HISTORY OF ART - Department of History - Oxford Brookes University

HISTORY
OF ART
BA (Hons) or BA/BSc (Hons) combined

Claire Hartley is studying History of Art as a single honours degree and is hoping to train
as a teacher.
I came to an open day at Brookes and knew it was the place for me; the lecturers, the students,
the whole atmosphere here were all so welcoming. The thing I like the most is the diversity of art
that we study, everything from Renaissance to modern art. The university covers all bases so
that every student will find something that inspires them.
In the city we are lucky enough to have the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum and
Modern Art Oxford, just to name a few. There is so much art and information on our doorsteps
that we are spoiled for choice. From day one Brookes encourages us to use these facilities as
much as possible. I work part-time in the Ashmolean and every time I go to work I find a new
painting or artefact that I hadn’t seen before. I went on the trip to Paris and was lucky enough to
visit the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay to see my favourite painting, Renoir’s Bal du Moulin de la
Galette.
There is such an extensive variety of modules and we can take modules from other courses. In
my first year I did modules in English and in History at the same time as my History of Art ones.
For more profiles go to www.history.brookes.ac.uk

WHY
STUDY
HISTORY
OF ART?
History of Art is the historical study of the past through the
analysis and interpretation of works of art, architecture,
sculpture and photography. Studying History of Art requires
creative as well as analytical skills in order to unravel the
culture, society and environments which have shaped the
artist and their work.
Contents
2 Why choose Oxford Brookes? 4 Teaching and learning
6 Research and expertise 7 Careers 8 Student profile
9 Modules 12 Student profile 13 Key facts
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WHY
CHOOSE
OXFORD
BROOKES?
We offer a carefully structured degree course providing you with a
solid foundation of art history knowledge and skills, encouraging you
to pursue your own enthusiasms and become an independent learner.
Distinctive features
n Exciting field trip to Paris’ most
important museums, churches and
historical palaces
n Optional exchange programme to study
in Perugia or Madrid
n Strong emphasis on first-hand learning
with regular course excursions to Oxford
and London
You will acquire a broad knowledge of Western
art, architecture and sculpture between the
fifteenth and twentieth centuries as well as more
detailed knowledge of specific periods.
Our teaching focuses on the first-hand study
of art and architecture, and capitalises on the
world-class resources of Oxford and London’s
architecture, museums and galleries.
During your studies you will also take part in
excursions into the countryside around Oxford
to visits its many important churches, stately
homes and gardens. We pride ourselves on the
importance we place on working with original
objects and buildings, and almost all modules
include guided visits to sites in Oxford, London
or elsewhere.

Student Choice
Oxford is a great city in which to study History
of Art, with its wealth of high quality architecture
dating from Saxon to modern times and the
internationally important collections of paintings,
drawings and sculpture in the Ashmolean
Museum, as well as Christ Church Picture
Gallery and regular exhibitions of contemporary
art at Modern Art Oxford. It is also a convenient
staging post for visits to the National Gallery,
V&A, Tate Modern and Tate Britain museums
and galleries in London.
Support
Throughout your time at Brookes you will
receive excellent support from our dedicated
staff, both academically and personally.
You will be allocated an Academic Adviser
when you start who will provide academic and
departmental support for you throughout your
studies. In addition, our Student Support Coordinators
are there to help you in all aspects of
your academic career, from module choices to
any personal issues you may experience.
Through our Upgrade service we offer advice
on all aspects of study, from planning and
writing essays to statistical analysis, either in a
one-to-one situation or as a drop-in session.
Upgrade is a free service available to all
students at any level, and is unique to Oxford
Brookes.
www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade
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TEACHING
AND
LEARNING
All our History of Art tutors are active researchers with strong
reputations in their fields; their work is regularly published in books
and journals, and they are involved with major exhibitions.
Teaching
Teaching is by a mixture of classes, seminars
and tutorials, in which a strong emphasis is
placed on interaction between students and
lecturers.
Almost all modules feature a guided visit,
reflecting the importance we place on the firsthand
experience of art works and buildings.
Assessment is predominantly through essays
and exams, with a final-year dissertation
compulsory for single honours History of Art
and optional for combined honours.
Many of the modules, in particular the final-year
advanced seminars, are closely based on staff
research interests. In addition, the department
staff are friendly, accessible, and committed to
giving students the support and advice they
need.
Field Trip
A distinctive feature of our degree course is the
annual Paris field trip which all students take
part in during their second year. You will travel
to Paris by Eurostar in the spring, stay in a
seventeenth-century building in a beautiful old
part of central Paris, and undertake an intensive
series of visits to important artistic sites with the
expert guidance of staff.
The trip features visits to Notre Dame and
Sainte Chapelle, the Rodin Museum, paintings
of the Madonna in the Louvre, the Père
Lachaise cemetery and a villa by Le Corbusier.
The art history field trip is assessed, which
makes it more intense but also far more
rewarding, and an excellent opportunity for us
all to step out of the weekly rhythm of classbased
teaching. Most students regard it as the
high point of the course, both academically and
socially.

