Overview

The BA (Hons) History of Art explores artworks, visual cultures, and the ideas and societies that shape their production and interpretation. Students examine art across different periods and contexts, developing the visual, historical, and critical skills needed to understand how images and objects communicate meaning.

What You'll Learn

• Major periods, movements, and developments in art history

• Painting, sculpture, architecture, and other forms of visual culture

• Relationships between artworks and their historical, social, and cultural contexts

• Methods for analysing visual form, style, symbolism, and meaning

• The roles of artists, audiences, institutions, and wider society

• Different approaches to interpreting and understanding artworks

• Historical and contemporary debates within art history

• Research methods and the critical use of visual and written sources

• Comparative analysis of artworks, movements, and cultural contexts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and analyse significant characteristics of artworks and place them within appropriate historical and cultural contexts. They will understand how artistic practices and visual meanings can be influenced by social, political, intellectual, and cultural developments. Students will be able to apply established methods of visual and historical analysis, compare different interpretations, and assess relevant evidence critically. They will also develop the ability to undertake independent research, formulate reasoned arguments, and communicate ideas about art clearly and effectively. The course will enable students to approach artworks and visual cultures from multiple perspectives while recognising the importance of context in shaping their production, reception, and interpretation.