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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Art Appreciation: Hilma af Klint: Swedish painter, spiritualist and pioneer of abstract art

The emergence of abstract art in the early 20th century was a revolution. When looking into its very beginnings the names of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian come to mind. But in the 1980s, the world discovered the abstract paintings made by a Swedish artist, as early as 1907. Should her many abstract paintings encourage us to rewrite the history of abstract art, or can her work and experiments be seen as marginal because of her intense spiritualism? Why did her works come to our attention so late? This is a thought-provoking case, and a great story!

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/04/2025 -
Mon 07/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019199
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

Art Appreciation: Painting in the 21st Century

This course views painting produced in the twenty-first century. The course will include developments of figurative and abstract painting. There will be views of artists already prominent in the twentieth century and newly emerging artists from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the 1930s to those born in the 1980s. The course will attend to direct visual experience of reproduction of the works involved linked to elements of comprehension and understanding through a considerable range of exciting encounters and engagements. This course will put an emphasis on developments of figurative and abstract painting in the twenty-first century. There will be views of artists already prominent in the twentieth century and newly emerging artists from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the 1930's to those born in the 1980's.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 08/04/2025 -
Tue 27/05/2025
Times:
11:15am - 1:15pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Allen Fisher
Course code:
Q00016750
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

Art Appreciation: The Unique Architecture of Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí’s works in Catalonia are world-famous. Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia and the Park Güell come to mind as two favourite spots. In this session, you will learn about the life of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1862-1926) and discover his main creations. We will study the well-known works, but also lesser-known ones, such as Casa Vincens and “El Capricho”. This will be a session filled with bright colours and exuberant shapes, as well as with interesting history as we connect Gaudí’s unique style to its cultural context.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 09/04/2025 -
Wed 09/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019196
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
3 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.

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 11/05/2025 -
Sun 15/06/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017477
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
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Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

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.

Course Information

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:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

Art Appreciation: Art and the Arts in 1960s

An oversimplified view but still a very useful one is that in the 1950s there was still largely a respect for “tradition”. By contrast the 1960s saw challenges to all traditions and conventions. In many areas of public and private life, traditional conventions were challenged. In the theatre world, “kitchen sink drama” appeared. In the visual arts, artists produced even more abstract individualistic products, with “installations” replacing paintings and sculpture. Music became even more experimental. In the course, these developments and many others will be illustrated, including projects of the decade which we still enjoy.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 15/05/2025 -
Thu 19/06/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Tutor:
Colin Lomas
Course code:
Q00017378
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £72.00

Art Appreciation: Renaissance art in 16th century Europe

This course in art appreciation provides close attentions to particular works of art from Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer to Michelangelo and Pieter Breughel. The focus will be upon specific paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings in relation to who the works were for, how the decisions about visual presentations were determined and the integration of pictorial practice with contemporary ideas. The course uses a secure digital learning portal for all the classes and for communications with the tutor and access to learning materials. The course would be appropriate for both experienced viewers of art and those new to the subject.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 03/06/2025 -
Tue 22/07/2025
Times:
11:15am - 12:45pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Allen Fisher
Course code:
Q00019460
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: Paul Nash: Dreamer of the Modern World.

scover the fascinating life and work of 20th century artist, Paul Nash. Chart his significant impact on British art from 1914 to his death in 1946: from his experiences as Official War Artist during both World Wars; and his contribution to the development of British Surrealism and modern landscape. The course explores also Nash’s fruitful collaboration with his wife, the writer and Suffragette, Margaret Odeh. Central to this course will be a focus on Nash’s interest in spirituality and Eastern philosophies, exploring how his paintings articulated certain subjects and motifs that helped him make sense of a world of conflict.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 13/06/2025 -
Fri 11/07/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Blue Beetle Room (London)
Hendon Lane
Finchley
London
N3 1TR
Tutor:
Chantal Condron
Course code:
Q00017396
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.00

Art Appreciation: Who's the Muse? Eileen Agar, Claude Cahun and Isabel Rawsthorne

What is a muse? How and why has this convention endured for centuries? On this focused course, we explore the identity and representation of the muse through the lives and work of three female artists: Claude Cahun (1894-1954), Eileen Agar (1899-1991) and Isabel Rawsthorne (1912-1992). Each week we focus on one artist, examining their individual backgrounds, training and a range of influences that helped to shape their practice across either painting, photography or sculpture. By exploring their work and artistic intentions we will discuss how the traditional concept of the modern muse was powerfully subverted by each of the artists.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/06/2025 -
Thu 10/07/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Tutor:
Chantal Condron
Course code:
Q00017374
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £36.00