Art History courses in Ireland

ONLINE A brief overview of art from beginnings to modern times, and also a detailed look at the work of some artists. Through a careful reading of art, we can better understand our common history. A key objective is to help you derive more from your gallery visits home and abroad. Gallery visit(s) included. Tutor:…

This Art History course offers students a wide range of art-historical approaches to the art and architecture of Ireland and the abundant holdings of European and World art in Ireland. It is an opportunity to study modern and contemporary Irish art, the remarkable collections of medieval manuscripts in Dublin, the links between Irish and European…

Introduction to Art History A foundation course of art history exploring the development of Western Art from Classical Antiquity to 20th Century. The survey of main periods in art history introduces to key concepts, major artists and iconic artworks. In these enjoyable classes topics are discussed together to develop visual skills enabling students to engage…

This module presents a thematic overview of the global intersections and relationships of Western visual and material culture across a range of historically located examples. Topics are explored in this module under the broad themes of knowledge and discovery and empire building. Through these lenses lectures will explore topics as diverse as the Wunderkammer, Islamic…

This History of Art course examines the influence of different global cultures on the history of Western art from the medieval period to the twentieth century. Organised thematically, it will consider how different factors such as religious conversion, trade and the age of discovery on artistic styles and techniques and introduced new fashions to Western…

This module will focus on some of the most important architects working in Europe during the six-teenth and seventeenth centuries. It will be organised around key architects and their works will be studied together with their theoretical production. The module aims to introduce students to the ideas shaping architecture in the period 1500-1700, to examine…

This twenty-one week course is available part-time to students who already have a general knowledge of the history of art and design, and have an interest in expanding their understanding of twentieth century art, design and visual culture. The course involves analysis of visual images, library research and group based discussion. This module is mandatory…

This course examines global postmodern and contemporary art from the 1950s to the present day. It will discuss transformations in media, authorship, spectatorship, display, and distribution, along with the globalisation of art through art markets, biennales, artistic networks, and museum franchises. Students will learn about key developments such as Pop, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Performance, Computer…

This lecture-only module offers a survey of Western architecture from c.1520. It provides an introduction to the critical analysis of building types. The module considers such matters as issues of style, the functions architecture, as well as the range of technical methods employed by architects in the context of influential factors such as historical period,…

This lecture-only module offers a survey of Western painting and sculpture from c.1520. It provides an introduction to the critical analysis of artworks and considers such matters as the iconography of major religious and mythological subjects, issues of style, the functions of works of art and architecture, as well as the range of technical methods…

This module offers a survey of architecture up to the end of the seventeenth century, with a focus primarily, although not exclusively, on the Western world. It introduces the critical analysis of buildings and the spaces that they occupy considering issues of style, function and technical innovation. Architecture is considered in the context of influential…

This module offers a survey of art up to the end of seventeenth century, with a focus primarily, although not exclusively, on the Western world. It provides an introduction to the critical analysis of artworks, including painting, mosaic, fine metalwork, manuscripts, and sculpture. The module considers such matters as the iconography of major religious and…

This module considers objects and places from the medieval world that have accumulated multiple meanings over time. Challenging the narrative of a ‘clash of civilisations’ between Islam and Christianity, it focuses on the entangled histories of art and architecture in the medieval Mediterranean, examining through case studies the mediatory role of art, material culture and…

This module is an exploration of Italian art – painting and sculpture – from c.1300 to c.1700 in the major centres of Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, and Milan. The era is distinguished by a revived interest in Italy’s classical past and the emergence of humanist philosophies, and the impact of both on art over a…

Online Art Appreciation course. Learn how to ‘read’ a painting and appreciate modern and contemporary Irish artists.

The module will study some patterns of artistic development in Britain, France and Ireland, with reference to the circumstances found in the main centres of production. It will explore the roles of the major artists of the period such as Gainsborough, Hogarth, Angelica Kauffmann, and Reynolds; H.D. Hamilton, Hone and Roberts, and Boucher, David, Adélaïde…

This course presents a thematic introduction to Irish art, architecture and design in its broader international context. Subjects will be connected across periods and styles – the focus not on presenting individualised summarised histories but rather considering how aspects of Irish visual history are connected and have evolved over time. Lectures will include the identification…

This module presents a thematic overview of the global intersections and relationships of Western visual and material culture across a range of historically located examples. Topics are explored in this module under the broad themes of appropriations and the ‘other’ and cultural geographies. Through these lenses, lectures will explore topics as diverse as orientalism, photography…