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Study abroad
For those wishing to expand their international
experience we also have links with the
Universities of Perugia in Italy and Madrid in
Spain, which allow students to take courses in
Italy and Spain as part of their Brookes degree.
Resources
With over half a million books, DVDs and CDs,
a vast range of databases, e-journals and
reference materials, the library provides all
the resources you need for your study of Art
History. Our dedicated History of Art librarian will
help you access relevant materials and guide
you through the huge range of information
available to you.
Online Resources
Core materials relating to learning and
assessment are available online through
our virtual learning portals. These include
lecture schedules, module guides, supporting
materials, guidelines and criteria for coursework
along with notes on essay writing and report
presentation.
I worked with the Fine Art Department to organise an exhibition at Modern Art Oxford. It
was through this that I was successful in gaining a position on the installations team at the
gallery.
Orlagh Dominique Muldoon-Janjcic, History of Art
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RESEARCH
AND
EXPERTISE
All our History of Art tutors are active researchers with strong
reputations in their fields; they regularly publish books and are involved
with major exhibitions.
Staff research
Teaching is informed by staff research. Current
areas of staff expertise include:
n Italian Renaissance art and architecture
n the classical tradition in architecture,
sculpture and prints
n British painting, sculpture and art theory in
the eighteenth century
n the reception of art
n nineteenth-century British painting and its
social contexts
n the emergence of British modernism in
architecture and design
n art and science
Will I get involved?
We value research highly and actively
encourage you to become a reasearcher in
your own right. By designing and undertaking
your own research you will develop excellent
analytical and independent study skills, adding
weight to your CV.
65%
of our research is
either world leading
or internationally
excellent

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A CAREER
IN
HISTORY
OF ART
A History of Art degree demands a high level of academic rigour
and attention to detail, offering a gateway into many art-related
professions.
Recent graduates have gone on to work in
museums, commercial galleries, auction houses
and arts journalism, and to teach art history in
schools.
History of Art does not, however, only prepare
you for arts-related professions. Like other
humanities degrees, it offers a general training
in analytical thinking, research skills, selfdiscipline
and effective written and spoken
communication. Our graduates enter a very
wide range of careers, from librarianship to
banking and advertising.
I will always be grateful for my time at Brookes, which has launched me toward new and
eagerly anticipated directions in life.
Catriona Gilmore Hamilton
Our Careers and Employment Centre is on
hand throughout your time at Oxford Brookes,
guiding your development from undergraduate
to professional. An invaluable resource to all
students, the Centre provides a wealth of
information throughout your studies, from
career guidance and advice, to application
procedures and practical interview skills.
www.brookescareerscentre.co.uk
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Iona Scott Moncrieff is studying History of Art combined with French.
At school I studied both Art and History, and I found that the course at Brookes allowed me to
indulge my interest in both subjects. I realised that art history wasn’t just looking at a work of art
and writing about it but also understanding the historical context that surrounds that work.
I have a personal interest in architecture and I have been lucky enough to study a number of
different architectural periods during my time at Brookes. The variety of modules allows you to
study a significant number of art history subjects and therefore gain a better understanding of the
subject as a whole.
Oxford is such a great place to be, it is such a diverse city and there is always so much going on.
There is a balance between a city steeped in history and that of a modern, multicultural, vibrant
place. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Brookes and look forward to what the future holds.
For more profiles go to www.history.brookes.ac.uk

