Early modern world
Art History Courses Online & In London

Explore early collecting practices of the Renaissance studiolo. See the different objects collected from illuminated books, antique coins and gems to bronze medals by Pisanello and paintings by Giotto, Bellini and Jan van Eyck. Looking at early collections including those of Piero and Lorenzo de’ Medici and Isabella d’Este, trace how objects were displayed and used in the studiolo.

Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.

Explore the life and work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the sculptor, architect and designer who defined the visual language of the Baroque and helped transform Rome into a theatrical city of art, faith and power. This session examines his major works, artistic innovations and legacy within the cultural and political context of seventeenth-century Rome, also in light of the recent exhibition Bernini e i Barberini at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome.

A course examining the foundations of Islamic visual culture under the Early Umayyad and ‘Abbassid Caliphates, and the formative influences that went into development of Islamic architecture and decorative arts.

This course will take the case study of four statues of David produced in Florence during the Renaissance by Donatello, Verrocchio and Michelangelo, to chart the developments in sculpture at this time.

Discover Michelangelo’s 'genius' across sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry. This course traces his artistic journey within the dynamic world of 16th century Italy from the High Renaissance to Mannerism. It explores his encounters with contemporaries like Leonardo and Raphael, and examines how Vasari and Condivi’s biographies shaped his enduring reputation as Il Divino.

In the period 1700-1850, figures such as William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and J. M. W. Turner emerged as leading figures in a newly ascendent British art tradition. This course explores British art of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century through key themes, including celebrity, satire, exploration, science, and social and industrial revolution.

In this study-day, explore the rich history of portrait miniatures, from the jewel-like works of Hilliard to 18th and 19th century innovations. This study day examines key artists, techniques, and the miniature’s role in love, memory, and identity. It will also include an in-depth look at the role women artists had in shaping this genre.

Learn how women in early modern Italy defied societal constraints to shape art and culture. Explore how female patrons, collectors and artists challenged gender norms, influenced the portrayal of women in visual art and developed new artistic identities. Discover how their contributions helped foster proto-feminist perspectives and redefined women’s roles in the art world.