St Mary's School Calne

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History of Art

Image'A picture is worth a thousand words'

Paintings can be very complex and in this subject we learn to ‘read’ works of art in order to understand their meaning and find out what they tell us about the world in which they were made.

AS Level History of Art 

This is similar to a foundation year, giving an introduction to the subject from ancient beginnings to present day; it is studied in 3 parts:

  • Module 1 involves looking at works of Art and Architecture; learning how to describe and discuss their appearance.
  • Module 2 is the study of Art and Architecture from Ancient Greece to the High Renaissance, looking at how styles change and develop.
  • Module 3 is the study of Art and Architecture of the modern world, and includes study of new artistic styles and movements 

A Level History of Art

This builds on the foundations laid at AS Level, and involves the in-depth study of two art historical periods, it also has a coursework element.

  • Module 4 involves a 3,000 word essay on a subject of the student’s choice.
  • Module 5 is the study of English Baroque architecture including such buildings as St Paul’s Cathedral and Blenheim Palace.
  • Module 6 is a detailed study of Impressionist paintings by artists such as Monet, Renoir and Degas.

We study the AQA History of Art AS GCE 5251, A GCE 6251 syllabus.

The study of History of Art involves many visits to Art Galleries and places of architectural interest. It is a very popular Sixth Form subject and many students go on to study History of Art at university. It is a subject that really does involve ‘lifelong’ learning – it will bring cities and art galleries to life, whenever you visit them in the future.