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Art History Now - HOA00015C

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  • Department: History of Art
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This module introduces students to the formative debates and current concerns of the modern discipline of art history.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

What is art? Who is an artist? Is there an art-historical canon? How does art and architectural history differ from other subjects? Can art history be global?

With these and other questions in view, this module introduces you to the formative debates and current concerns of the modern discipline. Through a weekly combination of guided reading, practical tasks and group discussion, you will develop your critical skills and confidence as an emerging art historian, challenging familiar assumptions and engaging with current debates about the remit and reach of art history today. Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to test and permeate the borders of the discipline: to recognise art history as an expanding field, with competing claims for its 'global' reach and relevance; and to consider, for example, when and where histories of design, craft or fashion become art-historical concerns.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should have acquired:

  • Familiarity with salient issues and debates within the discipline

  • The ability to navigate and make productive use of specialist resources

  • An awareness of, and ability to evaluate, a range of art-historical writing.

  • Understanding of how to present academic work in appropriate formats

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

You will receive feedback on assessed work within the timeframes set out by the University - please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.

The purpose of feedback is to help you to improve your future work. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further, you are warmly encouraged to meet your Supervisor during their Office Hours.

Indicative reading

  • Juneja, Monica. Can Art History be Made Global? Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023.
  • Margolin, Victor. World History of Design. London: Bloomsbury, 2017.
  • Robertson, Jean, and Deborah Hutton. The History of Art: A Global View: Prehistory to the Present. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2021.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.