B.A. in History of art & architecture Course at Trinity College
Is this the right course for you?
History of art and architecture appeals to a wide range of students, as well as those with special interests in art, archaeology and history. It will provide you with an effective way of developing intellectual rigour and of acquiring the critical and communication skills traditionally associated with an arts degree. You do not need any previous knowledge of art history or any practical skill in art to take this course.
Course content
This course teaches you how to analyse works of art and how to understand their historical significance. It will enable you to develop an awareness of the environment while also providing you with a deeper sensitivity to the culture and ideals of other nations.
You will take a broad range of courses covering the history of painting, sculpture and architecture from ancient Greece to modern times. Topics available include early Irish art, the art of the Italian Renaissance, the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, the architectural splendours of the Georgian era and the artistic achievements of the twentieth century. There are also courses on non-Western art such as Japanese painting.
Trinity offers excellent facilities for the study of history of art and architecture and its own distinguished buildings and collections are integral to the course. The National Gallery and National Museum are located nearby and provide the venue for group and teaching activities. Other institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Chester Beatty Library are also used. As a student, you will be expected to become familiar with various collections and buildings in Dublin.
The Junior Freshman year
In the Junior Freshman (first) year you will take two courses:
An introduction to European painting: As well as providing a historical survey, covering major periods such as the Italian Renaissance and French Impressionism, this course will introduce you to the methods and techniques of art history. These include the critical analysis of paintings, the importance of iconography, and the different technical methods used by artists from the Book of Kells to the present day.
An introduction to European architecture: This course provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and appreciate architecture. It includes an examination of different building materials and architectural drawings as well as training in the visual analysis of buildings. These topics are part of a historical survey of Western architecture, which ranges from Greek temples to the present day. Special attention is given to important building types such as the medieval monastery or the country house.
An introduction to the practice of Art history This course provides an introduction to art-historical methodologies and issues, and is based around written and web-based assignments
These courses amount to a weekly total of four lectures, two seminars and a two-hour Small Group session.
Years two, three and four
Over the course of the Senior Freshman, Junior and Senior Sophister years, you will have the opportunity to take courses in the following areas:
Romanesque art and architecture
The Gothic cathedral in France
Painting and sculpture in 17th-century Europe
Painting and sculpture in Renaissance Italy
Renaissance and baroque architecture in Italy
Architecture in the 19th and 20th centuries
Eighteenth century painting in Britain and Ireland
Art in France 1850-1900
Dutch and Flemish painting
Modernism and post-modernism
The arts of Japan
Approaches to art history and criticism
These courses comprise a weekly lecture and a seminar in alternate weeks.
The special subject
If you elect to study history of art and architecture in the Senior Sophister (fourth) year, you will select a subject dealing with art-historical issues at a more specialised level. Where possible, you will be given the opportunity of studying primary sources and particular emphasis is placed on personal observation and interpretation of original works of art, whether painting, sculpture or architecture. Examples of special subject topics include Irish art in the golden age c. 650-950, topics in post-medieval architectural classicism, Spanish painting from the Escorial to Goya, painting in Ireland and Britain 1800-1900, and Irish modern and contemporary art.