History of Art (with Foundation Year)

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Global Art in Oxford

  In this module, you’ll gain the core skills you need to succeed in your Art History degree. You’ll develop visual analysis skills, as you look at special art collections in Oxford and the Oxford area. You’ll consider:

  • the training and status of artists in society
  • the conditions they worked in
  • The uses of art
  • The market for art
  • The materials and techniques used in art

  You’ll also investigate how people received art in different times and places. You’ll analyse artworks from across the globe first-hand, giving you an expert understanding of them; developing your skills at working in the field. You’ll also develop strong research skills, increasing your chances of success in your degree, as you learn how to find and apply relevant resources.

• Museums and Society

  How and why do we present works of art to the public? In this module, you’ll explore the role of museums, art galleries and exhibitions in shaping how people produced, displayed and received works of art from the mid eighteenth century to today. You’ll understand how museums and galleries create contact between artworks and the public who view them. You’ll consider how these spaces are affected by historical factors. And you’ll come to see them as much more than neutral containers for artworks.

• Making and Meaning in Architecture

  In this module, you’ll gain an understanding of architectural history by examining buildings. You’ll gain the basic tools and terms needed for the historical analysis of buildings, via in-class sessions and visits to buildings in Oxford. You’ll focus on the styles, materials and functions of the buildings themselves. You’ll also explore the social and political contexts which produced them. 

  This module complements Making and Meaning in Art and Global Art in Oxford by offering an introduction to art historical study. It will also help you to build the skills essential for future modules, in particular those with an architectural component.

• Reading Art History

  In this module, you’ll develop your ability to be a reflective and critical reader of the kinds of writings you’ll encounter during your History of Art degree. You’ll dig into the key concepts and approaches in writing about art, from the sixteenth century to today. You’ll gain core evaluative skills as you look at texts which are shaped by these approaches. You’ll also gain valuable skills and knowledge of how to read critically and how to recognise differences of methods in art history writing.

• Making and Meaning in Art

  In this module, you’ll gain the tools you need to analyse art and its history. You’ll explore a fascinating range of paintings and sculptures, from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. You’ll gain key skills as you examine these works of art and use them to investigate core themes and issues in art history.

Optional modules

• Modern British Art

  In this module, you’ll dive into art and artists through the century. You’ll explore the Camden Town Group of painters. You’ll examine the abstract sculptures of Barbara Hepworth. And you’ll analyse the collages of Pop artists like Peter Blake. You’ll scrutinise paintings, sculptures and films. You’ll discuss how British artists tried to create modern forms of expression. And you’ll  investigate the ways they promoted their work, like:

  • exhibitions
  • manifestos
  • books
  • little magazines

  You’ll participate in on-site visits, where you’ll examine works of art firsthand. You’ll also attend exciting lectures and seminars where you’ll explore your ideas and enrich your understanding of modern British art.

• Art and the Environment

  You'll gain understanding of the intersections and interactions between art and the environment. You will investigate examples from across the centuries and around the globe. 

  You will become adept and familiar with approaches to representing the environment. The use of the natural world as material for artistic expression. And the role of art and architecture in improving and promoting environmental care. You will develop a critical appreciation of the art as an aspect of politico-social change.

• The Faiths of the West

  How have religious groups shaped the West, from the ancient to the modern world? How do different religious groups interact with each other? In this module, you’ll explore:

  • different religious groups and doctrines
  • religious art
  • religion in everyday life

  We’ll mainly focus on Christianity, but also on the role of other faiths, such as Judaism and Islam.

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Themes in European Art 1450-1700: The Italian Renaissance in Global Perspective

  In this module we will engage critically with traditional readings of the Italian Renaissance and more recent approaches to this extraordinary period of artistic creativity. Alongside great altarpieces and fresco cycles by famed artists such as Leonardo and Titian we will analyse works created by women, cheap paintings made for ordinary consumers by anonymous artisans, household goods, and simple objects imbued with intense spiritual power. The seismic religious changes of the period will be analysed. So too will the major significance of new maritime routes that connected Europe with Africa, Asia and the Americas. We will consider the profound impact of knowledge of the wider world, and interactions with people of different faiths and ethnicities, on the visual and material culture of the Renaissance. 

  This module option is part of our compulsory Themes in European Art 1450-1700 module. This particular module option is subject to availability in any given year.

• Themes in Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century European Art

  In this module you’ll examine European Art during a period of transformative change. You’ll consider the sweeping political and social movements of the time - and their impact on art. You’ll explore the British Empire, the French Revolution and the drive for European political reform. You’ll learn about the rise of artistic exhibitions and the beginnings of the print trade. You’ll consider the emergence of a ‘public’ for art and the birth of art criticism. And you’ll examine a range of genres, from portraiture and tomb sculpture to comic art.

• Themes in Modern Art

  How did the First World War transform European culture? How did artists, architects and designers embrace new technologies, materials and new ways of thinking? And how did changing views on gender and sexuality influence art and architecture? In this module you’ll examine how emerging modernist culture was expressed. You’ll look at forms like paintings, buildings, magazines, film and exhibitions. And you’ll study artists like Charlotte Perriand, Varvara Setpanova, Wells Coates and Marcel Breuer.

• Field Work in Art History: Paris

  In this module, you’ll be spending a week in Paris, one of the world’s most famous cities for art. You’ll gain core analytical skills and fresh insights for your History of Art degree. You’ll explore the city’s rich range of architecture, and its renowned galleries, museums and temporary exhibitions. You’ll benefit from the input of expert staff on guided visits, while having the freedom to explore sites and galleries independently, absorbing the city’s extraordinary paintings, sculptures and buildings. 

