Short Courses

Three-day short courses are also offered by Christie’s Education to enable students to become completely immersed in a particular topic. Courses run annually include Introduction to Jewellery and Introduction to the Arts of China.

An Introduction to Jewellery

While most of us enjoy wearing jewellery, we are not always aware of the many influences on its design. This short course aims to introduce the stylistic themes of jewellery of the last two hundred years.

Jewellery has always been linked to fashions in dress but is affected also by discoveries of new sources of materials such as in the gold rushes of the nineteenth century, or the introduction to the gem setting trade of platinum at the turn of the twentieth century.

The opening up of the diamond mines in South Africa also contributed to the increased popularity of this precious gemstone. Even archaeological discoveries such as the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 1920s had an impact on fashionable jewellery.

Throughout the second half of the nineteenth century the many International Exhibitions helped to introduce the arts to a much wider public and by the beginning of the twentieth century improved methods of communication spread ideas with even greater rapidity and jewellery styles became more international. The population upheavals of two World Wars saw many European craftsmen moving to America, bringing that nation into a major position as a maker of jewellery in the twentieth century.

During this course there will be a visit to Christie’s salerooms to hear an expert talking about some of the things to consider when purchasing jewellery at auction, and there will also be a visit to study some of the materials used in the making of jewellery. There will be something catering for everyone’s taste and pocket, from the costliest of gems to the simplest of sentimental trinkets.

An Introduction to the Arts of China

Interest in the arts of China has never been greater. This three-day programme provides an introduction to Chinese art, with emphasis this year on ceramics, sculpture and contemporary art. Morning illustrated lectures will explore the development of Chinese aesthetic principles. In the afternoons, participants explore objects first-hand, which will enhance visual literacy and confidence in evaluating Chinese works of art. London has some of the finest collections of Chinese art, and viewing sessions will take place at the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Participants will also visit London galleries specialising in Chinese art. By the end of the course, students will have developed not only an appreciation for one of the world’s greatest artistic traditions, but also a greater discernment of Chinese art in a variety of media. The programme provides a perfect platform for further studies in the Arts of China.

Antiquity to the Renaissance: An Introduction to Early European Art

This three-day programme provides an introduction to the arts of this fascinating period through a series of morning lectures followed by visits to major London collections in the afternoons. Starting with an introduction to the sculpture of classical antiquity the course will examine the developments, transformations, rejections and revivals associated with the European classical heritage. Material connected with the Byzantine, Medieval and Renaissance civilisations will be looked at and discussed in the illustrated lectures and in the afternoons London’s rich collections will allow first hand exploration of themes developed in the morning sessions. By the end of the course students will have developed an appreciation of the ways in which ancient artistic styles and iconographic themes have woven through the history of European art.