Art History
Art History is the study of artefacts and techniques, texts and concepts within social, historical, and philosophical contexts. The degree schemes emphasise the ability to conduct research, to investigate and analyse, and to articulate your ideas.
Our three-year degree scheme provides a general survey of the discipline as well as a specialised and in-depth study of specific topics. In the first year of study core modules cover European and American art and its histories from c1700 to 1900 while options may be chosen that start with the Renaissance and address many thematic and stylistic aspects of the subject: the representation of the body, landscape in art, the history of the graphic arts, photographic theories and practices, and traditional painting techniques, among others.
The scheme also provides students with a historical, theoretical and practical introduction to museums and galleries, the collections and interpretation of material culture and the curatorship of exhibitions, as part of the study of Art History. It deploys the resources of its own accredited museum and art galleries housed at the School, together with an extensive collection of fine and decorative art. The curriculum is designed to prepare you to be adaptable and acquire varied skills as 21st century museums embrace new technologies and embark upon radical changes in the display, interpretation and management of collections. These modules are offered throughout the three years of study.
In the second and third years, students continue their core art historical studies from 1900 to the present day and can construct their own curriculum from a broad portfolio of optional modules including: Art and Society, Contemporary Art, History of Graphic Art, History of Photography, Nineteenth-Century Art, the Gothic Imagination and Italian Art. Whilst it is dedicated to the study of art as an international phenomenon, the School is also mindful of its particular relationship and commitment to the visual arts in Wales.
Many of the modules are delivered by scholars who are also practising artists; this ensures that the study of the discipline is intimately related to and immediately informed by the experiences and techniques under discussion.
As an art historian, you will examine the products of cultures and trace their development in painting and printmaking, in photography and digital art, in book illustration and commercial graphics, as well as ceramics and the plastic arts. In an image-driven world such as ours, the ability to understand and interpret images is becoming increasingly important. Art History is interdisciplinary; it involves anthropology, sociology, philosophy, literature, history, as well as cultural and gender studies. As such, it promotes a critical thinking that has many practical applications today. It provides an excellent foundation for careers in academic research, teaching, information management, publishing, journalism and advertising, and in the administration and conservation of art.
You can also study this course along with another subject.
Key Facts
Degree type: BA
UCAS code: V350
Duration: 3 years
Entry requirements: 280 points
with a B in any A level subject
Further Information
New First Year Art History Modules Launched 2012