Art Galleries, Collecting & Curating
Art History Courses Online & In London
Study works of art in a gallery or museum setting and explore how the meaning of art is impacted by exhibition and curation. Our courses in galleries, on collecting and curating will get you to think about how collecting and display structure your experience of art. Join us online, in the classroom, in the gallery or out and about in London.
Classroom-based and gallery-based art history courses
We 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.
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.
29 courses available
Landscape architecture in the contemporary world (1990-now)Our cities and green spaces are being reimagined to tackle climate change and bring communities together. This course explores how international landscape architects and artists are transforming urban areas, creating parks, restoring wetlands and building greener neighbourhoods that work for both people and nature. From designing urban parks that absorb rainwater and prevent flooding, to restoring wetlands that shelter wildlife and cool city streets, smart design can make a real difference in building resilient futures.
Keeley Street
Sat 24 Oct 2026Xinrui ZhangFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00- The art of collecting art: questions of taste
How our public collections evolve and expand and how they present and represent their collections is fascinating and provides a window into the worlds of private collecting, ideas about taste and how cultural and societal forces affect these ideas. Visiting different galleries and art venues each week this course explores the roles played by patrons, art dealers, curators and art critics across time in shaping our ideas about art.
Off Site
Fri 8 Jan 2027Julie BarlowFull fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - National GalleryDiscuss a differently themed group of paintings each week in front of the pictures. An opportunity to understand our national collection in greater depth.Full fee £289.00 Senior fee £231.00 Concession £188.00
- Introduction to the Wallace CollectionEach 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.
Off Site
Wed 13 Jan 2027Julie BarlowFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - London's smaller galleries: Leighton HouseA Palace of Art built for the Olympian Giant of the Victorian art world but also a place to live and work. This short course provides a fascinating exploration of Leighton’s world.
Off Site
Mon 25 Jan 2027Julie BarlowFull fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00 - Islamic art at the V&A
Take a Sunday morning to explore the Victoria and Albert Museum’s impressive Islamic galleries and learn the stories behind one of the world’s great collections of Islamic art.
Off Site
Sun 7 Feb 2027Anita ChowdryFull fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00 - Pioneering women at the National Portrait GalleryMeet some of history's most inspiring women, not only well-known pioneers but also women over the past five hundred years whose stories have been forgotten. Discover and celebrate their achievements.
Off Site
Mon 8 Feb 2027Julie BarlowFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Looking at contemporary artExplore 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.
Off Site
Fri 12 Feb 2027Chantal CondronFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Making the Renaissance at the V&A: fabrics and fabrications
Discover the new techniques and materials that enabled advances in artistic creativity during the Italian Renaissance, in the unrivalled collection of the V&A’s Renaissance galleries.
Off Site
Mon 22 Feb 2027Lydia GoodsonFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - A stroll through British art: 1500-1850On this informal gallery-based course you will explore and discuss the history and characteristics of British art from the 16th century to the mid-19th century. The course will take place offsite at both the National Gallery and Tate Britain.
Off Site
Tue 23 Feb 2027Elizabeth EyresFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - A day at the Tate Britain
Spend a day at Tate Britain to discover (or re-discover) a selection of works from the permanent collection. We’ll explore a range of historical to contemporary artworks to discuss how the story of art in Britain is reflected in the gallery. This course is gallery based.
Off Site
Tue 23 Feb 2027Chantal CondronFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - The Courtauld: an introductionThe Courtauld collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts, ranging from the medieval period to the present day. This two-part course is an opportunity to explore an outstanding collection which includes one of the richest holdings of early Italian art in Britain alongside Impressionist and Post-Impressionist gems such as Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
Off Site
Fri 12 Mar 2027Julie BarlowFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - A day at the National GallerySpend a fascinating and enjoyable day at the National Gallery exploring a range of galleries. We shall be looking at the collection with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the art produced in different periods, countries and movements, as well as themes such as genres and iconography (decoding symbols).Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00
- Textiles at the V&AThis session takes place in the V&A’s remarkable collection. It can be taken as a stand-alone visit (no previous knowledge required, all welcome) or a final lesson for the seven-week online course VB699 Textiles: An International History. You will see a wide range of woven, printed and embroidered cloth from around the globe and explore the roles these have played in the world’s material culture.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00
- Introduction to Tate BritainEach week, we'll explore a different aspect of the permanent collection at Tate Britain, looking at artworks from the 16th to the 21st centuries. This course is gallery based.
Off Site
Thu 15 Apr 2027Chantal CondronFull fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00
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