Main picture:

 

The lover-poet resting on his bed, his sword propped by his pillow, his writing materials, spectacles and books laid out on a chest next to an enclosed garden symbolising his unrequited love. From an illuminated manuscript of the Roman de la Rose, the most widely read and debated medieval love poem. Thomas of Oxford’s Jesse window at Winchester College epitomises the skill and craftsmanship of the medieval glazier. The variety of artistic production during the middle ages has remained an inspiration to subsequent periods of art. This panel depicting the ordination of the first Christian Saint, Stephen, is carved on reused elephant ivory during the Carolingian period in the late 9th century, probably at Metz. It once formed part of a casket with stories of the life of the saint. The Wessex Jewel is an Anglo-Saxon gold and rock crystal aestel (manuscript-pointer) was made at almost the same time as the great jewel of King Alfred, and is one of only four such objects in the world to have survived from 9th century England.
The artist Jean-François de Troy was himself a member of the wealthy sophisticated Salon society of Paris in the 1720s. His tableaux de modes depict the luxuriously furnished interiors and rich textiles worn by the wealthy elite. The materials and methods of production and the creative forces behind the style and design of furniture help us to understand how the maker and designer transcended his craft to produce lasting works of fine art. Understanding a work of art sometimes requires more than agility of mind. This bearded mask of Heraclitus is part of a Régence ormolu-mounted and Boulle brass-inlaid clock, probably made by André-Charles Boulle himself, c,1720
The Modern and Contemporary Art programme shifts emphasis each year to take in the latest contemporary shows such as the decennial Sculpture Project at Münster. Pawel Althamer, Path (Sciezka), 2007. Courtesy Münster Sculpture Project. Jorge Pardo, Detail, Untitled , 2007, Installation View from the exhibition 'I Love My Wife', Neugerriemschneider Gallery , Berlin. Olafur Eliasson, installation view Six tons of Vatnajökull ice taken from Jökulsárlón on the south coast of Iceland, cooling aggregate, styrofoam, wood, lacquer dimensions variable. 2006, Installation View from the exhibition, Neugerriemschneider Gallery , Berlin. Experiencing the Venice Biennale is unlike experiencing any other contemporary art exhibition in the world. Image Courtesy John Slyce.
An integral part of the Arts of China course is the two week field study which takes in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei. Cang Xin in his Beijing studio discussing his work with students. Works © Cang Xin. Courtesy of Cang Xin Your visit to Hong Kong will coincide with the major Christie’s sales and you will be able to preview the works being auctioned. There is no substitute for being there

The Christie’s Part-time Course

This is a flexible course that provides a foundation of knowledge in art history. This part-time course can be taken for pleasure with no obligatory academic work, but students can also opt in to the Certificate Option to complete assessed work. It enables students to gain a knowledge of art and the art world through participation in a structured but relaxed environment.


Students receive a letter of attendance indicating the level of their participation on the course. This can be issued at the end of each term or at the end of a full academic year.

The course aims to:

  • Introduce students to the broad range of art in their chosen programme
  • Increase visual awareness through direct contact with works of art
  • Enable students to take part in debates about issues current to art history
  • Provide first-hand knowledge of the wide range of public and private spaces

By the end of the course you should be able to show:

  • Awareness of the historical and social contexts in which works of art are produced
  • Understanding of the techniques, materials and processes involved in producing works of art
  • Confidence in presenting ideas and opinions about works of art
  • Knowledge of how curators and gallerists interpret through display

There are 4 Programme Options:

A. Arts of Europe

  • The Art and Culture of Ancient Iraq, Persia, and Egypt
  • Depiction of the Human form in Greek and Hellenistic Art
  • Architectural Form and Meaning in the Ancient World
  • Art, Politics and Power during the Roman Empire
  • The New Art of the Early Christian era
  • The Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Illuminated Manuscripts and Metalwork
  • Sacred and Luxurious Art before and after Charlemagne
  • Byzantium and its culture
  • Colour and Narrative in Medieval Stained Glass, Panel Painting and Illuminated Manuscripts
  • Ivory, Enamels and Textiles from the Treasuries of Europe
  • The Birth of Italian Painting: Duccio, Giotto and the Trecento
  • International Gothic and the Princely Courts of Europe
  • Re-inventing Sculpture and Architecture in early Renaissance Europe
  • Icons of the High Renaissance: Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo

