Art History Now - HOA00015C
Module summary
This module introduces students to the formative debates and current concerns of the modern discipline of art history.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
What is art? Who is an artist? Is there an art-historical canon? How does art and architectural history differ from other subjects? Can art history be global?
With these and other questions in view, this module introduces you to the formative debates and current concerns of the modern discipline. Through a weekly combination of guided reading, practical tasks and group discussion, you will develop your critical skills and confidence as an emerging art historian, challenging familiar assumptions and engaging with current debates about the remit and reach of art history today. Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to test and permeate the borders of the discipline: to recognise art history as an expanding field, with competing claims for its 'global' reach and relevance; and to consider, for example, when and where histories of design, craft or fashion become art-historical concerns.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should have acquired:
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Familiarity with salient issues and debates within the discipline
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The ability to navigate and make productive use of specialist resources
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An awareness of, and ability to evaluate, a range of art-historical writing.
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Understanding of how to present academic work in appropriate formats
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
You will receive feedback on assessed work within the timeframes set out by the University - please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.
The purpose of feedback is to help you to improve your future work. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further, you are warmly encouraged to meet your Supervisor during their Office Hours.
Indicative reading
- Juneja, Monica. Can Art History be Made Global? Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023.
- Margolin, Victor. World History of Design. London: Bloomsbury, 2017.
- Robertson, Jean, and Deborah Hutton. The History of Art: A Global View: Prehistory to the Present. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2021.