Need help with your booking call 01280 733 483

Art History Tours

21 tours from £1,595pp

Embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment with Art Pursuits Art History Tours. Since 2003, we’ve been taking passionate art, history, architecture and culture enthusiasts on unforgettable tours throughout Europe and Asia, designed and led by experts. Experience the finest restaurants, stay in the unique, carefully selected hotels and enjoy exceptional personal service as you travel in comfort along classic Art Pursuits routes together with likeminded adventurers. Explore the Rich Tapestry of Art & History in Palma with Isabelle Kent, indulge in German Romanticism with Dr Ulrike Ziegler or venture further afield to Armenia with Dr William Taylor. The possibilities are endless with Arts Pursuits.

Tom Abbott & more
NEW

Join our experts in Vienna, visiting the 'Renaissance in the North, Holbein, Burgkmair and the art in the Age of the Fuggers’ exhibition.

  • Five nights bed & breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Beethoven
  • Scheduled return flights (economy class) with Austrian Airlines
  • Transfers and excursions by private coach
  • Two dinners and one lunch
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of the lecturers and a local Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Marie-Louise Lillywhite
NEW

Join Dr Marie-Louise Lillywhite on this newly-launched tour to Venice's hinterland, exploring Vicenza, Padua, Verona and Bassano.

  • Five nights' bed and breakfast in the four-star Hotel Campo Marzio
  • Return economy flights from London
  • Transfers and excursions in Italy by private coach
  • Two dinners and three lunches
  • Guided visits to monuments and museums listed in the programme
  • Services of the Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr William Taylor
NEW

This fascinating Armenia tour takes us to Yerevan, the thirteenth Armenian capital and a city founded before Rome, as well as the turquoise Lake Sevan and the foothills of Turkish occupied Ararat.

  • Return economy flights from London to Yerevan via Paris with Air France
  • 6 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan
  • 2 nights in the 4-star Avan Dzoraget Hotel
  • 6 dinners and 5 lunches
  • Services of your Tour Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Nigel McGilchrist
NEW

Join Nigel McGilchrist in this unknown area of southern Italy, full of treasures of art and architecture

  • Return flights from London to Brindisi
  • Three nights' Bed and Breakfast at the Hotel San Paolo al Convento in Trani and three nights' bed and breakfast at the Grand Hotel di Lecce
  • Private coach trasnfers and excursions
  • Services of the Tour Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Three dinners and one lunch

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Richard Plant
NEW

This tour of England’s west country explores the Countries early mediaeval history, diving into the core of Alfred the Great’s kingdom, a crucial importance in the establishment of England’s Kingdom.

  • Private coach travel for transfers and excursions
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star The Crown Manor House Hotel, Lyndhurst
  • Services of the Tour Leader and Hosts
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • 2 evening meals, 1 light lunch

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Sue Rollin
NEW

Join us in Jordan, see stunning sights created by Romans, Christians and Muslims, and discover a country that remains a mystery to many.

  • Scheduled return flights (economy class) with Royal Jordanian from London Heathrow to Amman
  • 7 nights half-board in locally rated five-star hotels
  • Transfers and excursions in Jordan by private coach
  • Services of the Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters
  • A visa for entry into Jordan (included only if you are travelling with the group; please make sure that your passports are valid for six months beyond the dates of the tour)

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Nigel McGilchrist
NEW

Uncover Malta's fascinating and complex history and learn about its wonders, including the incredible free-standing Ggantija temples. As well as finding out why Malta has long been a strategic pawn in the struggle for Mediterranean domination.

  • Scheduled return flights (Economy class) with Air Malta between London Heathrow and Luqa airports
  • Transfers and excursions in Malta by private coach
  • Four nights’ accommodation at the 5-star Hotel Phoenicia in Malta
  • 2 dinners and 3 lunches
  • Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
  • Services of the tour lecturer and a tour manager
  • Detailed programme and Study Notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Justine Hopkins

This tour explores the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow, from private buildings to institutions, considering the ways in which the city shaped his unique and enduring vision.

  • Private coach travel for transfers and excursions
  • 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow
  • 2 evening meals and 1 afternoon tea
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Clare Ford-Wille
NEW

Explore the northern area of Italy, discovering its magnificent ancient monuments and outstanding mediaeval and Renaissance art and architecture

  • Transfers and excursions in Italy by private coach
  • Guided visites to monuments and museums listed in the programme
  • Services of the Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters
  • 5 nights' bed and breakfast in the San Luca Verona
  • Economy flights from London to Venice, returning from Milan
  • Tow dinners and one lunch

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Ulrike Ziegler
NEW

This Art Pursuits Study Tour will explore Prague's best-known monuments as well as less familiar quarters and a number of hidden treasures.