B. Art, Style and Design

  • Renaissance cultures in the North and South
  • Masters of the High Renaissance: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael
  • Counter cultures – Mannerism in Painting and Architecture
  • Power and propaganda in the Baroque
  • Ceramics, Science and Industry
  • Rococo delights – pleasure, politics and style in 18th Century Europe
  • Furniture and interiors in early modern society
  • Neo-classicism: tourists, artists and amateurs
  • Regency: formality, informality and social mobility
  • Arts & Crafts movement: ethics and reform
  • Art Nouveau from Mackintosh to Gaudi and beyond
  • Art Deco: the luxurious face of modernism
  • Warhol and Pop: the threshold of contemporary art

 

C. Modern and Contemporary Art

  • Modernity: capitalism, city, empire in Nineteenth Century French painting from Edouard Manet to Paul Gauguin
  • Modernisms: ideals of abstraction and expression in painting and sculpture from Paul Cezanne to Mark Rothko; Auguste Rodin to Anthony Caro
  • Photography: dialogues with Fine Art from Alfred Stieglitz to Nan Goldin
  • Avant-gardes: subversive strategies and critical debates - Futurism, Dada, Russian Constructivism
  • Surrealisms: psychoanalysis, sexuality, the body - Salvador Dali, Hans Bellmer, Louise Bourgeois
  • Beyond painting: performance, actions, objects - Jackson Pollock, Yves Klein, Yoko Ono
  • Postmodernism: consumerism, simulation, identity - Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Chris Ofili
  • Contemporary: installation, globalisation, participation - Gabriel Orozco, Sophie Calle, Alfredo Jaar
  • Artists' talks by internationally renowned and emerging artists such as Martin Creed, Carey Young, Jimmie Durham
  • Curators' talks: sessions led by innovative independent museum curators such as Emma Dexter, Simon Morrissey and Anthony Kiendl

D.Arts of China

  • Neolithic and Bronze Age art, culture and burial practices
  • The establishment of lacquer, silk, jade and painting traditions
  • Buddhist art in China from the Han to the Qing dynasties
  • The Silk Road and the international status of ceramics, precious metals, paper making and printing
  • The golden age of the Song dynasty: ceramics, painting, calligraphy, lacquer and sculpture and the reinvention of the past
  • Liao and Yuan artistic production under foreign rule
  • The rise of Jingdezhen, China’s major porcelain centre
  • The re-establishment of Chinese rule under the Ming dynasty and its artistic expression
  • Imperial patronage of court and religious art, imperial academies and ateliers.
  • Exchange between China and the West and the export arts of China
  • The efflorescence of the arts during the reigns of the three great Qing emperors
  • Modern and contemporary art and society.

 

Certificate

In order to achieve a Christie’s Education Certificate students must participate in all course work and fulfil the following requirements:

  • Complete three ten-week terms (these need not be taken consecutively, but all three should normally be taken within a three-year period of study)
  • attend a minimum of 80% of all lectures
  • complete all slide tests
  • complete all essays
  • make one presentation around their course journal at the end of the year

Students on the certificate option will be assigned a course tutor who will guide them through their studies during the year.

Study Trips

All UK study trips are included in the basic course fee; attendance is not compulsory, but encouraged.

All options offer two additional Study Trips abroad annually. Part-time students may participate in these for an additional fee.

How to Apply

There is no application fee. Applications are made by completing the form available online. To download the form, simply click the Apply Now button available on each course option page. Applicants will be asked to attend for interview based on the information they provide on the form. Any queries concerning the application process should be addressed to the Admissions Officer at admissions@christies.com.

Interviews

We believe it is important for future students to have an opportunity to meet the course leader in order to discuss the suitability of the course and the applicant’s plans for the future. Interviews normally last about 40 minutes and applicants will be asked to discuss a selection of images as well as their particular interests. Applicants will be formally notified of the outcome of the interview within 10 days.

Entry Requirements

The Christie's Part-time Course is open to mature students of all ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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