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History of Art with Italian BA (V4R3)

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Explore our History of Art with Italian degree at Warwick

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We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

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V3R3

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Bachelor of Arts (BA)

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3 years full-time

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26 September 2022

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History of Art

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University of Warwick

3a

Art history is the study of creative activities in the visual arts and built environment. It involves perspectives from archaeology, faith and gender studies, cultural anthropology and visual perception. It will develop your skills in visual and critical analysis, evaluation of a range of sources, presentation and written communication, and will prepare you to thrive in the modern workplace in the art world and beyond.

3b

This degree provides an opportunity to develop a broad understanding of art history, alongside a good understanding of Italian art and culture. You will develop your ability to research and analyse text and images from different viewpoints, equipping you for careers that require an ability to think analytically, to present ideas with clarity, and to communicate effectively with others.

Your home department will be History of Art, with some modules taught by the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. You will study a rich and varied range of art history, from the present day to the Middle Ages, with a particular focus on Italian art and culture alongside integrated Italian language classes. You will be taught by research-active academic staff in small-sized classes to ensure close supervision and support throughout your degree.

3c

You can choose your own route through the degree, supported by core modules that establish the essential framework of the course. There is an increasing amount of choice from the first year onwards, and you choose the subject of your dissertation, under expert guidance.

In the first year you will take four core modules and one short module in History of Art. During the second year you are required to take two core modules plus one module in the Italian department and one long-view module in History of Art.

In the final year you will take two core modules plus one special subject in History of Art and one module in the Italian department.

3d

Modules are taught either through weekly lectures combined with seminars, or through small-group seminars alone. The fundamental importance of the direct experience of works of art is emphasised at every stage of your degree.

Seminars in galleries and museums, or site visits to key monuments and buildings, are integrated into modules. You can also study a studio-based Practical Art module in your second year.

3e

Class sizes are normally 10-12 people.

3f

In Year One you will have on average 10 hours of contact time (including lectures, seminars, field trips and tutorials) and around 27 hours of independent study per week. We provide written feedback on essays with the option of tutorials to discuss them further, and one-to-one tutorials during the preparation of your dissertation.

3g

Most modules have 50% coursework and 50% examinations but this varies between modules.

Your second and final year contribute 50% each towards your final mark.

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Study abroad

In your second year, you will spend the autumn term in Venice, where you will study the city's art and culture at first hand with our team of Renaissance and Contemporary specialists. You will be based at a study centre close to the Grand Canal, which provides a focus for our teaching and research activities in the city.

As part of all of our courses you have the opportunity to study abroad for a year with one of our partner institutions, or with the University of Monash in Australia.

The Study Abroad Team offers support for these activities, and the Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.

4a

A level typical offer

ABB. You will also need a foreign language (modern or ancient) at GCSE grade C or grade 5.

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is BBB. You will also need a foreign language (modern or ancient) at GCSE grade C or grade 5. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

4b

IB typical offer

34. You will need a foreign language (modern or ancient) at GCSE grade C or grade 5, or alternatively as a Standard or Higher Level IB subject.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 32. You will need a foreign language (modern or ancient) at GCSE grade C or grade 5, or alternatively as a Standard or Higher Level IB subject. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

4c

We welcome applications from students taking BTEC qualifications, either alone or in combination with A levels. Our typical BTEC offers are as follows:

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate plus 2 A levels: D plus AB
BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus 1 A level: DD plus A
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: D*DD

You will also need a foreign language (modern or ancient) at GCSE grade C/grade 5

5a

Year One

Introduction to Art History: Classicism and the Arts of Christianity

You will have the opportunity to carry out a historical survey of Western art, concentrating on Late Antique, Medieval and Renaissance art. You will learn skills and techniques that will allow you to describe accurately what you see, in terms of how an object is made, as well as its form and iconography. These core skills will form your foundation for later modules.

Introduction to Art History: The Natural World and the Arts of Modernity

You will study a thematic approach to the history of Western art, stimulating comparisons across time and space and exploring a wide spectrum of images and ideas, including those related to architecture and the applied arts. You will acquire introductory analytical and communication skills required for a good understanding of the field, including areas which will be useful for the study of later modules.

History of Art and Interpretation

In this module, you will enhance your awareness of the relationship between art and its historical and physical contexts, and of approaches to the work of art which can help you understand them. You will consider works of art in context at Waddesdon Manor and at other collections. You will learn the techniques and practices of interpretation which will be useful for later modules.

Modern Italian Language for Beginners

Would you like the challenge of learning a new language at university? This foundation module for absolute beginners combines the acquisition of core language skills with knowledge of broader aspects of Italian culture, equipping you with the tools to engage with a wide range of relevant, contemporary topics in Italian. Opportunities to practise your Italian vary from role play to quizzes, working both individually and in your group. Successful completion will mean you are able to hold a conversation in Italian, read newspapers and get the gist of TV and radio programmes in Italian.