MODULES
YEAR 1
Museums and Society
This module will introduce you to one of the
central preoccupations of contemporary art
historical studies: how, and why, works of art
are presented to the public. It considers the role
that museums, art galleries and exhibitions play,
and have played, in shaping the production,
dissemination and reception of the arts
throughout the modern period (mid-eighteenth
century to the present day). Such institutions
are key points of contact between the work
of art and its public. Hence, through lectures,
discussion and visits, you will develop an
awareness of them as historically constructed
as opposed to neutral spaces.
Making and Meaning in Western Art
Offers an introduction to art history through a
contextual and stylistic examination of selected
paintings and sculptures dating from the
Renaissance to the present. These artworks
will be used as the foci for considerations of
specific themes and issues which are of general
importance in art history. The module will furnish
you with the basic tools and terms needed for
the historical analysis of art.
Reading Art History
Designed to develop your ability to be reflective
and critical readers of the kinds of writing you
will encounter in your art historical studies.
We will examine a range of concepts and
approaches which have been employed in
writing about art from the sixteenth century to
the present day so as to enhance your capacity
to understand and evaluate texts which are
shaped by these concepts and approaches
and to recognise differences of method in art
historical writing.
Making and Meaning in Western
Architecture
An introduction to architectural history through a
contextual and stylistic examination of selected
buildings and groups of buildings dating from
Antiquity to the present. These buildings
will be used as the foci for considerations
of specific themes and issues which are of
general importance in architectural history. As
a consequence you will have the basic tools
and terms needed for the historical analysis of
buildings.
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Modern British Art: From Impressionism to
Brit Art
This module offers an introduction to a century
of art practice in Britain from the work of the
Camden Town Group through to exponents
of Brit Art such as Damien Hirst and Rachel
Whiteread. By exploring painting, sculpture
and film through case studies we discover how
artists in Britain sought to create specifically
modern forms of expression through a range of
media such as exhibitions, manifestos, books
and magazines. The course is taught through a
mixture of lectures, seminars and on-site visits,
and you will explore a range of contemporary
and secondary literature and, wherever
possible, works of art at first hand.
Art in Oxford
Uses selected collections in Oxford to introduce
skills which are central to the practice of art
history. Themes to be considered include the
training and status of artists; the conditions
under which they worked; the functions and
uses of art; the market for art; the materials and
techniques used; and the aesthetic theories
affecting the reception of works of art in different
periods and locations. The analysis of original
art works will be emphasized, and basic training
in research using information retrieval resources
and in essay presentation will be given.
YEARS 2 and 3
Themes in European Art 1450-1700
This module will focus on an aspect of
European art from the period 1450-1700.
Irrespective of the focus chosen (examples
might be ‘Italian art 1450-1550’, ‘Italy and
Northern Europe in the Sixteenth Century’ or
‘Netherlandish art of the Seventeenth Century’)
you will gain an understanding of all or most of
the following themes: the types of patronage
prevalent in the period; the relationship between
artists, patrons and centres; the range of
subject-matter represented and the ways in
which subjects were approached/developed;
the organisation of workshop practice; prints
and their role in disseminating artistic ideas; and
the relationship between art and religion.
Themes in Eighteenth and Nineteenth-
Century European Art
A focus on an aspect of European art from
the period 1700-1900. Irrespective of the
focus chosen (examples might be ‘Art in
Eighteenth-Century France’, ‘British Art from
Hogarth to Turner’, ‘Nineteenth-Century
European Art’, ‘The Gothic Revival’) particular
reference will be made to the social, political
and economic contexts of art, and you will
gain an understanding of all or most of the
following themes: questions of nationalism
and internationalism; the importance of the art
market and public exhibitions; the development
of academies; relationships between different
media; artistic revivals; and the rise of new
audiences for art.
Themes in Modern Art
An examination of European and American
art from circa 1850 up to the present. The
historical content to be studied may range
from early modern architecture and design
to realist and modernist artistic practices in
central and western Europe and the United
States, the areas of emphasis being determined
by the module leader that year. You will
gain an understanding of all or most of the
following themes: the ‘modernist paradigm’
and its critique; the notion of the avant-garde;
alternatives to main-stream modernism; art and
everyday life, popular culture and technology;
art and politics; issues of gender and cultural
diversity; art markets and institutions; and new
artistic media.
Anthropology of Art
A study of anthropological approaches to art,
especially art produced by non-Western smallscale
societies. This module also investigates
the possibility of cross-cultural aesthetics, the
anthropology of museums, in particular Oxford’s
Pitt-Rivers Museum, and anthropological
dimensions of contemporary art worlds,
globally.