  • Four nights’ accommodation at the 5-star Hotel Paris in Prague
  • Scheduled return flights (Economy class) with British Airways between London Heathrow and Prague
  • Transfers and excursions in Prague by private coach
  • 3 dinners and 1 lunch
  • Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
  • Services of the tour lecturer and a tour manager
  • Detailed programme and Study Notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters
  • Opera - Mozart's Magic Flute

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Nigel McGilchrist
NEW

Discover the autumnal beauties of Japan with popular tour leader Nigel McGilchrist, journeying deep into the heart of Japanese culture.

  • 10 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast
  • Private coach transfers and excursions
  • 6 dinners and 5 lunches
  • Travel from Kyoto to Tokyo by Shinkasen 'Bullet Train'
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your Tour Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters
  • Detailed programme and Study Notes
  • Return economy flights from London to Tokyo (if booking 12 day itinerary)
  • Domestic flight from Tokyo to Osaka (if booking 12 day itinerary)

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Nigel McGilchrist

Explore the dense history of the magical, traffic-less streets of Mediaeval Rhodes, with 5 days of unexpected variety and intense experiences on the island famed in Antiquity for having the sunniest climate of the whole Aegean area.

  • Return flights from London Heathrow to Rhodes
  • 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Rodos Park Suites, Rhodes Town
  • 3 evening meals and 4 lunches
  • Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Sue Rollin

Discover the cultural heritage of Andalucia and view exquisite examples of Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture on this remarkable Art Pursuits tour.

  • Return flights from London to Malaga
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Villa Oniria, Granada
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Las Casas de la Juderia, Córdoba
  • 4 evening meals and 1 lunch
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Tom Abbott

This Art Pursuits tour examines the synthesis of gender, politics and art in a transformative historical moment.

  • Return flights from London to Hamburg, returning from Berlin
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Radisson Blu, Bremen
  • 1 night bed and breakfast in the Maritim ProArte Hotel, Berlin
  • 2 evening meals and 2 lunches
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Ulrike Ziegler

This tour spans a period of 1000 years and reveals a broad selection of treasures, explores the genesis of art and culture in Austria’s heartland.

  • Scheduled return flights (economy class) with Austrian Airlines from London Heathrow to Vienna.
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star City Hotel Design & Classic, St. Pölten and 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star Hotel Beethoven, Vienna
  • Private coach transfers and excursions in Austria
  • Detailed programme and study notes.
  • Services of a lecturer and tour manager.
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme.

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Kirsty Fergusson
NEW

Join Art Pursuits over a bottle of the region’s finest and drink in the uplifting elegance of marvellous Bordeaux, famed for its elegant architecture, balmy climate, fine wines and fabulous gastronomy.

  • Eurostar to Bordeaux St Jean
  • Private coach transfers and excursions
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Hôtel de Sèze
  • 1 dinner, 2 lunches and wine tasting
  • Services of your Tour Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Sue Rollin
NEW

Palermo is an exciting and complex city with a rich cultural heritage, and we will uncover its art, architecture, and rich history.

  • Private coach transfers and excursions
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your Tour Host and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and garden notes
  • 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel Eurostars Centrale Palace, Palermo
  • 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the Colleverde Park Hotel, Agrigento
  • 5 dinners and 4 lunches

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Clare Ford-Wille
NEW

Hailed as 'the cradle of the Renaissance', visit Florence alongside our expert Clare Ford-Wille, studying the extraordinary wealth of art.

  • 5 nights at the Hotel Regency, Florence
  • Return economy class flights from London
  • Private coach transfers and excursions
  • 2 dinners and 1 lunch
  • Guided visits to monuments and museums listed in the programme
  • Services of the Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrances, fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Ulrike Ziegler
NEW

At the borders of Italy, Austria and Switzerland, the Venosta Valley has been a major thoroughfare of the Central Alps since Ancient times.

  • Scheduled return flights (economy class) from London to Innsbruck
  • Transfers and excursions by private coach
  • Six nights bed & breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Bavaria
  • Three dinners and two lunches
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of the Lecturer and a Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Kathy McLauchlan
NEW

Delve into Copenhagen's vast art history, exploring a number of castles, palaces and the lovely Neoclassical city centre.

