HISTORY OF ART

History of Art

History of Art is a stimulating subject, which enables students to develop their historical, theoretical and critical understanding of art, including painting, sculpture and architecture. Students also explore links between art, its contents and its contexts, as well as evaluating the importance of art in the world. At Westminster Tutors, our students are surrounded by works of art, which they can study in detail, and they also enjoy lessons taking place at the many art galleries around London.

Course outline

Visual Analysis

Painting
Sculpture
Architecture

Themes

B1 – Nature in art and architecture
B2 – Identities in art and architecture
B3 – War in art and architecture

Periods

C1 – Invention and illusion: the Renaissance in Italy (1420-1520)
C2 – Power and persuasion: the Baroque in Catholic Europe (1597-1685)
C3 – Rebellion and revival: the British and French Avant-Garde (1848-99)
C4 – Brave new world: Modernism in Europe (1900-39)
C5 – Pop life: British and American contemporary art and architecture (1960-2015)

Assesment

A Level

Paper 1: Visual Analysis and themes

Assessment on two of the themes B1-B3
110 marks
3 hours written paper
50% of total A level

Paper 2: Periods

Assessment on two of the periods C1-C5
110 marks
3 hours written paper
50% of total A level

Selection of works

Theme B1 - Nature in art and architecture

Students choose one specified artist/architect from each type, and two works by each:

Painting/2D art

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
JMW Turner (1775-1851)
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986)

Sculpture/3D art

Giambologna (1529-1608)
Barbara Hepworth (1903-75)
Barry Flanagan (1941-2009)
Richard Long (1945-)

Architecture

John Nash (1752-1835)
Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926)
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
Santiago Calatrava (1951-)

Students choose at least six additional works, at least three of which must be selected from the list of works from beyond the European tradition (one from each type):

Painting/2D art

Wen Zhengming, Wintry Trees, 1543 (British Museum)
Mansur, Zebra, 1621 (V&A)
Hokusai, The Great Wave, c.1830 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Bessie Nakamarra Sims, Possum Dreaming, 1995 (Brighton and Hove Museums)

Sculpture/3D art

Double-headed serpent, 1400-1521 (British Museum)
Tipu’s Tiger, 1772-99 (V&A)
El Anatsui, Erosion, 1992 (Smithsonian)
Ai Weiwei, Sunflower Seeds, 2010 (Tate Modern)

Architecture

Temple of the Jaguar, Chichen Itza, Mexico, c.800
Angkor Wat, Cambodia, 12th century
The Bahá’í House of Worship, New Delhi, India, 1986
Yeang, Mesiniaga Tower, Malaysia, 1992

Theme B2 - Identities in art and architecture

Students choose one specified artist/architect from each type, and two works by each:

Painting/2D art

Jan van Eyck (1390-1441)
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69)
Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842)
Vincent van Gogh (1853-90)

Sculpture/3D art

Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828)
Grayson Perry (1960-)
Yinka Shonibare (1962-)
Marc Quinn (1964-)

Architecture

Inigo Jones (1573-1652)
Christopher Wren (1632-1723)
Richard Rogers (1933-)
Zaha Hadid (1950-2016)

Students choose at least six additional works, at least three of which must be selected from the list of works from beyond the European tradition (one from each type):

Painting/2D art

Bichitr, Shah Jahan receives his sons, 1628 (Royal Collection)
Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait along the Border Line between Mexico and the USA, 1932
Liu Cunhia, Chairman Mao en route to Anyuan, 1967
Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence (part of Women of Allah series), 1993-97

Sculpture/3D art

The Sultanganj Buddha, 7th century (Birmingham Museum)
Shiva Nataraja: Lord of the Dance, 12th century (V&A)
Benin plaque showing the façade of the Royal palace, 1550-1650 (British Museum)
Michael Tuffery, Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000), 1994 (Museum of New Zealand)

Architecture

Lakshamana Temple, Khajuraho, India, c.930
The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China, 15th century
Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, 1558
Nayyar Ali Dada, Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore, Pakistan, 1992

Theme B3 - War in art and architecture

Students choose one specified artist/architect from each type, and two works by each:

Painting/2D art

Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863)
Francisco Goya (1746-1828)
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Otto Dix (1891-1969)

Sculpture/3D art

Antonio Canova (1757-1822)
Henry Moore (1898-1986)
Jenny Holzer (1950-)
Jeremy Deller (1966-)

Architecture

François de Mondion (1681-1733)
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841)
Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944)
Daniel Libeskind (1946-)

Students choose at least six additional works, at least three of which must be selected from the list of works from beyond the European tradition (one from each type):

Painting/2D art

Night attack on the Sanjo Palace, 13th century (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Miskina and Sarwan, Akabarnama: Mines exploding during the siege of Chitor, c.1586 (V&A IS.2:66-1896)
Iri and Toshi Maruki, Fire, Panel 2 of the Hiroshima Panels, 1950
El Salahi, The Inevitable, 1984 (Tate Modern)

Sculpture/3D art

Kneeling Archer, Terracotta Army, 210 BCE (Shaanxi)
Haniwa Warrior in keiko armor, 6th century (Tokyo National Museum)
Elephant Armour, 1600 (Royal Armouries, Leeds)
Dadang Christanto, They give evidence, 1996-97 (The Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney)

Architecture

Himeji Castle, Hyogo, Japan, 1333
Fasil Ghebbi Castle, Gondar, Ethiopia, 1632-67
The Golden Fort, Jaisalmer, India, 1156
Kenzo Tange, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Tokyo, Japan, 1955