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Introduction to Art History
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations. Find out more >>
Tickets available from 10.00 on Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Discover art, from the Classical to the Contemporary. Join V&A experts for an introduction to hundreds of years of European art history.
From the Classical to the Medieval, Renaissance to Rococo, or the Pre-Raphaelites to the Cubists – have you ever wondered how to make sense of the different styles, movements and developments in art? Join a host of popular V&A Academy course tutors on this introductory art history course, to explore hundreds of years of evolving artistic practices. Boost your confidence in unravelling the context and histories of artistic production, and discover how social, historical and technological changes have shaped European art.
This course runs online every Tuesday for 10 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 10 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.
This course runs online every Tuesday for 10 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 10 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.
Course Leader
Dr. Jacqueline Cockburn
Jacqueline is an art historian and linguist. After a career in academic teaching at Birkbeck college, University of London and Westminster School, she is now a freelance lecturer. Jacqueline is Managing Director of Art and Culture Andalucía running residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region.
These short courses give a really good introductory insight into a something you may want to discover more about, and at a pace and time that suits you. What's not to like! Previous V&A Academy Online course attendee
Course overview
This course offers an introduction to European art, from the Classical world right up to the current.
Weekly lecture topics include:
What is Art History? Understanding Visual Analysis
Rebirth – the Art and Culture of the Early Italian Renaissance
The Weird and Wonderful World of Surrealism
…and many more!
What is Art History? Understanding Visual Analysis
Rebirth – the Art and Culture of the Early Italian Renaissance
The Weird and Wonderful World of Surrealism
…and many more!
By the end of this course, you will understand the many ways Art History helps us to unravel different art movements and styles. You will learn how artists have helped shape society, and how their techniques have evolved over time. Through study of architecture, sculpture, paintings, metalwork, ivory carving, photographs, drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, and other objects, you will explore hundreds of years of European art, and get to know the men and women who made it.
Ready to dive deeper? Take a look at the full course programme by clicking 'download programme' below.
Ready to dive deeper? Take a look at the full course programme by clicking 'download programme' below.
Membership Priority Booking will open at 10.00 BST on Wednesday 24 June 2026. General Booking will open at 10.00 BST on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations. Find out more >>
Enrol now
Online course: Introduction to Art History
6 October 2026 - 8 December 2026
£250.00
Tickets not available yet
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