  • Scheduled return flights (Economy class) with British Airways between London Heathrow and Copenhagen airports
  • 6 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Scandic Palace Hotel, Copenhagen
  • 3 dinners and 1 lunch
  • Transfers and excursions in Denmark by private coach
  • Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
  • Services of a lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and Study Notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2024
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec
Dr Richard Plant
NEW

Join our Expert Lecturer Dr Richard Plant to explore a thousand years of early Christian and mediaeval history.

  • Return flight from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino
  • Private coach travel for transfers and excursions
  • 6 nights' bed and breakfast at the 4-star Ponte Sisto, Rome
  • 3 evening meals and 2 lunches
  • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
  • Services of your expert Lecturer and Tour Manager
  • Detailed programme and study notes
  • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Availability:

  • 2023
    • Jan
    • Feb
    • Mar
    • Apr
    • May
    • Jun
    • Jul
    • Aug
    • Sep
    • Oct
    • Nov
    • Dec

Why Arena Travel?

Expert Lecturers

Key to your enjoyment and at the heart of every Art Pursuits tour, our expert lecturers have been chosen for their specialist knowledge and impeccable academic credentials, but equally for their enthusiasm and their passion.

Experienced Tour Manager

Carefully selected for their local knowledge, travel experience and organisational skills, our small team of friendly and experienced Tour Managers are an extension of the Art Pursuits team and are always on hand to ensure you enjoy a seamless travel experience.

Uniquely Crafted Tours

Each of our unique tours has been carefully crafted with you in mind. Guided by our experts and your feedback, we have created a host of fascinating itineraries showing you the iconic 'must see' sights and lesser-known gems in some of the world's most inspiring destinations.

Your Travel Arrangements

Travelling to and from your chosen destination is an important part of your tour, with that in mind we use flights with British Airways on most tours, and on occasion will use alternative carriers to better suit the tour. Where schedules allow we can only select flights and train departures at the most convenient times.

Travel with our
Experts & Tutors

Our Art
History Experts

Nigel McGilchrist

Nigel McGilchrist

Living and teaching in the Mediterranean area (Italy, Turkey and Greece) for over forty years, Art Historian Nigel McGilchrist began work with the Italian Ministry of Arts in the field of wall painting conservation. He has taught for universities both in the USA and in Italy, and now lectures independently for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and for a number of other cultural organisations.. He has accompanied over eighty art and architecture tours in both Europe and Asia. With a particular interest in Buddhism and its art, and a family connection with Japan, he has taken groups to Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Thailand and Japan. He is the author of a 20-volume series of books on the art, history and architecture of the Greek Aegean Islands; and his most recently published book on Pythagoras (When the Dog speaks, the Philosopher listens) draws on the deep connections between Greek and Eastern philosophy.

Dr Justine Hopkins

Dr Justine Hopkins

Dr Justine Hopkins is a freelance lecturer and writer, specialising in art of the 19th and 20th centuries. Justine has taught for various universities, including Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and London, and lectures regularly for both Tate galleries, the V&A, the National Gallery, and numerous independent art groups.

Dr Sally Dormer

Dr Sally Dormer

As Director of the Early Medieval Year Course at the V&A, Sally is an expert in medieval art and history. She completed her PhD at the Courtauld Institute, and was, until recently, Dean of European Studies, a study-abroad semester for undergraduates at the University of the South and Rhodes College, TN, USA. Sally also lectures for the Art Fund, the Arts Society, and Ciceroni.

Isabelle Kent

Isabelle Kent

After studying History of Art at Trinity College, Cambridge, Isabelle worked as curatorial assistant of paintings at the Wallace Collection where she fell in love with teaching. She now lectures on adult courses for the V&A, Art Fund, Royal Academy and the University of Cambridge. Her book on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in Britain was recently published by CEEH. In 2021 she returned to Cambridge where she is currently completing her PhD on the Spanish Baroque.

Tom Abbott

Tom Abbott

Tom Abbott studied psychology and art history in the US before completing his graduate research in the history of art and architecture in Berlin, where he now lives. Tom also studied at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris and has lectured around the world, specialising in architecture and art from the Renaissance to the Baroque and beyond.

Dr Kathy McLauchlan

Dr Kathy McLauchlan

Dr Kathy McLauchlan is Course Director of three year courses at the V&A Museum. After graduating from Oxford Kathy obtained her PhD from the Courtauld Institute with a thesis on the work of students at the French Academy in Rome. Kathy lecturers widely to adult audiences.

Sue Rollin

Sue Rollin

Sue Rollin specialises in the ancient and Islamic Middle East, India and the Mediterranean. An archaeologist, historian and linguist by training, Sue lectures for the Arts society and the V&A and has led Study Tours in Spain, Sicily, Morocco, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Sue speaks Spanish, Italian, French and German. She is co-author of two travel guides: the Blue Guide to Jordan and Istanbul: A Traveller’s Guide.

