Art History and Architecture
- Affords Visits to NYC Museums and Galleries
- Examines All Media
- Explores Style, Movements, and Forms
These courses provide a forum for exploring the world of art—from ancient artifacts and ruins to contemporary painters and photographers. You will tour New York City’s renowned museums and galleries with art historians and museum professionals, as you develop an understanding of the history, cultural context, and aesthetics of art movements and trends.
This Summer, study from anywhere in the world in the safety and comfort of your home through online or remote instruction.
Ancient and Islamic Jewelry
Explore the history of jewelry, from Neolithic times to the Persian shahs of the 20th century.
Art Shaping the American Identity
Explore American art from the colonial era to the 20th century.
Art Styles Through the Ages
Develop your eye for and your understanding of painting, sculpture, and architecture by building a foundation in the history of art.
Behind the Scenes in New York: Preserving a City of Historic Neighborhoods
Gain a community-based view of how neighborhoods use the New York City Landmarks Law to determine the future of their communities.
Changing Standards in Historic Preservation
This course examines what we seek to preserve and why, including the ever-changing standards in historic preservation.
Connoisseurship: Behind the Scenes
Deepen your knowledge of the art world by exploring the physical qualities of artworks and famous art scams.
Contemporary Architecture, 1990 to Present
Explore the most important developments in architecture since the 1990s—ideas, ideologies, projects, buildings, and cities.
Great Architecture of 20th-Century New York
Explore important architectural styles and buildings of 20th-century New York City.
Modernism: From Expressionism and Fauvism to Abstract Expressionism
Explore major movements that defined and shaped art in the 20th century and still influence art produced today.
Monet's Cities: Paris, London, Venice, and Giverny
Explore Monet’s art and the locations that inspired him.
Saints in Medieval Art
Explore depictions of saints in art and architecture.
The Bauhaus: Modernism in Art, Architecture, and Design
Explore the historical, aesthetic, and ideological background of the Bauhaus.
The Feminine in Art
Explore how societies perceive women, maternity, and motherhood through art.
Contemporary Photography: From Markus Brunetti to Mickalene Thomas
Learn about prominent contemporary photographers and the stylistic approaches they use to depict the human body, architecture, and other subjects.
Islamic Art History: A Focus on Cairo
Explore the history, architecture, and artistic importance of Cairo.
The Art Market: New Realities and New Strategies
Gain an understanding of how the global art market operates and examine how business is conducted.
The Changing City: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
In eight illustrated lectures, see how New York neighborhoods change with the times, and how the look of the City itself changes.
Friendships and Rivalries in Modern Art
Explore the roles that friendship and rivalry had in inspiring modern art’s greatest masterpieces.
The Art Scene
Explore New York City’s museums and galleries virtually to gain insight into the meaning of and inspiration for today’s art.
American Women Artists: 1900-1945
Explore the art and careers of extraordinary American women artists from 1900 to 1945.
Islamic Art History
Join us for a visual journey into the riches of the arts of the Islamic world.
Pivotal Early Works by Great Artists
Explore the early works of famous artists that would change art history.
Preservation Planning and Practice
Receive a comprehensive introduction to preservation planning in New York City.
The Met at 150
In honor of its 150th anniversary, learn about the history of The Metropolitan Museum of Art from its founding in 1870 to present day.
The Russian Century: Art from 1917 to 2017
Explore the history of Russian art from the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century to the nonconformist art of the later Soviet era.
Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer: The Golden Age of Painting
Learn about the artistic achievements of Spain and the Netherlands and discover unexpected affinities among its legendary artists.
American Architecture and Urbanism
Explore 400-plus years of urban and suburban architecture in the United States.
Art and Architecture of the Ancient Roman City
Explore art and architecture of and learn about daily life in ancient Rome.
Developing Connoisseurship: Learning to Look
Learn the art of connoisseurship, and gain an understanding of why one artist or painting is considered to be “better” than another.
German Art: From Impressionism to the Bauhaus
Learn about key German artists from 1880 to 1945 and their contribution to artistic movements, from impressionism to the Bauhaus.
German Art: From Postwar to Now
Learn about important art movements and artists in Germany from 1945 to today.
Historic Gathering Places of the Avant-Garde
Explore the legendary salons, coffeehouses, cabarets, and clubs frequented by important artists and writers of the 20th century.
Imagining the East: From Architecture to the Decorative Arts
Explore Middle Eastern influences on fine art, decorative art, and architecture.
In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at The Met
Explore masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age in conjunction with a new exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Inside "Outsider Art": New Collectors, New Exhibits
Learn about the mixed-media movement of “outsider art”—its history, influences, artists, and presence in New York collections.
New York in the Jazz Age: Art Deco Architecture from Tribeca to the Upper West Side
Through five walking tours, trace the influence of the brash new style of art deco as it transformed 1920s New York City into a modern metropolis.
New York in the Jazz Age: Art Deco Architecture from Wall Street to Washington Heights
Follow art deco’s impact on Manhattan architecture, from south to north, through a series of walking tours.
Paris and New York: The Arts in the 1870s and the 1910s
Learn about the historical contexts and events that spurred revolution in art, music, and literature in New York and Paris in the 1870s and 1910s.
The Contemporary Art World
Visit the most important exhibits currently showing in New York, and develop an understanding of the aesthetics of modern art.
The Evolution of Interior Design: From Classical Influences to the Modern Style
Learn about the history of interior design and its classical influences.
The Final Years: Significant Late Works by Great Artists
Explore the final works of the world’s great artists and the practice of making art in advanced age.
The Guggenheim at 60
In time for its 60th anniversary, learn about the Guggenheim’s history, architectural legacy, and influence on modern and contemporary art.
The Met Revisited: Exploring the Untold Stories of New York's Greatest Museum
Explore collections at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a focus on the artistic and cultural contribution of people of color.
The Six-Hour Art Major
Learn about studio art techniques, art history, and art appreciation in this concentrated seminar.
Vienna 1900: Artistic Modernism and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Explore the history of modernism’s fascinating artistic ferment and experimentation in Vienna and throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Visions of New York: Art from the Colonial Era to Today
Explore New York’s history through art from its colonial beginnings to the 20th century.
Women Artists from the Renaissance to the United States
Learn about significant women artists from the Renaissance in Europe through the 19th century in the United States.
Contemporary Photography: From Andreas Gursky to Annie Leibovitz
Learn about prominent contemporary photographers and their stylistic approaches to depicting fashion, nudes, architecture, and scenes from daily life.
Contemporary Photography: From Richard Avedon to Ai Weiwei
Learn about prominent contemporary photographers and the stylistic approaches they use to depict portraits, landscape, still life, and street scenes.
More World Cities: London, Paris, and New York in the 20th Century
This course covers art, architecture, politics, planning, and urban technology in London, Paris, and New York in the 20th century.
The Cityscape: Paintings, Prints, and Photographs from Around the World, 1500 to the Present
View the history of cityscape art, from Bellini’s paintings to Wiltshire’s drawings, including the great tradition of urban printmaking.
Themes in 20th-Century NYC Cultural History
Explore New York City’s cultural history from the 1910s to the 1970s through art, literature, and architecture.
Understanding Traditional Architecture
Learn to identify architectural styles, to put a rough date on any building you see in New York, and to name the parts and details of buildings.