Art history

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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Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

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  1. London's smaller galleries: Leighton House
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Mon 27 Mar 2023

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Julie Barlow
    A Palace of Art built for the Olympian Giant of the Victorian art world but also a place to live and work. This short course provides a fascinating exploration of Leighton’s world.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  2. Art history taster
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 27 Mar 2023 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online (other locations are available)

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Curious 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
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  3. Lunchtime lecture: Botticelli's nature - vernal roses and frothing seas
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 24 Apr 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Explore the nature and environment within and beyond Botticelli's most iconic paintings, La Primavera and The Birth of Venus. Learn how closely the artist studied nature and what it can teach about the changing climate we live in today.



    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 £8.00 Concession £7.00
  4. In depth: German art and the Weimar Republic 1918-1933
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Focusing on the vibrant culture of the Weimar Republic, this course looks at the artists and artistic movements that emerged in Germany between two world wars.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  5. The Neo Avant-Garde: art movements from 1950 to now
    Evening, ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Christopher Collier
    Explore art and culture in the late 20th century, focusing on the major developments and movements in art including Neo-Dada and Pop art, conceptual and performance, installation and Postmodernism, and their relationship to wider cultural contexts.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00
  6. Lunchtime lecture: drawing on nature - early modern women, textiles and plants
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 22 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Discover the extraordinary connection of botanical drawing and textile design by exploring the work of some of early modern Europe's most successful women artists: Maria Sibylla Merian, Isabella Parasole and Giovanna Garzoni.



    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 £8.00 Concession £7.00
  7. Art and society in the early modern Netherlands
    Course start date:  Mon 5 Jun 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Thomas Balfe
    This course focuses on Flemish and Dutch (Netherlandish) art of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The course will examine well-known artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the role of artworks and visual images in the formation of religious, class, gender and national identities, in early science, and in cultures of collecting.
    Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00
  8. Lunchtime lecture: Los Angeles landscapes - the art of Ed Ruscha
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 19 Jun 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Discover the light and life of Los Angeles through the work of Ed Ruscha. We consider how Ruscha's works on Los Angeles provide us with ways to explore our relationship to nature, the natural and unnatural.



    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 £8.00 Concession £7.00

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