Appreciate art through learning

Our Art History courses will give you a deeper understanding of what you're looking at. When it comes to art, everyone's has their own opinion on which artist is better than the other, and what their most famous work signifies.

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Through exploring the world of art history, you'll be learning about why pieces are made in the first place and what the pieces mean. You will also examine how that’s changed over a period of time, as well as the impact it’s had on society. 

You’ll be taught about many of the aspects from the art creation process, such as the materials used in artworks, and how different kinds of artists contribute differently in expressing their ideas through freehand drawing or digital media. 

Whether you're a seasoned art appreciator or a newbie, there's something here for everyone. From exploring art painted by Salvador Dali or learning all about the history of Nordic Art from the Viking era, we have a selection of online and in-person art history courses from different decades to choose from.  

Attend an Art History course near you  

Whether you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home, or opt for a space in your local community, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is an expert in their field. 

The support you’ll receive on our Art History courses

Your tutor will encourage you to develop an understanding of Art History that goes beyond what's on the surface, motivating you to truly immerse yourself in the subject. It’s our learning experience that sets us apart too, with an encouraging environment that ensures you attend each session with the excitement to learn.   

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The Emergence of Modern Art in Europe (1850 -1885): From Millet and Courbet to the Impressionists.

This 10-week course traces the radical changes in European art from 1850 to the mid-1880s. Beginning with Millet and Courbet’s realist challenge to academic traditions, we’ll explore how artists like Manet, Monet, and Degas revolutionised painting through new techniques, subjects, and compositions. As they did so, they often shocked the audience. Examining the social, political, and technological changes that fuelled these movements, we’ll uncover how modern art emerged in response to things such as modern urbanism, the development of the press, fashion and shopping, but also the invention of photography and commercialisation of the paint tube.
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Dates:
Fri 25/04/2025 -
Fri 04/07/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021311
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Art Practical: Find Your Own Painting Style - Intermediate

This course gives students - form improvers to intermediate - the opportunity to explore different painting approaches, techniques and subjects and find their own style. Our highly experienced tutor, who is a practicing artist, provides practical and supportive advice on colour mixing, composition and tonal variation, encouraging students to explore their own personal enthusiasms to make individual and highly original paintings. Photographs and other sources will be provided but students may use their own photos and objects. Step-by-step demonstrations help students learn the skills and techniques necessary to be able to paint more confidently.
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Dates:
Fri 25/04/2025 -
Fri 04/07/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
St Michaels Hall (Chichester)
Summersdale Road
Chichester
PO19 6PN
Tutor:
Frank Ferrie
Course code:
Q00017763
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

Art Appreciation - Art and the Arts 1950s

If there is such a thing, at any time the “national mood” in any country is reflected in the cultural products of the period - visual works, theatre productions, the movies, the literature. The course will provide an overview of the decade from the artistic and cultural viewpoint. This will include the art movements which emerged such as Abstract Expressionism, exemplified by people like Jackson Pollock, music developments such as rock'n'roll famously promoted by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and many others and epoch-making movies such as West Side Story
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Dates:
Fri 25/04/2025 -
Fri 30/05/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Colin Lomas
Course code:
Q00017739
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Art Appreciation: Japonism: The Influence of Japanese Arts on Modern Art.

Explore the captivating influence of Japanese arts on European modern art in the second half of the 19th century in this 3-hour session. We’ll dive into how Japanese aesthetics and culture reshaped European art in the late 19th century, inspiring artists like Whistler, Van Gogh, Monet, Cassatt, and Redon. Through ukiyo-e prints, minimalism, and asymmetry, Japan’s artistic elements transformed Western approaches to composition, colour, and subject matter. The session aims to deepen your understanding of what “Japanism” was, when and how it happened, and the ways it impacted movements such as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Art Nouveau. Perfect for art enthusiasts eager to trace the roots of cross-cultural exchanges that forever changed the trajectory of modern art.
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Dates:
Mon 28/04/2025 -
Mon 28/04/2025
Times:
9:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021342
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