Planning your trip

With so much on offer, you might need some inspiration! We’ve hand-picked a selection of favourite destinations and provided an overview of the very best highlights...

Ancient Classical Art

Ancient Classical Art Highlights

Ancient art describes art created between approximately 4000 BC and 500 AD by advanced civilisations, which are generally identified by their use of an established written language, such as those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Americas, the early Chinese dynasties etc. Within this wider period, the term ‘classical’ refers specifically to art and architecture of the Greco-Roman world (c.800 BC-500 AD).

Broadly speaking, art of the ancient period was utilised for similar purposes: to share and record stories, to adorn utilitarian objects such as pottery, to celebrate and honour rulers and deities, and to emphasize wealth, status and power. Prevailing mediums and principles differ between civilisations of the ancient world. For instance, art of the classical period was largely concerned with adhering to ideals of harmony, beauty and proportion as opposed to personal expression. Although examples of prehistoric art can be dated to some 40,000 years ago, the recurring themes and motives that began to emerge during the ancient period, and which continue to echo through art today, lead many to consider the ancient period the true genesis of art history.

Experts
Nigel McGilchrist

Nigel McGilchrist

Living and teaching in the Mediterranean area (Italy, Turkey and Greece) for over forty years, Art Historian Nigel McGilchrist began work with the Italian Ministry of Arts in the field of wall painting conservation. He has taught for universities both in the USA and in Italy, and now lectures independently for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and for a number of other cultural organisations.. He has accompanied over eighty art and architecture tours in both Europe and Asia. With a particular interest in Buddhism and its art, and a family connection with Japan, he has taken groups to Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Thailand and Japan. He is the author of a 20-volume series of books on the art, history and architecture of the Greek Aegean Islands; and his most recently published book on Pythagoras (When the Dog speaks, the Philosopher listens) draws on the deep connections between Greek and Eastern philosophy.

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau Highlights

The term Art Nouveau describes a movement in art, design and architecture that flourished in both Europe and America between 1890 and 1910. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, the style is characterised by swirling lines and curvaceous organic forms set within an eccentric geometry. The movement was a natural progression of two previous styles, both of which rebelled against the effects of mass production in the industrial age: The Arts and Crafts movement, which elevated the status of the decorative arts and craftsmanship, and the Aesthetic movement, which promoted ‘art for art’s sake’. An additional influence was that of Japonisme – a craze for Japanese art and design – as Japanese prints and artefacts flooded the Western market following government trade agreements in the 1860s. Japanese shunga (erotic prints) were particularly influential, feeding an increasing appetite for risqué and explicit imagery that was fuelled by the recent invention of photography and a growing market for pornographic imagery. Sensuality is an important part of the Art Nouveau style and artists made the most of a general relaxation of moral attitudes across Europe, often pushing at the boundaries of the risqué and the explicit.

Experts
Dr Justine Hopkins

Dr Justine Hopkins

Dr Justine Hopkins is a freelance lecturer and writer, specialising in art of the 19th and 20th centuries. Justine has taught for various universities, including Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and London, and lectures regularly for both Tate galleries, the V&A, the National Gallery, and numerous independent art groups.

Dr Kathy McLauchlan

Dr Kathy McLauchlan

Dr Kathy McLauchlan is Course Director of three year courses at the V&A Museum. After graduating from Oxford Kathy obtained her PhD from the Courtauld Institute with a thesis on the work of students at the French Academy in Rome. Kathy lecturers widely to adult audiences.

Baroque through to Neoclassicism

Baroque through to Neoclassicism Highlights

The Baroque style flourished in European visual culture during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although the movement shared the naturalism and often religious or mythological subject matter of the Renaissance style, it is typified by an elaborate and extravagant application of decoration; in general, Baroque artists worked to distance themselves from their Renaissance predecessors. The style was greatly encouraged by the Catholic Church, who considered it an enticing contrast to the austere Protestant art and architecture that had been popularised following the Reformation in the 16th century. Most works of the Baroque period share a common goal: to convey a heightened sense of drama. In painting this is often achieved through energetic compositions and a luminous application of colour, whilst in sculpture, dynamic forms dominate. Such drama, the Catholic church believed, would instil piety among the congregation, and a sense of awe for the church.

