What is Art History?

History of Art and Architecture is about the study of images, objects and buildings. It is unique in developing high levels of visual literacy applicable to a range of career pathways. It explores why works of art look the way they do and seeks to discover what they say about the societies that created them. It develops skills in visual analysis, critical assessment, and communication.

 

Do you enjoy…

• Looking at and thinking about paintings, sculpture, and architecture?
• Exploring the many historical and contemporary meanings to be found in works of art?
• Putting into words what you think about the richness and complexity of visual culture?

 

History of Art and Architecture: The course for you?

History of Art and Architecture will appeal to those interested in museums, galleries, architectural heritage, and visual culture. It provides students with essential knowledge and skills for documenting and analysing works of art and architecture. It hones an ability to describe and critically analyse images, builds a rich visual memory, and develops skills in research and its presentation. Students do not need any previous knowledge of art history or any practical skill in art to take this course.

 

History of Art and Architecture at Trinity

Trinity boasts a wide range of expertise in art and architecture from the medieval to contemporary periods. Direct experience of objects, artworks, and buildings is fundamental to the discipline and Dublin’s impressive collections of paintings and sculpture, together with its rich architectural heritage provides an ideal basis for study. The proximity of Trinity to the city’s many museums and galleries renders site visits a central and distinctive feature of the undergraduate programme, and particular emphasis is placed on student engagement with the national collections. The Douglas Hyde Gallery, one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art galleries, is situated at Trinity. The Trinity campus is famous for having some of Ireland’s most outstanding buildings, from the eighteenth century up to the present. The university also has a major collection of manuscripts, paintings and sculpture, and a student committee assists the curator in managing this collection.