Department of the History of Art

With internationally important collections of paintings, drawings and sculpture in the Ashmolean Museum and the Christ Church Picture Gallery, as well as regular contemporary art exhibitions at Modern Art Oxford, Oxford is the ideal place to study the History of Art.

We also take advantage of Oxford's world-renowned architecture dating from Saxon to modern times, and make use of our proximity to London to make regular visits to important collections like the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain. All our courses feature a strong emphasis on working with original art objects and buildings.

Our History of Art field trip to Paris is among the best in the country.

The field trip taken by students in their second year is among the best and longest established in the country, and unlike some other art history field trips is assessed, making it more intense and far more rewarding.

Studying Art History at Oxford Brookes

We offer a single honours degree in History of Art as well as the opportunity to combine History of Art with one of a range of other subjects from arts, humanities and the social sciences in a combined honours degree.

The postgraduate programme includes the MA in Art History (currently undergoing redevelopment), and the research degrees of MPhil and PhD.

Great Career Prospects for Brookes Art Historians

Brookes History of Art graduates have entered a wide range of professions including:

• museums and galleries
• arts dealers
• auction houses
• publishing
• arts management and administration
• conservation
• journalism
• advertising and teaching.

History of Art Alumni also include an MP, a novelist, and the editor of a well known magazine. Many also go on to study at masters and doctoral level.

Main Research Areas

Matthew Craske is an expert in Eighteenth and Nineteenth century British visual arts.

Elizabeth Darling works on 20th century British architectural history with a particular interest in inter-war modernism, social housing, and gender.

Harry Mount works on British art and art theory from 1685 to 1850, the reception of Dutch seventeenth-century painting, and issues in reception, art theory and historiography.

Christiana Payne's research interests are in nineteenth-century British landscape and genre painting, with a particular emphasis on the representation of the poor

Charles Robertson works on a range of Renaissance topics, particularly the relationship between painting and architecture and issues of representation with reference to printmaking.