Field Work in Art History
This module provides an introduction to
advanced fieldwork in art history. Undertaken
during the Easter break, it is an intensive oneweek
study visit to a location in continental
Europe. During the visit you will participate in
a range of staff-guided and self-managed visit
options, including architectural/urban studies,
visits to permanent galleries/museums and
temporary exhibitions.
Oxford Buildings
A study of buildings in their social,
environmental and architectural context,
selected from the wide possibilities available in
Oxford. The module stresses the direct study of
buildings and incorporates site visits as well as
classroom sessions.
Independent Study in History of Art
A study under the supervision of one or
more members of the History of Art staff, but
designed by an individual or small group of
students. The subject might be in response to a
current exhibition, or an issue in the field of art
history or criticism, be related to staff research,
or might involve vocational work. It might be
a specialised topic arising out of an advanced
module.
Advanced Seminar in the History of
Art I and II
These modules consist of concentrated study
of a specialised topic which enables you to
deepen your understanding of art-historical
knowledge and methods. In each year there will
be a choice of topics which, while building on
capabilities acquired in the Themes modules,
will not repeat material studied in those
modules. 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. Research skills, including an
evaluative appreciation of source materials and
their uses, will be developed.
History of Art Synoptic
This module offers you the opportunity to
look back upon your art historical studies
at Brookes, encouraging you to make
connections, observe parallels and notice
contradictions between material and ideas
encountered in different modules, and thus
develop an informed and critical overview of the
history of art. Some unfamiliar material will give
you the chance to apply skills and knowledge
acquired during the course. The module also
requires you to reflect on your own progress
during the course, with the aim of enabling you
to identify the skills, knowledge and awareness
that will be of use to you in the future.
History of Art Interdisciplinary Dissertation
A critical examination, through research and
extended written work, of a topic which links
your two fields, selected by you in consultation
with staff teaching on both fields.
History of Art Double Dissertation
A critical examination, through research and
extended written work, of an art-historical
subject, theme or issue. The topic is selected
by you in consultation with History of Art staff.
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Polly Martin is studying History of Art and hopes to pursue a career in jewellery valuation
and auctioneering.
It was really important to me to find a course that I loved and I’m really glad that I’ve ended up at
Brookes. Not only do we have access to many of the originals here in Oxford, but it’s so close to
London that access to many other major collections and exhibitions is also very convenient.
The Ashmolean is a great resource, especially the western print room, where students can view art
works at close quarters. We also have free access to many of the college collections, such as the
Christ Church picture gallery. There are some real gems hidden away; one moment you’re in front
of some unknown work, the next a Veronese or Leonardo.
Through the Independent Study Module I was able to research and present an original hour-long
lecture. I’m hoping start my career in valuation and auctioneering, with a long term plan to lecture,
something which the course has enabled me to try.
For more profiles go to www.history.brookes.ac.uk

KEY
FACTS
HOW TO APPLY
Application is through
UCAS. See our
website for course
codes
DURATION
Full time:
3 years
Part time:
up to 6 years
TYPICAL OFFERS
A level: BBC
IB Diploma: 30 points
For the combined
honours degree the
offer will lie between
the offers quoted for
each subject.
Applicants over 21
years of age who
do not meet these
requirements are
encouraged to contact
Admissions to discuss
their application.
Contact tel +44 (0)1865 484848 email query@brookes.ac.uk
TEACHING
LOCATION
Gipsy Lane Campus
ACADEMIC
FACULTY
Faculty of Humanities
and Social Sciences
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Oxford Brookes University
Gipsy Lane
Oxford
OX3 0BP
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 484848
query@brookes.ac.uk
www.history.brookes.ac.uk
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485929.
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