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Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Art and Music Studies: Anniversaries and Exhibitions

The course aims to encourage learners to attend art exhibitions and/or musical events with a greater background knowledge in order to enhance appreciation. If actual attendance is not possible, to undertake independent research and hence, enjoy a more active and cultural lifestyle. The class also offers an opportunity for learners to interact socially with like- minded people in intellectual pursuits. It also encourages learners to acquire critical and analytical skills through debate and discussion. The course covers all styles and periods from the Renaissance to the present day. It is multi media to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. It is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike.
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Dates:
Tue 29/04/2025 -
Tue 10/06/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Ripley Arts Centre (Bromley)
24 Sundridge Avenue
Bromley
BR1 2PX
Tutor:
Andrew Rothwell
Course code:
Q00021629
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Art Appreciation: The Invention of Photography and it's Impact on Early Modern Painting

In this thought-provoking session, we will look at the links that can be drawn between the invention of photography around 1839 and the emergence of modern painting that a decade later. We will consider how painters used photographs, and how they felt challenged by this new type of images. You will learn about the invention of photography, around the inventions of Niepce, Daguerre and Talbot. We will examine early photographs by Nadar, Le Gray and many unknown photographers. Many paintings will also be studied, by artists such as Delacroix, Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Caillebotte.
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Dates:
Fri 09/05/2025 -
Fri 09/05/2025
Times:
9:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021436
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

Art Appreciation:Five Centuries of Women Sculptors

American art historian Linda Nochlin in 1971 posed the question as to “Why have there been no great women artists?”. Since then the field of art history has increased its focus on women artists. Yet women sculptors have been the most overlooked, overshadowed by their male counterparts, and under-represented in sculptural histories. This course will write them back into art history by focusing on the talented and accomplished women sculptors from the 17th Century to their transition through the centuries into the installation artists of the 21st Century.
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Dates:
Sun 11/05/2025 -
Sun 15/06/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017477
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: Art of the 19th and 20th Centuries

Modern Art’ arouses strong feelings - like it or loathe it! Explore Constable and Turner, understand the Pre- Raphaelites and the Impressionists. Trace the development of ‘Modern Art’ from the beginnings with Cezanne, through the revolutions of Picasso and Mondrian, to the British artists such as Tracy Emin and Antony Gormley. Discuss whether ‘found art’ such as Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’ or Tracy Emin’s ‘My Bed’ are really art at all. Examine the importance of modern art galleries. Understand the contexts and the development which have influenced art in the twentieth century.
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Dates:
Mon 12/05/2025 -
Mon 23/06/2025
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Brindley
Course code:
Q00009349
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

Art Appreciation: How to Look at Paintings? An Introduction to Visual Analysis.

Have you ever wondered how to look at a painting? This session will give you some keys to develop your understanding and appreciation of paintings. Learning the ‘Language of Looking’, you will be guided as to how to articulate an appreciation of art and to communicate your thoughts effectively to describe paintings. We will mainly study the technical and visual aspects of a painting: What is a painting made of? And how to look at its scale, format, colours, lines and texture? Also we will look at the cultural context of the setting of a picture to appreciate its visual meaning. This is quite literally an “eye-opener”, and should make your next visits to art galleries even more enjoyable!
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Dates:
Mon 12/05/2025 -
Mon 19/05/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021343
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80

Art Appreciation: How to Look at Sculptures; keys to Look and Appreciate 3-D Works of Art.

This engaging two-week course offers an introduction to the art of sculpture, teaching you how to observe, analyse, and interpret three-dimensional works across different periods and styles. From the idealised forms of classical marble statues to the bold, experimental nature of modern and contemporary installations, we will explore fundamental sculptural concepts such as form, mass, space, texture, and movement. Through a close study of key examples, you will also learn about essential techniques—including carving, modelling, casting, and assembling—as well as the importance of materials in shaping meaning and expression. No prior knowledge is required.
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Dates:
Mon 12/05/2025 -
Mon 19/05/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021480
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80