History of Art

History of Art is one of the most relevant and influential subjects on offer in the sixth form. If you are interested in the world around you, in stepping back through time to learn about the ideas and values of people across the world, then you will love this course. History of Art A Level explores how and why the style of art and architecture changes over the centuries and links formal academic study with the development of sustained and structured argument.

This course will provide you with the skills to understand and confidently evaluate important works of Western art from the ancient world to the present day. You also learn about the fascinating lives and personalities of artists and how specific events affected their output. It complements and enhances a wide range of other A Level courses and can lead to a wealth of career opportunities and University courses. If you want to become an architect, art advisor or investor; gallery curator; journalist; film or television stylist, or get into the wider business world that depends so heavily on visual literacy, (eg: advertising, fashion or travel) then this course is for you.

Staff List

Ms Katie Lintott
email: katie.lintott@stcatherines.info
Katie joined St Catherine's in 2022 after having been Head of Art History at Surbiton High School and previously Head of Art History at St Swithun's School, Winchester. She graduated from her BA degree at the University of Warwick in 2009 and her MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2011, specialising in 16th century Venetian art. Katie is an examiner for the Pearson History of Art A-level and has a special interest in the Baroque and 19th century British and French art as well as contemporary Chinese art, history and politics.

Curriculum - A Level

Examination Board: Edexcel

Why study History of Art?

Art History is one of the most relevant and influential subjects on offer in the Sixth Form. The development of visual literacy and cultural understanding of your own history and that of others is a vital stepping stone into the multi-cultural, image conscious world in which we live. In Art History, you will examine architecture and artefacts from across the globe, exploring the contextual, political and stylistic influences and impacts of key works.

This is an essay based subject and you will need to develop your skills of reading, research and analysis in conjunction with your writing skills. History of Art is a genuinely fascinating course which is inter-disciplinary by nature, combining aspects of history, art, politics, sociology, literature and languages. You do not, by any means, need to be a practising artist (as History of Art is a humanities, not practical subject), although all artists will find this course adds extra depth to their own work and development.

Course Content

This a two year course leading to a full A Level. The course begins with an Overview of Western art and an introductory Visual Analysis module, before embarking on two Themes (Identities and Nature). These thematic studies will include the examination of artworks from across the world and within over 2000 years of history. In Upper Sixth we will explore two Periods of Western Art History (the Baroque in Catholic Europe, 1597-1680 and British and French Art, 1848-1899) to provide students with in- depth knowledge and artistic analysis to pair with their broad understanding of the thematic study.

Assessment

Paper 1: Visual Analysis and Themes (3 hours, 50%)
Paper 2: Periods (3 hours, 50%)

Workshop & Trips

All students will get a chance to attend lectures in London as well as the annual Ways of Seeing Conference, run by the Association of Art History at the National Gallery. Students will also have the opportunity to compete in the renowned national ARTiculation Prize. This is a national competition focused on speaking, thinking and presenting on an artwork of the students choice, with the final being held at and hosted by Clare College, Cambridge and run in conjunction with the National Gallery.

There are plans for a residential trip to Florence in conjunction with the Art department to explore the blockbuster art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance.

Reading Lists and Websites

Reading Lists

There is a huge amount of information available in books and online. This is exciting and makes material easily accessible – just do be careful to check the reliability and expertise of the sites: don’t necessarily believe everything you read unless the provenance is sound!

The first text book for A Level History of Art was (finally) published in 2015 and I recommend:
Huntsman, Penny ‘Thinking About Art’ (Wylie Blackwell, 2015) for all those who are interested in the subject.

Good general introductions include:

Graham-Dixon, Andrew; ‘Art:The Definitive Visual Guide’
Nuttgens, Patrick; ‘The Story of Architecture’
Gombrich ‘The Story of Art’

Websites

Try some of these website links too: moving picture can offer a more complete impression of architecture in particular than a single photograph in a book:

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