Introduction to art history

What is the course about?

This course offers an introduction to the rich tradition of art making in the West from antiquity up to the present day. We will study a series of important moments in that history, exploring the factors that shaped the making and appreciation of art in particular places at particular times. We will explore, not only the meaning of artworks, but also the challenges and possibilities that artists faced when working creatively with their materials. We will also look at how visual images gradually took on an expanded range of functions, and how the status of the artist changed over time. As well as studying artworks themselves, we will look at the forms of biographical and critical writing that eventually gave rise to the modern discipline of Art History.

Topics we will cover include classical Greek sculpture, early Christian art and architecture, Renaissance and Baroque traditions, the new forms of painting that came to the fore in nineteenth-century France and Britain, and twentieth-century abstraction and conceptual art.

What will we cover?

• We will discuss different ways of interpreting and understanding artworks, in relation to factors such as historical context, the artist’s intention, and the object’s formal traits.
• We will look at how the function and value of artworks has changed over time.
• We will study some of the major examples of biographical, critical and art historical writing relating to the artistic traditions examined in the course.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Discuss some of the different approaches to interpreting artworks, giving 2 examples.
• Describe 3 ways in which the function and value of artworks has changed over time.
• Identify 2 authors whose writings have played an important role in shaping how artworks and artistic work have been understood.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for all levels.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught with lecture, slide presentations, and group discussions of short readings and resources. In addition to time in the City Lit classroom, this course uses a Google Classroom to share course documents. You will be sent an invitation to join the Google Classroom within a week of the start of this course.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You might wish to bring a notebook. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list given out in class..

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Introduction to Tate Modern
A history of art in 100 objects
Ways into Islamic Art
Focus on: iconography.