Modern Italian Language 1 (Intermediate)

Do you need to consolidate and expand your competence in Italian while enjoying talking about culture and society? If so, this is the module for you. You’ll be given opportunities to revise fundamental grammar and vocabulary before acquiring more complex grammatical constructions, including through translation. We will integrate cultural topics with your linguistic studies, so you have the chance to explore areas such as tourism, the arts, the environment and Italian traditions. You will have opportunities for individual and group presentations and to engage in activities that integrate the skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. By the end of your course, you’ll be expected to be able to write competently in several registers, using appropriate styles and terminology, and to converse in Italian to a good standard.

Modern Italian Language 1 (Advanced)

Would you like to use your Italian A level (or equivalent) language skills creatively? This module will develop your linguistic and intercultural competence in Italian by means of advanced activities, including creative writing, translation, debates, presentations and drama. You will explore linguistic structures using resources in a variety of media and engage with authentic and sophisticated texts to compare cultural systems and express your opinion critically and creatively. In translation, you will experiment with different genres, registers and styles to enhance your cultural appreciation of Italian. Finally, you will have opportunities to explore cultural subjects and lead group discussions.

Year Two

Exhibiting the Contemporary (taught in Venice)

You will consider the importance of exhibitions for the interpretation of contemporary art and architecture. Based in Venice, you will study current exhibitions both within and outside the frame of the Biennale, in conjunction with texts on contemporary exhibition-making, curating, and museum and exhibition history.

Venice: Rise and Myth (taught in Venice)

You will examine the art and architecture of Venice in the light of its unique physical, political and cultural location. You will study key examples of architecture, painting and sculpture in the light of their commissioning, manufacture, consumption and subsequent critical fortune.

Modern Italian Language 2

This module will extend and refine your competence in Italian. With an emphasis on the key skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing, you will consolidate your proficiency in both new and familiar grammatical and linguistic structures, and expand the range and sophistication of your vocabulary and use of register in spoken and written discourse. In addition to classroom exercises, advanced discursive written work and oral projects, you will also be directed to appropriate activities for self-study.

Modern Italian Language 3

On this module, you will develop your translation, writing and oral communication skills to advanced level. You will engage in translation as a practical skill, working to produce translations of literary, journalistic and academic texts with a focus on conveying nuances of meaning and culturally specific terms. You will develop greater fluency in different writing styles and genres. Oral sessions will increase your familiarity with more sophisticated registers of spoken Italian and raise your awareness of recent developments in Italian society so that you can discuss aspects of contemporary Italy in relation to your personal experiences.

Year Three

Practices of Art History

You will examine a range of theoretical approaches from the discipline’s beginning in the early 19th century to contemporary debates. By exploring questions of theory and method, you will develop the skills of critical reading and the evaluation of evidence. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own theoretical allegiances, and to consider how these will shape your dissertation.

Dissertation

Modern Italian Language 3

Modern Italian Language 4

Building on Intermediate year language, you will deepen your writing, speaking and translation skills, paying particular attention to register and style and learning some of the underpinning translation theory. We approach translation not just as a linguistic exercise but as a practical skill, so you will work to produce translations of literary, journalistic and academic texts, and explore techniques for conveying semantic nuances, culturally specific terms and more sophisticated registers of spoken Italian. Both the writing and oral components of the course will raise your awareness of recent developments in Italian society and enable you to discuss relevant aspects of contemporary Italy in relation to your personal experience.

Another approved module in Italian

5b

Year One

Architecture
Prints
Sacred Art
Sculpture
Fakes and Forgeries
Painting Techniques
Landscape

Year Two

Art since the 60s
Italian City States in the Age of Dante and Petrarch
A Fine Tomorrow: British Art and Culture in the 1950s
Practical Art
Art of the Baroque
The Renaissance: North and South
Art and Disruption, 1900 to Present Day
The Spaces of 17th-century Dutch Painting
The Aesthetic Movement

Year Three

Deconstructing Medieval and Early Modern Buildings
Colour and its Meaning
The Thirties: Art and Society in inter-war Britain
Reality after Film
Visual Art and Poetry
Latin-American Modernism: 20th-century Objects, 21st-century Exhibitions
East Meets West: Visual Arts in Colonial and Post-Colonial India
Leonardo: Art and Science

6b

There may be costs associated with other items or services such as academic texts, course notes, and trips associated with your course. Students who choose to complete a work placement or study abroad will pay reduced tuition fees for their third year.

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