Art History Classes available in London and Online

The Medici family, led by Cosimo de’ Medici in the early 1400s, wielded immense economic and political power in Florence. Their patronage extended across architecture, sculpture, painting, and humanist scholarship that defined Renaissance culture. For the Medici, art was more than ornamentation; it was a vital instrument for expressing civic pride, religious devotion, and the legitimacy of their rule. Cosimo de’ Medici, in particular, cultivated relationships with artists whose works adorned both private spaces and public institutions. The Medici’s support was not limited to secular commissions; they played a crucial role in sponsoring religious art, which in turn reinforced their reputation as pious Christians and benefactors of the city.

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Each week a selection of paintings will be discussed by the class in front of the actual works. This is an opportunity to understand our national collection in greater depth by looking and discussing with students the paintings, while also affording them an opportunity to look at the actual paint, the physically/size of the images and thus the original uses of the objects. This course will also look at how and why paintings are placed gallery spaces, how there are lit, why some paintings are under glass and why some are not, and how different curators hang different rooms.Across this ten week the course we will also address the history and genesis of the National Gallery building itself in the context of the Collection. The National Gallery has a limited supply of stools available if you need them.

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The 17th century produced some of the greatest artists of all time: Rubens, Rembrandt, Velázquez and Bernini to name but a few. Explore the work of these key artists and understand the history, styles and ideas that shaped the century.

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Join broadcaster and author Leslie Primo on a journey to discover Western European art from classicism through to late Victorian art and Impressionism. On the course we will delve into the lives of various artists, their cultural backgrounds, and their influence on subsequent art movements.

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Ever wondered whether there’s a hidden meaning behind paintings? Discover why there are signs and symbols in paintings and how to find and interpret their meanings in medieval and Renaissance art.

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The golden panels of the Sienese masters are immediately identifiable but why was their work so different? Today we explore the art of Siena, its world, its symbolism and how it was made.

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The National Portrait Gallery houses one of the world’s greatest portrait collections. As a collection of British portraits, it is also one of the best places to learn about British history. This course offers an accessible introduction to the Gallery and its collection. Each week we focus on a different aspect of portraiture, and the history of Britain represented by groups of portraits from the same period.

For the April starting course, meet on the Ground floor, Ondaatje Wing, at the bottom of the big escalator. For the November starting course, please wait for a meeting point to be emailed to you within a week of the course start date.

The course follows the display of portraits at the NPG which is currently organised into historical periods: Tudors; Stuarts; Georgians and Regency; Victorians; twentieth century and contemporary works. Each class will combine looking at elements of portraiture and thinking about the period of British history under review. Because the NPG is not primarily a collection of art, the course does not focus heavily on art history, however the tutor will present information on the history of art in Britain as part of the background to the study of British portraiture. The course will include a visit to the current temporary exhibitions (ticket price not included in the course fees).

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This short course will introduce the historic context of Johannes Vermeer’s Delft, his biography, influences and close readings of some of his key artworks. Master of stillness and light, author of only 35, maybe 36, known works, Vermeer’s art continues to fascinate. Discover his life and works in the context of the Dutch Golden Age.

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This course explores the life and works of one of the most important artists of the early Renaissance: Giotto. Hailed as probably the most influential artist of the entire Renaissance, said also to be equal to great artists of antiquity, Giotto was not only one of the earliest artist to be written about within his lifetime, but he would also held up as the ideal by Italian painting critics for the next five centuries.

We will analyse his major works such as the Arena Chapel and his frescos in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels in the church of Santa Croce; discuss his relationship with his patrons; his relationship to Dante and Boccaccio and his legacy.

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