Ways into art history
Time: 13:30 - 15:30
Location: Online
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
This course has now started
- Course Code: VB966
- Dates: 07/01/25 - 04/03/25
- Time: 13:30 - 15:30
- Taught: Tue, Daytime
- Duration: 8 sessions (over 9 weeks)
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Emma Rose Barber
Course Code: VB966
Duration: 8 sessions (over 9 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
We tend to look at art and know what we like or dislike. But we might also wonder why our preferences are the way they are. This course seeks to develop your confidence in exploring works of art in depth, so that you can explain in analytical (and impressive) ways what exactly a work of art does to communicate to an audience. From illuminated manuscripts to baffling buildings, from portraits to landscapes, to jars and tiles and carvings, we shall look at a wide range of works, taking in technique, process, intended meaning and audience and iconography.
We will cover architects such as Inigo Jones, artists like Samuel Palmer, Adam Elsheimer, Lavinia Fontana, Jacopo Pontormo, Picasso and Turner, artists known and undeservedly un-known. We will also consider art historical styles and terms, see how critics write about art and have some fun de-coding signs and symbols.
The course will not be chronological, but we will cover many regions and many periods (both east and west, south and north) and we will ask lots of questions. We will also have some fun learning to talk about art in a relaxed and fun space.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone can be used if you don't have a computer but please note the experience may be less optimal.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
• The development of styles and their place in the history of art and architecture
• Patronage and the working practices of artists and crafts’ practitioners
• The process of art making, techniques, how to paint a subject matter and how the artist communicates to an audience.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Feel confident in talking about works of art, applying general and art historical vocabulary
• Identify in broad terms some of the defining key styles of western art
• Understand how works of art can convey particular meanings and help us understand art and ourselves today in a fast changing world
• Make comparisons between works of art and art from particular regions and countries.
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. You should be able to operate the basic elements of Zoom, including camera and microphone.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download via the college’s Google Classroom. You will be sent an invitation to join the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Introduction to art history: methods and techniques
Introduction to art history
Modern art: movements from 1850-1900
Understanding contemporary art: ideas and origins.
Emma Rose Barber is an art historian who has been teaching adults for over 25 years. She specialises in the visual culture of the Middle Ages and the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She has also taught classes on British art and has designed many different courses such as Last Suppers in Florence and Bosch, Breughel and the Surrealists. She has also given lectures on Women and Art. She used to run the history of art department at the British Institute in Florence and works for many institutions such as the Open University, Morley College and the department of continuing education at the University of Oxford. Her book – 111 Churches that you Shouldn’t Miss in London - is coming out in the autumn of 2020. She has spent the last five years with a Mini A-Z looking for churches to write about, many of which can be found on her blog – https://theitinerantchurchgoer.wordpress.com/. She is also writing a Cultural History of Wayfaring and writes articles for Selvedge Magazine.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.