  This field work trip ordinarily runs in Paris. It is possible that circumstances may arise in any given year that could change the destination of the field work trip.

Optional modules

• Themes in Architecture through Oxford Buildings

  In this module, you’ll explore Oxford’s famous buildings first-hand. You’ll gain valuable analytical skills for studying the History of Art, as you explore the buildings in their social, environmental and architectural contexts. You’ll benefit from studying buildings directly, and visiting their sites. You’ll visit a diverse range of buildings in Oxford, from the renowned Oxford colleges to the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre. 

• Independent Study in History of Art

  This module gives you the chance to do independent study on a topic that fascinates you. You’ll have the support of our expert History of Art staff, while having the freedom to design your own topic alone or in a small group. Whether you’re responding to a current art exhibition, or a pressing issue in art history and criticism, you’ll shape your project around your passions and gain key research skills for your future career. 

• Working with Art History

  This module offers you the opportunity to apply and practise your art historical skills within a professional and practical context.  You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement or work-related project and to evaluate and reflect critically upon this experience.  

Optional Placement Year

Optional modules

• Year Abroad

  This module offers the opportunity to study abroad, experience a new culture, and apply your skills in different contexts to enhance your employability. It will help you develop self-management, cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal skills.
  
  You’ll receive support to secure a place at a partner institution abroad, where you can choose modules related to your degree or explore new areas that complement your studies.
  
  Studying at an international university will help you enhance your interpersonal skills through cross-cultural communication with students and tutors, allowing you to build lasting relationships. You'll also improve your study skills by focusing on your chosen areas of interest, gaining valuable international experience that will strengthen your CV.

  This year abroad module lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of study, once you’ve completed all your level 5 studies. Your year abroad is not credit-bearing.
   

Final Year

Compulsory modules

• Approaches to History of Art

  This module focuses on different approaches and methodologies that have been applied to the study of visual culture. Topics covered may include: biography, gender, queer theory, decolonisation, affect theory and material culture studies. Students will be introduced to some new methodologies, and are encouraged to reflect on occasions when they have previously encountered methodological approaches on the course.

• History of Art Dissertation

  In this module, you’ll have the chance to do independent research on a topic that fascinates you. You’ll have the support of our expert academics who guide you as you carry out research on your chosen topic. You’ll gain key skills for your chosen career, as you gain expertise in your topic and express the knowledge you’ve gained throughout your degree. 

• Communications and Art

  This module in your final semester teaches you about the wide range of non-specialist applications of the art historical skills and knowledge you will have developed up to this point.  It is focussed on a range of engagement applications that put art history into the public domain.  You will study ways that professionals in the commercial and non-profit sectors communicate about art and its history to audiences outside academia or the museum sectors.  It will introduce you to the wide variety of ways in which you might apply your skills and knowledge of art history.

Optional modules

• Curatorial Practice

  Do you dream of curating your own exhibition? Do you want to explore career options you didn’t know existed? In this module, you’ll gain direct and expert experience in curating displays and exhibitions of historic and contemporary art. You’ll learn the core issues in curating exhibitions, and explore themes such as: 

  • theories of curating
  • curating contemporary art
  • curating historic exhibitions.

  You’ll also look at the practical side of curation, including: 

  • proposals
  • loans
  • funding
  • displays
  • lighting
  • layout
  • catalogues
  • interpretation.

• Advanced Independent Study in History of Art

  This module gives you the opportunity to conduct an advanced level exploration of a subject not directly covered by the History of Art syllabus. In doing so, you’ll develop skills in independent research and analysis. 

  You might choose to explore a response to a current exhibition, or investigate an issue in the field of art history or criticism. Alternatively, you might select a specialist topic related to another module, or connected to ongoing staff research. The topic will be a substantial one and you will design and carry out your study under the guidance and supervision of one or more members of the History of Art staff.

• Advanced Seminar 2: The Art of Death

  How is art involved in death? What is art’s role in rites of passage like mourning, burial and commemoration? In this module, you’ll explore the changing practices, beliefs and attitudes toward death - across cultures and centuries. You’ll investigate the Roman way of death. You’ll examine death in the Middle Ages, including the sumptuous Medieval chantry chapels. And you’ll learn how the Reformation drove sweeping changes in attitudes toward death across Europe. You’ll also consider specialist topics like commemoration, and the art of anatomy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

  This module is subject to availability in any given year.

• Advanced Seminar 2: Gender, Sexuality and the Renaissance Body: 1450-1600

  What was the role of art in shaping early modern understandings of what it meant to be a man or a woman? How were ideals of masculinity and femininity visually constructed and policed? Was same-sex desire celebrated in imagery? These are some of the questions that this course addresses, taking account of scholarship in queer theory, feminist history, masculinity studies, the history of science and material culture studies. Visual sources are at the heart of our exploration of topics as diverse as early modern hermaphrodites and sex-changes, child-rearing, and the contested relationship between religious feeling and desire. The course offers the opportunity to reflect on the significance of this material to modern-day debates on gender, race and sexuality. 

  This module is subject to availability in any given year.

• Advanced Seminar 1: Victorian Art and Design

  This module explores the art and design of the Victorian Period (1837–1901) with a focus on the Pre-Raphaelites, the Aesthetic movement, and the Arts and Crafts movement. In each of these movements, artists experimented with a wide range of media, developing diverse ways of introducing art into public spaces and objects of daily use. They drew inspiration from past traditions and wrestled with questions about the politics and morality of beauty. Over the course of the semester, we look at paintings, prints, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, architecture and interiors. The course will include local field trips to the Ashmolean Museum and Oxford University Museum of Natural History as well as field trips to London and/or Birmingham.

  This module is subject to availability in any given year.