Program Overview

Art of the 20th Century

Key Facts

• Cost: Ł210
• Credits: 10

Summary

During the 20th century, visual art underwent many radical changes, making this period of art history both exhilarating and daunting. This course will demystify the art of this period, taking in a global perspective and providing a focused analysis of many key art movements, artists, and ideas during this time. Students will be introduced to the important debates and controversies which surround such a wide variety of art and will be guided through the huge shifts in how art was made, what it was made from, and even what can constitute an artwork in the 20th century. The final week will conclude with a guided visit to an art gallery.

Course Aims

This course aims to:

• Extend students knowledge of art history through the focused analysis of 20th-century art.
• Develop students critical awareness of the subject by identifying the wide variety of stylistic and cultural components of art created during the 20th century, examining its place within the broader socio-political and cultural context of this period.
• Introduce students to some of the issues of methodology, historiography, and context which are associated with this period of study.
• Foster further transferable skills such as visual interpretation, independent learning, and written presentation skills.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate verbally and in writing, knowledge of 20th-century art, including major art movements.
• Critically analyze and interpret innovative and influential works of 20th-century art in terms of its imagery, function, methods of production, and stylistic and cultural components.
• Identify and evaluate the historical, stylistic, and cultural components of 20th-century art, and the key debates surrounding it.
• Demonstrate independent personal study skills in art-historical research and the ability to pursue investigation of a work of art or a theme using library, museum, and gallery resources.

Target Audience

This course is for anyone with an interest in visual art and especially the late 19th and early 20th-century artist periods.

Qualifications/Credits

10 credits at SCQF 8 / Level 2. These credits can contribute towards the attainment of one of the following:

• Certificate or Diploma in Higher Education
• Certificate in Higher Education in History of Art

Assessment

• Essay (approximately 2000 words) from a choice of titles (75%)
• Visual test: identification and discussion of slides (25%). Alternative assessment can be arranged for students whose disabilities would prevent them from performing satisfactorily in the visual test.

Mode of Study

This 10-week course will be delivered via 2-hour seminars led by a tutor. Course materials will be provided via the online learning platform.

Prospects

This course can further your study of the history of art at university level.

Available Sessions

• Date: 13/01/2026 - 17/03/2026
• Day: Tuesday
• Time: 10:00 - 12:00