideas and historical background behind some of today’s most intriguing works, from Conceptualism and Video to Body Art and Installation.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Introduction to art historyCourse start date: Fri 29 Sep 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Thomas BalfeAre you interested in art and want to get more out of looking at art and exhibitions? Want to know what an art historian does? Develop your interpretative skills by exploring at how art is made and what social and cultural factors construct our understanding of it.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Friday lates: the Bauhaus in LondonCourse start date: Fri 6 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Julie BarlowThe Staatliches Bauhaus opened its doors in Weimar, Germany in 1919. Fourteen years later it was shut down by the Nazis. Celebrate 100 years of Modernism in architecture and design and discover how Bauhaus style spread to London.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Avant-garde women: art innovations of the 20th & 21st centuriesCourse start date: Thu 12 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Irina ChkhaidzeDiscover the work of prominent modern and contemporary women artists from the early twentieth century to the present, looking at the political and social transformations reflected in the artworks.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Friday lates: psychogeography: the art of getting lostCourse start date: Fri 13 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierFrom pub crawls to punk rock, via comic books, action painting and Hegelian philosophy; hear the unlikely tale of the Situationists: international artist-revolutionaries who tried to change the world itself into a work of art.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Art history tasterCourse start date: Tue 19 Sep 2023 (and 14 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
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.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Friday lates: from objects to finds - archaeological artefacts from the dig to the displayCourse start date: Fri 20 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover what turns an object into a museum-worthy showpiece as we follow the fascinating path from the shadows of the trenches to the lights of the gallery.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Spanish Art 1900-1937: the age of Picasso, Miró and DalíCourse start date: Wed 1 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Mark Stuart-SmithReflecting a 'silver age' of literature, art in Spain before the Civil war encompasses the modernist genius of Picasso, Juan Gris and Miró; the surrealism of Dalí and the late Impressionism of Joaquín Sorolla.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £179.00 - Ways into advanced art history: beauty & formCourse start date: Wed 1 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayDevelop a greater understanding of art history and how to analyse the cultural meaning of an artwork by going in-depth with the ideas of prominent art historians. This course explores the complex links between art and beauty, quality and cultural value by reading the work art historians and analysing ‘beautiful’ artworks from the ancient to the present day.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Feminism in modern and contemporary artCourse start date: Fri 3 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Irina ChkhaidzeDiscover important modern and contemporary artists whose work can be broadly linked to the feminist project. We will discuss the political and social contexts in which the artworks were created.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Friday lates: mystic modernism - modern art and spiritualityCourse start date: Fri 3 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Chantal CondronArt has long been inspired by themes, ideas and concepts of spirituality and magic. With the dawn of industry and technology in the modern age, what motivated artists to continue their pursuit of spiritual worlds? Why have these ideas remained so compelling to contemporary artists? On this engaging evening of art, magic and myth, explore work by selected artists from the early 1900s to the present day.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 - Art in medieval EnglandCourse start date: Tue 7 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Richard PlantThis course will explore the painting, sculpture and especially architecture of Medieval England Focussing mainly on the period following the Norman Conquest, we will discuss the developments in architecture in England and works of sculpture and painting.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Friday lates: the art of zinesCourse start date: Fri 10 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierUnderground passions and radical imagery have defined so-called fanzines for over 80 years. From the earliest examples to today, we explore their content, technique and the relation of DIY culture to wider artistic practices.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 - Friday lates: to dare or be reckless? Dangerous performances in contemporary artCourse start date: Fri 17 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Francesca CavalloExplore some of the most daring feats of performance art since the 1960s and reflect on how they have impacted their publics.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
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