Art is the expression of human creativity and its communication through visual mediums. Art history is the academic study of the historical progress, development and timelines of the various visual arts and their expressions by use of line, shape, colour, form, texture, and space. This includes painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, videography, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture, naming a few. Art history also analyses cultural, political, religious, and economic factors, which contribute to the appearance of visual works of art.
Discover world history and culture through the eyes of artists with the Art History Diploma Course.
Welcome to the study of art history! This course will take you through the prominent time periods studied by art historians. You’ll explore the most ancient art known to man – prehistoric art – before moving into the antiquity period of Asia and Europe, ancient American art (including civilisations such as the Aztecs and Mayans), and ancient African art.
You’ll learn about pre-Islamic, Persian, and Islamic Middle Eastern art and examine various forms of European art from pre-1770, including Byzantine, Viking, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance art and post-1770 European art with movements such as Romanticism, Impressionism and Expressionism, before moving on to post-colonial art.
Taking you up to the present day, the course concludes with an exploration of 20th-century art with a look at Cubism, Surrealism and Futurism, and contemporary art, including Pop Art, Minimalism, Op Art, Political Art, and Conceptualism.
By studying this course, you will:
- Learn what art can tell us about cultural, political, societal, and economical changes throughout history
- Discover prehistoric and ancient art
- Explore Middle Eastern, European, and post-colonial art
- Understand 20th century and contemporary art
- Improve your analytical, visual, and sensual skills
