Art history is more than just a study of paintings and sculptures; it’s a gateway to understanding cultures, societies, and the human experience through visual expression. As the world becomes increasingly image-driven, the role of art history has never been more relevant, and its future looks promising. At the National Extension College (NEC), we are […]
Tag: history of art
Lesley retired and moved to Italy where she took her love of art history online
Lesley took early retirement in April 2020 and moved to Italy. Prior to that she had worked as an engineer for about 30 years in the UK and Azerbaijan. With a passion for art history and having completed a course in Art Appreciation with the Art Institute, Lesley was searching for A level History of […]
NEC’s top courses for classics connoisseurs
The crowdfunded return of Time Team proves support for our interest in hidden histories. Although there has always been an interest in ancient history, the 2011 publication of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Mary Beard’s international bestseller SPQR in 2015 solidified an uptick of literature retelling the mythology of ancient Greece and […]
Rediscovering self-belief through A level History of Art
When NEC student Rosa decided to give herself a second chance at further education, it was not for lack of success the first time round. She had achieved 11 GCSEs and 3 A levels with good grades, “so from an objective data point of view, it was positive”. At the same time, however, she hadn’t […]
Deepening an interest in history through A level History of Art
NEC student Sarah has always loved studying and education, having taken 3 A levels at school and gone on to study history at University before completing an MPhil. She went on to use her history qualifications in her career, working in history, media and heritage. Sarah now works as an editor for a history website […]
How can studying improve your teaching?
As Head of Art at an academy in South East London, Aasha understands how difficult it has been for teachers to adapt to a new way of teaching. In the following article, she explores how studying on NEC’s A level History of Art course has improved her teaching and benefited her students. Why choose A […]
Studying A level History of Art as a teacher to deepen knowledge and grow confidence
Daisy is a newly qualified Arts and Design secondary school teacher and she is studying the new A level History of Art with NEC to help her become a more confident teacher. Daisy has completed a BA, MA and PGCE in the creative arts at the University of Bristol. Daisy noticed, during the course of […]
Women in art history and the resurgence of Artemisia
This blog post was written by NEC A level History of Art student Fleur. Due to themes and images that may be disturbing to some readers we have cropped the images – the full paintings can be viewed by clicking on the images. “You will find the spirit of Caesar in this soul of a […]
Where can I access art online?
In the first of a new series, NEC student Fleur talks about her experience studying A level History of Art during the coronavirus lockdown, and where you can access great works of art online. What I think about when I think about art “(…) For the first time ever, images of art have become ephemeral, […]
“If you can read the world around you, you can change the world around you.”
Art history has long had an undeserved reputation as something for the privileged. However, in today’s increasingly visual world, it is more important than ever. From Instagram to advertising, Netflix to magazines, we absorb images often without giving any critical thought to what we are seeing. Studying art history shows us how to read images, […]