都柏林圣三一学院

What is Art History?

History of Art and Architecture is about the study of images, objects and buildings. It is unique in developing high levels of visual literacy applicable to a range of career pathways. It explores why works of art look the way they do and seeks to discover what they say about the societies that created them. It develops skills in visual analysis, critical assessment, and communication. Direct experience of objects, artworks, and buildings is fundamental to the discipline and Dublin’s impressive collections of paintings and sculpture, together with its rich architectural heritage provide an ideal basis for study. Students do not need any previous knowledge of art history or any practical skill in art to take this course.

History of Art and Architecture: The course for you?

History of Art and Architecture will appeal to those interested in museums, galleries, architectural heritage, and visual culture. It provides students with essential knowledge and skills for documenting and analysing works of art and architecture. It hones an ability to describe and critically analyse images, builds a rich visual memory, and develops skills in research and its presentation.

History of Art and Architecture @ Trinity

Trinity boasts a wide range of expertise in Irish and European art from medieval manuscripts to contemporary art, while its renowned collections provide a rich body of material for study and analysis. Learning about art and architecture in this unique historical and artistic environment greatly enhances student experience of the discipline. The proximity of the university to the city’s many museums and galleries renders site visits a central and distinctive feature of the undergraduate programme, and particular emphasis is placed on student engagement with the national collections. The Douglas Hyde Gallery, one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art galleries, is situated at Trinity. The University also has a major collection of paintings and sculpture, and a student committee assists the curator in managing this collection. Students of History of Art and Architecture at Trinity develop skills in visual analysis which are rooted in direct experience of art and architecture.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

In recent years graduates have been employed as lecturers, curators, editors, and writers in universities, galleries, museums, publishing houses and art salesrooms in Ireland and abroad. These include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Universities of Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, and Saint Andrews, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Irish Architectural Archive, and University College Dublin. History of Art and Architecture is particularly important in developing skills in visual analysis which are valuable across a wide range of career paths. Graduates have worked in a broad range of administrative, commercial, and media-based employment and have commented on the usefulness of visual literacy in marketing, public relations, and journalism.