Architecture, Design & Material Culture
Art History Courses Online & In London
Delve into the history of architecture and design with City Lit. From fashion to Medieval churches, from ceramics to jewellery, we explore the social and cultural lives of objects designed and dwelled in. Join us online, in the classroom, in galleries or in actual architecture out and about in London.
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.
- Homes, houses and art in Britain 1900-1960
Course start date: Tue 24 Feb 2026Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Emma Rose BarberKnock on the door of artists’ houses and studios from 1900-1960 to experience exciting and visually dazzling spaces created over the course of their careers. At a time when artists were beginning to forge their own brave new visual worlds, this course considers what the homes might tell us about the artists and how they wanted their homes to be seen.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - An introduction to the history of architecture Course start date: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresArchitecture is the one art form that we cannot avoid even if we try. It shapes our environment and the way we live our lives, so understanding why buildings look the way they do is a vital part of understanding the world around us. This introductory course will enable you to do just that by examining the development of architectural styles from Ancient Greece to the present day.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - London architecture: post-modernism Course start date: Sat 25 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersLondon’s recent building boom has foregrounded discussions about architectural style, but postmodernism has been practiced in the capital for more than forty years. This course will look at the style’s variety through key examples.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - London architecture: Renaissance, Baroque and Palladian Course start date: Sat 6 Jun 2026
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 £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Homes, houses and art in Europe: 1900-1960 Course start date: Tue 9 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Emma Rose BarberKnock on the door of artists’ houses and studios from 1900-1960 to experience exciting and visually dazzling spaces created over the course of their careers. At a time when artists were beginning to forge their own brave new visual worlds, this course considers what the homes might tell us about the artists and how they wanted their homes to be seen. This is the second part of a series on Homes and Houses; it can also be taken without having done the previous course.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - London architecture: Victorian era Course start date: Sat 20 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersEclecticism defines 19th-century architecture. This course will look at key styles including neo-classical, gothic revival, early modernism and those rooted in design reforms, such as the arts and crafts movement.
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - London's hidden art and architecture Course start date: Tue 21 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowUncover a whole new side of London, from Roman times to the present day through a series of walks and visits to art galleries and historic sites.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
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