Introductory & General Art History Courses

Enjoy an introductory sample of Art History and develop some basic skills in formal and content analysis, material studies, and discussion of determinative factors such as patronage and politics.

Explore with this course a theme rarely studied for itself: artefacts and artworks created by people from indigenous communities and nations. You will learn about the artistic traditions of Native American peoples, the Sámi, Aboriginal Australians, and more. We will discuss the styles, and techniques, as well as narratives that are expressed in these objects.

Caravaggio’s reputation as an artist was for many years tainted by his criminal record, but for his contemporaries he was an influential innovator. We’ll explore his life, the development of his style and the events that tainted his reputation.

Explore the art of William Blake from a political perspective, looking at his social and cultural context as a working-class artist working in a rapidly changing world.

An introduction to studying art history, inviting you to get close to works of art and learn how to improve your visual and analytical skills.

Discover some of the dramatic and life changing events in Westminster history through a series of National Portrait Gallery portraits ranging from Hans’s Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII for Whitehall Palace to a more recent addition to the collection, a controversial portrait of suffragette Christabel Pankhurst by Ethel Wrigth. Many of the artists were Westminster based and if the sitters were not, their influence helped to change government policies.

Glimpse into the visual culture that surrounded one of Europe's most infamous queens, Marie Antoinette. This lecture will look at the art commissioned by the Queen as well as the art and propaganda that was used to vilify her. We'll complicate her history by examining that art that surrounded her.

Do you enjoy looking at art but want to understand it more deeply? This introduction to art history course will help you build confidence in interpreting art by exploring topics such as beauty, the role of the artist, gender, the art market, and global art history—giving you fresh insight into what you see in galleries and museums.