History of Art Department
The History of Art is studied only at AS and A2 Levels and very few of you will have much previous knowledge and none is expected. Provided you are committed to hard work and the pleasure gained from studying beautiful, fascinating and interesting works of art, we will be delighted to teach you, to take you on trips and to share our enthusiasm and hard work.
Head of Department: Mr Iain Young
A Level
Qualifications
Although no specific grades are now required at GCSE it is an essay-based subject and your English language skills should be good. We expect a strong commitment to hard work and you will need to learn to use your eyes critically and intelligently so that you gain the fullest enjoyment from this fascinating subject.
Course Aims
We aim to make you aware of the History of Art as an exciting academic discipline, discovering the materials, styles and techniques of artists and also setting art and architecture in an historical perspective. In this context you will be taught social, religious, political and cultural history in addition to visual analysis of the works themselves.
Course Requirements
Weekly essays are set, together with note-taking and class discussion and you will be taken on regular visits to London, Oxford and elsewhere to study works of art at first-hand. In addition, you are expected to visit galleries and museums and to read and research widely in your own time. As part of your A2 course you will need to use School, local and national library facilities during the holidays.
Visits Abroad
We always arrange a visit abroad and so Florence, Venice, Rome and New York are among the cities visited. In addition, we also visit Paris and hope to organise visits to other European cities, including Bruges, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid and Prague.
Course Specifics
The exam board (AQA) prescribes two modules for the AS course, all taken in June of the first year.
AS
Module 1 (Visual Analysis and Interpretation) - the study of the formal aspects of images and how they contribute to a work's meaning.
Module 2 (Themes in the History of Art) - study of art and architecture - classical world to the end of the twentieth centry (500BC to 2000AD).
It will be necessary to pass the AS exam modules first time to proceed to the A2 course.
A2
Module 3 - a study of Seventeenth Century European art and architecture
Module 4 - a study of Eighteenth Century European art and architecture
Societies
A History of Art Society meets during the term with guest speakers. The best students will also be invited to join The Pitt Society, a small group which meets regularly to discuss and debate important cultural issues around a particular country or theme. The opportunity of a visit to that country is part of membership of The Pitt Society.
Course Value
This subject is considered a full academic A Level by all universities and because of its breadth and cross-curricular study it is welcomed as a good Arts subject which both complements other Arts and/or may be studied with non-Arts subjects. Past students report that the vital essay, visual and critical skills which you will acquire from this course helped them tremendously in their university careers. Equally importantly, they have also enjoyed the subject and welcomed the opportunity to travel and see works of art at first-hand.