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.
- Looking at paintings
Course start date: Tue 29 Sep 2026Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julia MusgraveLook at masterpieces in major London galleries in this introduction to European painting. Explore different painting techniques and genres (landscape, portrait and history painting) for a basic understanding and increased enjoyment of Western art.Full fee £289.00 Senior fee £231.00 Concession £188.00 - The history of Western art in 100 paintings Course start date: Thu 1 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julia MusgraveA chronological introduction to Western art from c.1250 to the present day, taught by looking at artworks in London’s galleries, and related materials.Full fee £749.00 Senior fee £599.00 Concession £487.00 - Ways into art history: understanding painting Course start date: Thu 1 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresThis course will provide you with a visual toolkit that will enable you to understand and analyse the appearance of paintings. You will explore their formal qualities, in other words the things that make paintings look the way they do. You will discover how an artist gets from a blank canvas, wood panel, sheet of paper to a finished artwork, and the visual decisions that have to be made along the way.
Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Ways into art history: a study day Course start date: Sat 7 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersEnjoy 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.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - A history of photography: the first 150 years Course start date: Wed 11 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore the first 150 years of photography, an art form that has changed our perception of the world. Learn about key artists, movements and theorists that have defined its history and shaped our contemporary reality.
Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Study day: master drawings from Michelangelo to Cezanne, a hidden art history Course start date: Sun 15 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Bryony Bartlett-RawlingsUncover 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.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Symbols and stories: saints in art Course start date: Thu 7 May 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresSaints 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.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
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