Experts
Sue Rollin

Sue Rollin

Sue Rollin specialises in the ancient and Islamic Middle East, India and the Mediterranean. An archaeologist, historian and linguist by training, Sue lectures for the Arts society and the V&A and has led Study Tours in Spain, Sicily, Morocco, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Sue speaks Spanish, Italian, French and German. She is co-author of two travel guides: the Blue Guide to Jordan and Istanbul: A Traveller’s Guide.

Mediaeval Art

Mediaeval Art Highlights

In the Western world, mediaeval art defines a period of some 1000 years, also known as the Middle Ages, which begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD (the eastern Roman provinces form the Byzantine Empire, a mighty power into the 11th century) and eventually ushers in the Early Renaissance at the turn of the 15th century. Petrarch, the 14th-century Italian poet and scholar, famously referred to this period as the Dark Ages, a descriptor that is frequently, and misleadingly, deployed to this day. As a great admirer of Greco-Roman society, he considered classical learning to be the ‘light’ and thus considered the period between the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire and his own lifetime (c.1330s) a period of intellectual darkness. Subsequent historians would pick up on this idea, identifying the period as a ‘middle’ point between the end of antiquity and the rebirth of classical learning in the Renaissance.

However, the mediaeval period is a crucial bridge between these periods. As the Eastern Roman Empire splintered into various smaller feudal kingdoms, many artistic styles and periods emerged. Although these are difficult to concisely define, broadly speaking they include early Christian and Byzantine, Anglo-Saxon and Viking, Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque and Gothic. The rise and spread of Christianity throughout Europe saw the unification of various secular arts and a sophisticated visual culture built throughout the mediaeval period, producing prominent works in numerous disciplines – manuscripts, architecture, sculpture, mosaic, textiles, ivories and painting.


Experts
Dr Sally Dormer

Dr Sally Dormer

As Director of the Early Medieval Year Course at the V&A, Sally is an expert in medieval art and history. She completed her PhD at the Courtauld Institute, and was, until recently, Dean of European Studies, a study-abroad semester for undergraduates at the University of the South and Rhodes College, TN, USA. Sally also lectures for the Art Fund, the Arts Society, and Ciceroni.

Isabelle Kent

Isabelle Kent

After studying History of Art at Trinity College, Cambridge, Isabelle worked as curatorial assistant of paintings at the Wallace Collection where she fell in love with teaching. She now lectures on adult courses for the V&A, Art Fund, Royal Academy and the University of Cambridge. Her book on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in Britain was recently published by CEEH. In 2021 she returned to Cambridge where she is currently completing her PhD on the Spanish Baroque.

Modernism & Post-Modernism

Modernism & Post-Modernism Highlights

Modernism is an overarching term used to describe a succession of art movements that occurred between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. Although these movements vary greatly in style, they are united by a common set of principles: a repudiation of tradition and conservative values (such as religious moralising in painting), a bold experimentation with form, often to the point of abstraction, and an innovation in technique, materials and process. As a broad movement, modernism reflected the rapid acceleration of societal and technological change brought about by the Industrial revolution in the first half of the 19th century, as artists worked to present, idealise and propel the possibilities of modern life. The invention of photography in the same century was of particular significance to the movement, driving innovations in artistic representation that were beyond the realms of photographic possibility, whilst simultaneously offering a new medium for experimentation. The key styles encompassed by the modernist movement include: Realism (notable for its depiction of daily life on a scale traditionally reserved for history painting), Impressionism, Post-impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Suprematism, Constructivism, De Stijl, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract expressionism and Minimalism.

Experts
Tom Abbott

Tom Abbott

Tom Abbott studied psychology and art history in the US before completing his graduate research in the history of art and architecture in Berlin, where he now lives. Tom also studied at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris and has lectured around the world, specialising in architecture and art from the Renaissance to the Baroque and beyond.

Renaissance Art

Renaissance Art Highlights

Beginning in Italy in the early 1400s, the Renaissance spread north through Europe, flourishing throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. As a period, it is defined by the new Renaissance idea of ‘humanism’. This was inspired by the scholarly thinking and ideals of Ancient Greece and Rome, specifically the Roman concept of humanitas, an amalgamation of the Greek ideas of philanthrôpía (love of humanity) and paideia (education of the ideal citizen). Humanism promoted the worth of man as individual within society above all else. Coupled with a growing interest in nature, Renaissance art is characterised by an increasing adherence to realism, such as the introduction of perspective in painting. Although religious and mythological subject matter remained the dominant themes, depictions of holy or mythical figures were drawn from real life. The Renaissance period held classical learning in the highest esteem. Greco-Roman notions of symmetry, proportion and geometry are also reflected in the art and architecture of the period.