Giotto to Van Gogh: Colour in Art

Colour plays a vital role in our understanding and enjoyment of painting and sculpture. Explore how colours were made and used by artists and sculptors, and learn their hidden meanings through expert-led online teaching. 

Painting and sculpture have long been rich in colour. This course explores pigments from the Middle Ages to the late nineteenth century, examining their origins and how artists produced them. Colour shapes composition, meaning, and narrative across fresco, tempera, oil, pastel, and watercolour, guiding the viewer’s eye and intensifying impact. Hues like red, green, blue, and yellow can symbolise ideas or identify figures in religious scenes. Subtle brushwork can suggest texture and form. Scientific advances introduced new pigments, while artists from Monet to Van Gogh to Matisse experimented with colour to create atmosphere, drama, and expressive innovation in modern artistic practice. 

This course runs online every Tuesday for 5 weeks. Not able to join live? You can also enjoy all of the course content on catch up at a time to suit you - plus you'll get an extra 5 weeks to catch up once the course ends.
 
For more details on how our courses work, see V&A Academy online questions · V&A.

This course is suitable for participants aged 18 and over.