Ancient & Medieval World
Art History Courses Online & In London
From ancient Rome to Medieval Iran, mythology to manuscripts: learn about the vibrant art and ideas of the ancient and Medieval world in our online, classroom and gallery-based courses.
Online, classroom-based and gallery-based art history courses
Many of our courses are also offered online, giving you the freedom to study from anywhere you need to be. We also offer our classes in-person at our Central London location and at many galleries and museums in and around London. Use the Location filters on this page to choose your preferred delivery method. See our guide to online learning for more information about our live online courses.
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.
13 courses available
Stories of the Western Sahara: art and cultural history, 8th-16th centuriesIn this course we shall explore the Medieval history of the Sahara and the Sahel, looking at the rise of the Gold Kingdoms, Trans-Saharan trade, cultural synergy, and spread of Islam into the region.
Online
Tue 6 Oct 2026Anita ChowdryFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00- Study day: The art of the Qur’an
An intensive study day on the development of the Qur’an as a book and the role of patronage at important centres of production. We also look at the evolution of Arabic calligraphy, layout, and illumination; with a survey of evolving styles, the impact on secular book design, and the methods and materials of making.
Keeley Street
Sun 11 Oct 2026Anita ChowdryFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Origins of the Italian Renaissance: the PrimitiviDiscover the history, politics and intellectualism that fuelled the Italian Renaissance. Explore the art of Giotto and his peers from a new perspective.
Online
Thu 29 Oct 2026Simone ChisenaFull fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £136.00 - Friday lates: Rome - ‘from Clay to Marble’, the propaganda of Emperor Augustus
Learn how emperor Augustus harnessed the power of images to propel his vision for Rome and its empire.
Online
Fri 20 Nov 2026Simone ChisenaFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00 - An introduction to Greek vases
Greek vases offer a unique window into the daily life and culture of ancient Greek society, forming invaluable sources of information about the ancient world that is unavailable elsewhere. These vases are often very beautifully decorated and many have survived, mainly in tombs and burials. The fascinating techniques employed to craft these ceramics also makes this a fascinating topic to study.
Keeley Street
Fri 8 Jan 2027Elizabeth EyresFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Icons and iconography of the Byzantine WorldExplore the imagery and significance of the sacred icon, from its classical origins and formulation within the Eastern church, its many interpretations within and beyond the Byzantine world, from the 4th century to the present day.
Keeley Street
Mon 18 Jan 2027Helen DejeanFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Gothic architecture: 1140-1400
Discover the many facets of Gothic architecture, its philosophy and the multitude of its incarnations, from luminous cathedrals to grandiose public palaces and towering fortresses.
Online
Thu 4 Feb 2027Simone ChisenaFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - To the Holy Mountain: Treasures of SinaiFor medieval pilgrims, visiting St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a powerful spiritual experience. Today, although an established tourist destination, the modern encounter with the sacred arts of the famous Monastery and ‘God-Trodden Mountain’ is often curtailed by time and limited access. This course aims to explain its many treasures and biblical loca sancta in relation to medieval and modern pilgrimage.
Keeley Street
Mon 12 Apr 2027Helen DejeanFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Art in medieval Italy: the Kingdom of Lombardy and its impactDiscover the rich artistic heritage of the first Kings of Italy, the tenacious warriors who first rule the country.
Online
Thu 15 Apr 2027Simone ChisenaFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - Art across the medieval world
This two-week course explores pre-modern paintings and works of art before the ‘era of art’ in three London collections. Week one focuses on late medieval Italian panel paintings (c.1260-1370) at the National Gallery (Sainsbury Wing) and the Courtauld Gallery. The following week examines Byzantine objects in relation to selected medieval European and Islamic works of art at the V&A.
Off Site
Thu 6 May 2027Helen DejeanFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - The world in black and red: painting in ancient GreeceDelve deep in the world of Ancient Greek pottery and explore its vivid representations of gods, heroes and mythical past.
Online
Thu 20 May 2027Simone ChisenaFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - Friday lates: Painted love – homosexuality in Ancient Greek vase paintingDiscover the ways in which homoeroticism found its way onto Ancient Greek vases and how its depiction flourished in the ancient world.
Online
Fri 25 Jun 2027Simone ChisenaFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00 - Crossing the divide: visual cultures of the Crusader Holy Lands
This course explores the main themes and intercultural aspects of ‘Crusader Art’. This fluid term denotes the extraordinary range of works of art and architecture produced in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem c. 1099-1291 by Muslim and Christian Latin or Byzantine artists for a multicultural clientele in the Holy Land. The influence of the booty of the 1204 Fourth Crusade will also be considered.
Keeley Street
Mon 5 Oct 2026Helen DejeanFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
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