Introductory & General Art History Courses
Our introductory and general art history courses are foundational and designed to give students the skills they need to interpret art across time periods and cultures. These courses are about developing visual literacy, understanding major themes in the history of art and introducing how and why artists make art. Whether you are just starting out in art history or are well-versed in art knowledge, our introductory and general courses will help you develop techniques for visual analysis.
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.
19 courses available
- Art History Festival: In Conversation with Charmaine Watkiss
Join us for a special ‘In Conversation’ event with acclaimed artist and former City Lit student Charmaine Watkiss, who’ll be interviewed by cultural historian Michael Ohajuru in celebration of this year’s Art History Festival. This lecture is part of the 2026 Art History Festival organised by the Association for Art History.
Keeley Street
Fri 9 Oct 2026Full fee £0.00 - The Italian Renaissance: from Giotto to Botticelli
Explore the interaction of ideas, society and visual culture in Renaissance Italy (1300-1480s). Study works by renowned artists such Giotto, Masaccio and Botticelli,. Examine materials, techniques and iconography, and uncover how art expressed religious, mythological and political ideas of the time.
Keeley Street
Thu 5 Nov 2026Elisa StafferiniFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00 
Ways into art history: a study dayEnjoy 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.
Keeley Street
Sat 7 Nov 2026Rachel SandersFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00- Study day: master drawings from Michelangelo to Cezanne, a hidden art history
Uncover hidden histories in art through the universal medium of drawing. Explore drawing’s significant role in shaping art and how artists including Leonardo, Rembrandt and Cezanne have been drawn to its expressive possibilities to make personal studies and autonomous works of art.
Keeley Street
Sun 15 Nov 2026Bryony Bartlett-RawlingsFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Art history tasterCurious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories from the ancient to the contemporary.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
- Study day: Art of the Harlem Renaissance
Explore the art of the Harlem Renaissance from its historical context to its key artists and its impact on 20th century art and culture in the United States.
Keeley Street
Sun 6 Dec 2026Sarah JaffrayFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Women in art: 1800-1900During the 19th century female painters and sculptors gained greater prominence, although a career in art was still challenging for women artists. In this course we examine their work and how such progress was achieved.
Keeley Street
Tue 5 Jan 2027Elizabeth EyresFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Styles in art: from medieval to modernA survey of Western art from the Gothic to the Victorian age, discussing Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Realism, and the ideas shaping each period.
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Leslie PrimoFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - The introduction to art historyArt history is much more than decoding secrets and symbols. It is about critical thinking and empathy, understanding how an artwork reflects an artist’s interpretation of their world, and what it says to you about our world now. This course is designed to build your confidence in understanding visual art of the Western tradition. It is designed for both the absolute beginner and those with some existing art historical knowledge.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
- Artistic traditions of Indigenous peoples
Explore the artefacts and artworks created by people from Indigenous communities and nations in this introductory course. You will learn about the artistic traditions of Native American peoples, the Sámi culture, Aboriginal Australians, and more. We will discuss the styles, and techniques, as well as narratives that are expressed in these objects.
Keeley Street
Thu 25 Feb 2027Caroline LevisseFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Study day: Light in art - representations and symbolism
Light is one of the artist's most powerful tools. With examples taken throughout history, this course explores how artists have used it to shape form, evoke mood, suggest time and place, and communicate ideas, from candlelit scenes to radiant landscapes.
Keeley Street
Sun 28 Feb 2027Caroline LevisseFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Gothic architecture: its origins and ongoing influence
Gothic has proven to be one of the defining architectural styles of Europe. This course will study its 12th century religious origins, its stylistic development and its legacy in the form of Neo-Gothic and the Gothic Revival.
Keeley Street
Sat 13 Mar 2027Rachel SandersFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Women in art: 1900-1960On this course we shall explore and examine the considerable, and significant, contributions of women painters and sculptors to the avant-garde art world during the first half of the 20th century.
Keeley Street
Tue 13 Apr 2027Elizabeth EyresFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Symbols and stories: saints in artSaints are represented in masterpieces of Christian art from 1200 to the present - learn how to recognise them, decode their meanings and iconography and enhance your understanding of this aspect of art history. This course includes a gallery visit.
Keeley Street
Tue 13 Apr 2027Elizabeth EyresFull fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Ways into art history: interpreting iconography
This ten-session course introduces students to the tools and methods of interpreting images in art history. Focusing on both religious and secular subjects, including Christian iconography, classical mythology, and allegory, the course helps students read and understand the symbols, narratives, and meanings embedded in works of art.
Keeley Street
Thu 15 Apr 2027Elisa StafferiniFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00
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