History of Art was never my plan for university, but transferring to it from Chemistry was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has a false reputation among the uninformed for being conservative and snobby, but I’ve found it to be one of the most vibrant, diverse, and inclusive humanities subjects, with by far some of the best career prospects.
What do you study?
First year is all about teaching you the basics, in a fun and creative way that prepares you for the more independent study later on. Art History Now introduces you to the subject itself and all its limitations, problems, and prejudices, and how it interacts with other subjects like anthropology. I also chose the Introducing Italian for Art History elective, because it’s an unusual module not widely offered elsewhere. I recommend it. Practices of Art History teaches you a selection of fundamental philosophic theories widely used to analyse artworks, while Objects in Focus, my favourite first year module, allows you to dive deep into artworks and see what you can find – no idea is too silly, because the weird ones are the best ones.
Second and third-year modules are the same, which is great because you have another chance to study any you missed out on in second year. There’s a wide and continuously evolving choice of topics. Art Law is extremely popular and expands your employment prospects. There’s a ton of fashion options, a lot of traditional options about British and Renaissance art, and a couple of really good theory and philosophy modules. And then there’s my favourites, the ones on ancient art, South Asian art, photography and modern art. Not everything will be of interest to you – it wasn’t to me – but there’s so many very different options that you absolutely will be able to follow your passions and discover new and unexpected interests.
What does the teaching consist of?
We almost never have lectures. I prefer this – weirdly – because the amount I had in Chemistry really wasn’t for me.
You take three modules a semester and for each module you’ll be set a few readings each week. But don’t panic, I don’t know anyone who manages to do all of them (don’t tell anyone I said that).
Almost all the teaching is seminars. These are small groups of people and one staff member. The purpose is to explore the set content in greater detail and clarify any difficult concepts. My favourite part is hearing the lecturer’s ideas and interpretations – you really do feel you’re in the presence of experts. You will be expected to contribute your opinions. However, the questions will always start out easy, and the lecturers are always friendly.
There are a lot of older students (like me!) and international students on the course, which is great because it means you always hear a lot of different perspectives. For a long time, I felt like my contributions were stupid – but I found out later on that a lot of people had found them really useful. So don’t overthink it! We all feel stupid sometimes – just don’t ever spend a whole seminar silent because you’ll never know if it’s a genius idea unless you share it.
And the exams?
I’ll be real with you; I’m a terribly slow essay writer and exam season is very painful for me. But the Department is very supportive and understanding. Every module always has a practice essay you get super detailed feedback on, which shamefully isn’t always the case at university. It’s a lifesaver, and the lecturers are truly happy to help with any anxieties or problems you might have.
A well earned and delicious exam season slushie from the campus Nisa
Why York?
York is famous among people working in the sector for being a great place to study art history. My source? The many people I’ve spoken to. The Department also runs a load of field trips to galleries around the country.
A cute hand-painted pot I bought from local artist Linda Wormald
What’s it actually like? Cut the propaganda
Good! I promise! And trust me, I know bad. I understand the struggles of university better than most, and the single most important thing is to study a subject you like, and if you aren’t happy, switch. History of art saved university for me. I struggled to come at all. In fact, I deferred my place last minute. I was very close to dropping out before deciding to gamble on switching subject.
I couldn’t recommend art history more honestly or enthusiastically to anyone considering it. Like any degree, it has its difficult parts, but I find it genuinely fascinating and rewarding to study in such a wonderful department. That’s what keeps me going.
Read more History of Art blogs.
One of the many beautiful mushrooms you can find on campus
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