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: Explore the pioneering art of the British artist Dame Laura Knight

Join us to explore the vast spectrum of work by Laura Knight, pioneer woman artist who pushed all the boundaries she encountered. Throughout her life and career she pursued her creative path with determination and independence which resulted in a prolific output of paintings demonstrating the rapport she developed with her subjects. Laura Knight depicted coastal communities in North Yorkshire & Cornwall, the ballet & circus, gypsy community with informal observations full of insight and compassion for her subjects. additionally her War paintings and landscapes provide further exploration of her vast repertoire. the course material will comprehensively cover aspects of all these themes. This course is for learners who have a strong interest in Art with experience of previous study and a particular interest in this artist and discovering her work.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 30/04/2024 -
Tue 11/06/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Rachel Holland-Hargreaves
Course code:
Q00014165
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Art Appreciation: American Art c1800-1914

In this course, we will discuss a range of works produced by American artists during the period from around 1800, when the United States was still a relatively new nation, to about 1914, by when it was established as a global economic superpower. We will explore how art engaged with social developments and historical events over this period of rapid expansion. This will be an opportunity to consider the work of some artists (such as J A M Whistler, Mary Cassatt, and John Singer Sargent) familiar to European audiences, and others (such as Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, Thomas Eakins, and George Bellows) who are much lauded in America but less well-known in Britain.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 01/05/2024 -
Wed 05/06/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Prasannajit De Silva
Course code:
Q00014842
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Art Appreciation: The National Gallery - History and Highlights

In 2024, the National Gallery celebrates the 200th anniversary of its foundation. This is a great occasion to come back on the gallery’s fascinating history, from 1824 to 2024, and discover some of the collection’s highlights. Why was the National Gallery created, and how? What does it mean to be “the nation’s painting collection”? How do acquisitions happen? What are the visitors’ favourite paintings? How are the paintings preserve? We will answer these questions and more over this four-week course.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 02/05/2024 -
Thu 23/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Ripley Arts Centre (Bromley)
24 Sundridge Avenue
Bromley
BR1 2PX
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00014670
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
5 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £40.00

Art Appreciation: Local Artists Colchester Part 2

This 5-week course delves into the works of five local artists, featuring Cedric Morris, Aline Gowen, Roderic Barrett, Richard Beford, and Mildred Blakiston. Each week explores key art concepts including, colour and composition through samples of their work. You will engage in group discussions, take notes, and recall information. By the end of the course, you will be able to notice significant local artists, describe their artistic methods, spot similarities and differences among local artists, deconstruct essential components of artworks, and select a preferred piece based on personal opinion.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 10/05/2024 -
Fri 14/06/2024
Times:
10:15am - 12:15pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Castle Methodist Church (Colchester)
Maidenburgh Street
Colchester
CO1 1TT
Tutor:
Abbie Cairns
Course code:
Q00015386
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

Art Appreciation: The Architecture of Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor

We will investigate the extraordinary range of architecture produced by Christopher Wren, and see how his principal assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor went on to develop his own remarkable designs for churches in London, country houses and the universities. We will set out how, following the Restoration, Wren, as a mathematician, became the pre-eminent English architect of his time. Hawksmoor and John Vanburgh developed Wren’s architectural style into what became known as the “English Baroque “- we will consider the key features of this style and show how it related to Baroque in mainland Europe. This day school will combine short lectures with discussion sessions, backed up by colour-illustrated notes.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 11/05/2024 -
Sat 11/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
Keith Hasted
Course code:
Q00013788
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £36.00

Art Appreciation: The Art of the Romanovs

The Art of the Romanovs focuses on the artistic achievements of the Romanov dynasty from its founding in 1613 until its demise during the Russian Revolution in 1917. A study of the portraits of Romanovs which adorned their Summer and Winter palaces in St. Petersburg founded by Peter the Great to the impressive art collection of Catherine the Great housed in Hermitage, and the exquisite Faberge Easter eggs exchanged between Romanov family members now scattered around the world. Imperial palaces, paintings, jewellery, for 300 years the Romanovs had it all, and then the last Tsar Nicholas II lost it all.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 11/05/2024 -
Tue 11/06/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00014488
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: The Art of Ukraine

The Art of Ukraine traces Ukrainian art history within the historical and political contexts of the country, starting from the golden age of Kyvian Rus’, its role within the Russian Empire, and then as a Soviet Socialist Republic part of the USSR until its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022 an interest in knowing about Ukrainian art has grown, with Ukrainian art historians, critics, and curators raising the profile of Ukrainian art, artists, and art movements to keep alive the history of Ukrainian Art as distinct from the history of Russian Art.

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 12/05/2024 -
Sun 16/06/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00014498
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

History: Women Collectors, Dealers, and Museum Directors

This course is an Introduction to the ground-breaking women collectors of 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Powerful women who had the means to create extra-ordinary art collections which became the foundations of some of the most important art museums in the world. The course also examines pioneering women dealers of the 20th and 21st Century who boldly invested in artists and created new art markets for modern art. As well as trailblazing women art museum directors, the first to be appointed in their museum’s history, redefining contemporary art in the 21st Century in their mission to promote more women artists.

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 12/05/2024 -
Sun 16/06/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00012160
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: Hockney and Nature with Roger Wotton

David Hockney is acclaimed internationally as a great artist. Born in Bradford in July 1937, he showed artistic talent from a young age and has used many different approaches to explore portraiture, still life, opera sets, and landscapes. In three sessions, we will learn about his early influences and the way he has used various techniques to explore subjects. Special emphasis will be placed on Hockney’s attitude to nature, how it is portrayed, and the way in which the natural world is important to him.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 13/05/2024 -
Mon 03/06/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Friends Meeting House (Berkhamsted)
289 High Street
Berkhamsted
HP4 1AJ
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00013903
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £30.00

Art Appreciation: Matisse

Come and learn about the life and art of Henri Matisse, one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. Inspiring and informative, this study-day will present the main stages of his career, from Fauvism to the Cut-Outs. We will analyse in detail some of his iconic works such as “the Bonheur de Vivre”, “the Dance”, “the Red Studio”, and the album of cut-outs, “Jazz”.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 18/05/2024 -
Sat 18/05/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00013790
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £36.00