Membership
Treat yourself or a loved one with the gift of Membership: enjoy free access to all exhibitions, access to our Members’ Room, priority booking to evening talks, and much more.
Join today
Art and the City: Ancient to Modern
Year course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
This course explores the vibrant relationship between art and the metropolis from Antiquity to the present day. It will examine case studies on ancient Athens and Rome, medieval visions of the city, Renaissance Florence, Rome and the Baroque, Paris and Impressionism, Berlin and the inter-war period, New York and the Abstract Expressionists, as well as considering the development of the art world and artistic communities in cities such as London and Vienna.
Year Course Director
Dr Kathy McLauchlan
Dr Kathy McLauchlan is an art historian specialising in French painting and the academic tradition. She completed an MA in 19th century painting and a PhD on the work of art students at the French Academy in Rome at the Courtauld Institute, University of London. Kathy has worked the Open University, Birkbeck College, NADFAS and Morley College.
I love that fact that the lectures are linked with insightful tours of the antiquities held in the V&A, making a real connection to the programme and lectures pertaining to the relevant times. 2014/15 Year Course Student
Delve deeper into the subjects you love
Enjoy thought-provoking lectures and access to the V&A collections in a group who share your passion. Refreshments served on arrival each day. Year course students are eligible for NUS student cards, and have the option of a certificate of completion
Course overview
Autumn Term
12 weeks, 19 September – 5 December 2016
BCE 600-CE 1500
As cities developed in the Middle East and then Greece, the arts increasingly came to symbolize their wealth and power. We consider some of these cities and the impact on the arts of developments in religion, power and trade.
Spring Term
13 weeks, 9 January – 3 April 2017
c1500-1850
This term concentrates on the complex interaction between artists and urban communities, starting with the Renaissance period. The geographical scope extends from Cadiz in the west to Moscow in the east, and includes the rise of northern cities including Bruges and Antwerp.
Summer Term
13 weeks, 24 April – 17 July 2017
1850-2000
Cities became cultural rivals during the 19th and 20th centuries, with Paris and then New York emerging as capitals of art. The 20th century city became the focus for new conceptions of human society, from capitals of communist revolution to garden city utopias.
Enrol now
Year course: Art and the City: Ancient to Modern
19 September 2016 - 17 July 2017
£1,600.00 - £2,360.00
Call to book +44 (0)20 7942 2000
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)
