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 long and short 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. Representing nature in early modern Europe
    Course start date:  Wed 14 Jun 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Thomas Balfe
    Explore the links between the visual image and ideas of nature in early modernity (c.1500-1750). At this time, tools like the microscope were visualising nature in new ways, changes were afoot in how humans related to animals, and the environments of Asia and the Americas were becoming more familiar to Europeans. We will focus on how artists and skilled artisans engaged with these subjects.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £109.00
  2. Snapshot Queers: Nan Goldin and Wolfgang Tillmans
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 28 Jun 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Henry Martin
    This course explores how photographers Nan Goldin (b. 1953) and Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968) employ the aesthetic of the snapshot to document queer communities, with a focus on their early careers and unique installation and photographic practices.



    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 £7.00
  3. Art and critical theory: rethinking 'nature'
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 28 Jun 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Irina Chkhaidze
    Explore 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.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00
  4. A culture of luxury: ancient China and modern fantasies
    Course start date:  Wed 28 Jun 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Meitao Qu
    Explore the material culture of imperial China and its influence on modern and contemporary visual cultures.



    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 £15.00 Concession £12.00
  5. Full fee £10.00
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  6. Lunchtime lecture: Berthe Morisot's Impressionist group
    Course start date:  Wed 13 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Look at the work of Berthe Morisot in relation to her peers – her similarities and her difference. Examine how her distinct style developed as part of being an Impressionist.



    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 £7.00
  7. Art and memory
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 20 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Mark Stuart-Smith
    How have artists since 1960 engaged with the recent history and memory of political conflict? What role have artists had in remembering a difficult or traumatic past? What are the connections between memory and national identity in their work?



    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 £149.00 Concession £97.00
    Rating:
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  8. Lunchtime lecture: Vincent van Gogh - London, Paris, and Japan
    Course start date:  Wed 27 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Julia Musgrave
    Follow Vincent van Gogh from London to Paris in the late 19th century and discover the artistic influences and friendships that informed his art.



    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 £7.00
  9. Art and identity: from the High Renaissance to the Reformation
    Course start date:  Wed 4 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    Explore the legendary art and artists of the High Renaissance in Italy and the Netherlands from c. 1490-1540. Consider the role that ‘self-fashioning’ plays in their fame and notoriety through close reading engagement of a combination of images and texts. Please note that the first session of this course will be held online due to rail strikes on 5 October. All subsequent sessions will be held in-person.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  10. Lunchtime lecture: The Other Story – introducing the BLK Art Group
    Course start date:  Wed 11 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Get to know the ground-breaking art and ideas of the BLK Art Group, the early 1980s art and activist community whose work still shapes our conversations about art and culture in the UK 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 £10.00 Concession £7.00
  11. Spanish Art 1900-1937: the age of Picasso, Miró and Dalí
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 1 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Mark Stuart-Smith
    Reflecting 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 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00
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