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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- Colour in medieval art
Course start date: Fri 6 Oct 2023Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Andreas PetzoldColour is an all pervasive and fundamental aspect of medieval art, but one that is largely neglected in art historical studies.This course looks at some of the main themes relating to colour such as symbolism, materials, theory and key developments.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - Contemporary art in London Course start date: Fri 6 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Chantal CondronExplore 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 £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - London architecture: Renaissance, Baroque and Palladian Course start date: Sat 7 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersFrom the beginnings of Renaissance architecture in Britain, through the Baroque to Palladianism - study key architects including Jones, Wren, Hawksmoor, and Burlington, looking at religious and secular buildings. Includes site visits.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - The art of the Burgundian Netherlands c. 1360-1480 Course start date: Tue 17 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julia MusgraveExplore how the extravagant lifestyle of the Burgundian court provided opportunities for an opulent Burgundian style to be developed and disseminated across Europe in the late middle ages and into the renaissance.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - The mirror of nature: art and culture in the 17th century Course start date: Wed 18 Oct 2023
Location 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 £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - London's smaller art collections Course start date: Tue 31 Oct 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowDiscover some of London’s fascinating smaller art collections and hidden art treasures on this gallery-based art history course.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Art & warCourse start date: Tue 31 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresArt representing issues of war, conflict and revolution is usually either an expression of triumph or loss. But who decides? What is such art for and what can it hope to achieve? Attitudes to war have changed significantly and this course considers responses to conflict in painting, sculpture, photography, performance art and architecture spanning the globe and across different eras.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - Art & money: from starving artists and forgers to merchants and collectorsCourse start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover the intricacies of the art world and an artist’s support system. Explore the systems artists work within to establish support for their art.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - European architecture in the Middle Ages 800-1500 Course start date: Tue 7 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Richard PlantExplore the development of architecture in Europe from the Carolingian period to the end of the middle ages and study the major monuments – cathedrals, parish churches and castles of the age. - Still life in the history of art: opulence and fragility Course start date: Wed 8 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresStill-life paintings usually represent ordinary things, often small and arranged on an indoor surface, without human presence. Long regarded in western art as the lowliest subject or “genre”, one that only required technical skill rather than imagination, still lifes are now considered some of the most charming and best loved paintings and can contain intriguing meanings that repay close study.
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 - The art of the French RenaissanceCourse start date: Tue 21 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julia MusgraveWhat makes the art of the renaissance in France so fantastical and fanciful? How much does it owe to Italian artists? Where can you see examples and why does so little survive? Discover the story of the rise and fall of the French renaissance.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - A history of colour in European art Course start date: Thu 11 Jan 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andreas PetzoldColour is one of the most pervasive elements in art but one that is rarely the subject of art historical discussion. We explore the part colour played in artistic developments, technical skill and material, as well as colour theory.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Art in Britain 1950-2000 – 'This is Tomorrow' (part 2) Course start date: Thu 11 Jan 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronDiscover the work of selected British artists whose innovative practice shaped the development of modern art in Britain from the 1950s to 2000. Explore how and why the ideas and themes behind their work continue to be relevant to today’s audiences. - Introduction to the Wallace Collection Course start date: Tue 19 Sep 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowEach week, we'll explore a different aspect of the Wallace Collection looking at its fine and decorative art objects, including paintings, furniture, porcelain and even arms and armour.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £71.00 - Women in art 1800-1900
Course start date: Tue 16 Jan 2024Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresDuring the 19th century female painters and sculptors gained greater prominence, although a career in art was still challenging for women artists. In this course we examine their work and how such progress was achieved.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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