BA (Hons) History of Art (with Foundation Year)

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 consider both western and non-western art. You’ll analyse artworks 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.

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.

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.

What does it mean to think like an art historian, and where can that take you?

Deepen your understanding of art history as a discipline while helping you explore your own motivations, strengths and ambitions. You'll engage with hands-on projects, debates and challenges designed to stretch your thinking and open your eyes to the opportunities available within and beyond your degree.

You'll also be introduced to the wider support, facilities and networks available to you at Oxford Brookes and in Oxford.

A highlight of the module is a tutor-led trip to a major art historical collection, such as the V&A, which feeds directly into your first assessment. Through reflection and experience, you'll build self-belief, resilience and a clearer sense of your own path, developing the attributes, skills and confidence to succeed in your studies and in the world of work beyond.

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.

Explore the study and understanding of Culture and Society by looking at relevant Customs, Icons and Symbols with a particular emphasis on communicative practice of reading and written language in contexts.

How is political opinion, authority and democracy shaped and influenced? In this module, you’ll explore foundational issues in political philosophy through exploring the main political ideologies. You’ll start your journey with Liberalism as the default position in the West since the English, American and French Revolutions. Your focus then shifts to the ideologies that arose in response to Liberalism, including:

• Conservatism
• Communism
• Fascism
• Communitarianism
• Anarchism
• and Feminism.

You’ll also consider questions linked to the theory of knowledge, such as can any ideology be rationally justified?

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your French degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of French, you’ll develop strong skills in French speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in French, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between France and other countries.

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your Spanish degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of Spanish, you’ll develop strong skills in Spanish speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in Spanish, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between Spain and other countries.

How has humanity changed the environment — and how has the environment changed us?

You'll explore six centuries of environmental change through the history of sustainability, conservation and resource use, from the Columbian Exchange of the late fifteenth century to the Great Acceleration of the mid-twentieth. You'll examine how environmental change has been experienced and contested at local, national and global levels, and examine the political, economic, social and cultural forces shaping the consumption of energy, food and natural resources — while also considering what history can teach us about future policy solutions.

You'll also work with diverse historical sources, from demographic and institutional records to maps and plans, and develop practical digital history skills through designing your own digital map of environmental change.

On this module, you'll build your sense of a criminology community through collaborating and planning a criminology newsletter. This will help you take ownership of your criminology studies.

You'll build on the skills and knowledge you gained on Creating Criminology 1, where you will have interacted with guest speakers from careers and with recent alumni. You'll get to use alumni as interviewees for your Criminology newsletter. You'll also engage with discussions for your future after university, and where you can make a positive impact with your Criminology degree.

You'll start an exploration of how educators can support and encourage curiosity and exploration in children, through the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).

You'll focus on understanding and developing teaching methods that can enhance childrens' learning. Incorporating STEAM concepts into each of these areas. You will have the chance to

• investigate
• observe
• and create opportunities for hands-on experiments and problem-based learning.

You'll also join discussions on the challenges and difficulties that may arise when implementing STEAM in different educational settings.

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.

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.

How have religions shaped the West — and how have different faiths shaped each other?

Investigate the role of religion from the ancient world to the present day, asking how beliefs, institutions and religious communities have shaped societies and everyday life. Examine Christianity, Judaism and Islam, alongside witchcraft, paganism and the ways religious beliefs have been practised and contested.

You’ll explore different doctrines and religious groups, consider how faiths have interacted with and influenced one another, and investigate the place of religion in everyday life. You’ll also examine fascism as a form of political religion, questioning how political movements can adopt the beliefs, rituals and symbols traditionally associated with religion.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The aim of this module is to give you an opportunity to carry out a critical examination, through research and extended written work, of a theme or issue relevant to both your subjects as a combined honours student. The topic is selected by you in consultation with staff in History of Art and in your other subject.

If you are taking this module you must also register for the interdisciplinary dissertation in your other field. This module gives you the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills of researching, analysing and communicating developed in the level four, five and six modules in the investigation of a topic of your own choosing. It also allows you to carry out your own exploration of synergies between your two subjects.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The aim of this module is to give you the opportunity to study a specialised topic, and enable you to deepen your understanding of art-historical knowledge and methods.

The topics will be closely related to staff research interests, and will foster a familiarity with current research and a critical awareness of recent scholarship in the area under study. Your research skills, including an evaluative appreciation of source materials and their uses, will be developed.

You have the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills you developed in the first year and second year modules, and at the same time you'll develop your skills further through the concentrated study of a specialised topic.

The aim of this second module is to give you the another opportunity to study a specialised topic, and enable you to deepen your understanding of art-historical knowledge and methods.

The topics will be closely related to staff research interests, and will foster a familiarity with current research and a critical awareness of recent scholarship in the area under study. Your research skills, including an evaluative appreciation of source materials and their uses, will be developed.

You have the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills you developed in the first year and second year modules, and at the same time you'll develop your skills further through the concentrated study of a specialised topic.

The aim of this module is to give you an opportunity to carry out a critical examination, through research and extended written work, of a theme or issue relevant to both your subjects as a combined honours student. The topic is selected by you in consultation with staff in History of Art and in your other subject.

If you are taking this module you must also register for the interdisciplinary dissertation in your other field. This module gives you the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills of researching, analysing and communicating developed in the level four, five and six modules in the investigation of a topic of your own choosing. It also allows you to carry out your own exploration of synergies between your two subjects.