For undergraduates, Humanities sessions take place on Wednesdays, chiefly during the Autumn and Spring terms.  All first year students commence with an introduction to art history course.  Students then go on to more specialist study relating to their studio practice.

Conservation and Historic Carving students attend lectures either in front of objects or else at the School, on the history of European architecture, sculpture, decorative art and ornament. 

Fine Art students study Western history of art and a history of ideas in the visual arts.  They also participate in seminars based around contemporary ideas and themes affecting fine art practice.

We believe that Humanities study and studio work should sustain and enhance each another, engendering in students a good observational ability and a deeper awareness of the historical contexts underlying contemporary studio practice. When students have to submit written assignments and theses, they are encouraged to investigate subjects that are of genuine interest to them and to develop their written ideas and skills through one-to-one tutorials.  Working to the generally accepted academic standards of research, documentation and presentation is regarded as important.

We favour leading any discussion of art with images and with close-to-hand visual experiences, stemming from what is currently on public view in London.  Beside this engagement with the contemporary scene, we also organise occasional study trips to artists’ studios, historic sites and to exhibition spaces outside London.  Equally, we invite historians, experts, artists, critics and writers to the School to deliver special lectures and lead seminars.  The School is small enough to allow all students to meet together on Humanities days, and this lends a lively atmosphere to the sessions.

The staff of the Department are each experts in certain fields of art history who at the same time have an engaged interest in contemporary fine art practice or else conservation/carving practice.

STAFF teaching in the Humanities department this year include:

Emma Biggs

Roberto Cavallino

Matthew Collings

Sue Jenkins

Vivienne Lawes

Tom Lubbock

Jeremy Musson

Paolo Plotegher

Rachel Steward

Marjorie Trusted

Magdalena Wisniowska

Past staff include:

Mary Rose Beaumont

Julian Bell

Polly Ellis

Simon Watney