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.
Art Styles Through the Ages
Develop your eye for and your understanding of painting, sculpture, and architecture—and build a foundation in the history of art.
Contemporary Architecture, 1990 to Present
Explore the most important developments in architecture since the 1990s—ideas, ideologies, projects, buildings, and cities.
Demystifying the Landmarks Process
Gain an overview of how buildings are designated as landmarks and how the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s application process works.
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.
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.
Islamic Art History
Join us for a visual journey into the riches of the arts of the Islamic world.
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.
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 Art Scene
Visit New York City’s museums and galleries to gain fresh insight into the meaning of and inspiration for today’s art.
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.
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.
A New World: Art and Literature in the Hudson Valley
Learn about the artistic legacy of the Hudson Valley, examining the formation of an American awareness that is simultaneously probing and hopeful.
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 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.
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.
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.
Art Styles Through the Ages: From Baroque to the 20th Century
Develop an eye for, and an understanding of, painting, sculpture, and architecture from the baroque era through the 20th century.
A History of Portraiture and Self-Portraiture
Explore the history of portraiture and self-portraiture, from the Renaissance to today.
Art Styles Through the Ages: From Cave Art to Renaissance Art
Develop an eye for, and understanding of, painting, sculpture, and architecture, and build a foundation in art history through the Renaissance.
Art and Daily Life in Ancient Greece
Learn about ancient Greek culture and daily life through the examination of art and artifacts.
Preservation Planning and Practice
Receive a comprehensive introduction to preservation planning in New York City.
The Contemporary Art World
Visit the most important exhibits currently showing in New York, and develop an understanding of the aesthetics of modern art.
Mediterranean Encounters: The Byzantine, Islamic, and Northern European Influence on the Art and Architecture of Sicily
Explore the multicultural history, art, and architecture of Sicily.
The Art Market: How It Works (The Unvarnished Truth)
Explore the size of each sector of the global art market, dissect the processes used in each, and examine how business is conducted.
Latin American Art: From Columbus to the Present
Gain an overview of the history and development of different artistic traditions in Latin America.
Nazi Looted Art: Theft, Destruction, Return--But No Redemption?
Learn about the looting of art from Jewish artists, dealers, collectors, and regular people during World War II and subsequent restitution efforts.
New York in the Jazz Age: Art Deco Architecture from Wall Street to Washington Heights
Follow art deco’s impact on Manhattan architecture, from its southern tip to its northern extreme, through a series of walking tours.
The Fine Art of Writing About Art: Through the Eyes of Famous Authors
Explore art history through the written works of famous authors and critics.
What Is American in American Art, 1925-1975: From Regionalism to Fluxus
Survey American art, including paintings, drawings, and sculpture, from 1925 to 1975.
What Is American in American Art, 1975-Present: From Protest Art to Now
Survey American art, including paintings, drawings, and sculpture, from 1975 to the present.
Fashion in Museums
Examine the suitability of fashion in museums by studying historic fashion exhibitions and taking guided tours of select fashion exhibits in New York.
Americans in Paris
This course celebrates a distinguished group of 20th-century American artists, writers, and musicians who made Paris their adoptive home.
Architects Who Shaped the Decorative Arts
Learn about the influence and contributions of famous architects to furniture design and the decorative arts.
Art of the American Black Experience: From Reconstruction to the Harlem Renaissance
Trace the history of African American experience from Reconstruction through the Harlem Renaissance by studying the art of these eras.
German Art: From Postwar to Now
Learn about important art movements and artists in Germany from 1945 to today.
Maternity, Motherhood, and Childcare in Art and History
Explore how maternity is portrayed in art and how art reflects the evolution of the role and status of the mother in various cultures over time.
Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy, and the Avant-Garde
Explore the artistic legacy of the most famous couples in modern art.
The Bauhaus: Modernism in Art, Architecture, and Design
Explore the historical, aesthetic, and ideological background of the Bauhaus.
Touched by Fire: Van Gogh's Passion
Learn about van Gogh’s life, and discover the work of a self-taught artist who reached toward a world he could not hold but loved nonetheless.
What Is "Appropriate"? Changing Standards in Preservation
Learn how the Landmarks Law redefines areas by protecting their historic elements while still allowing for new construction and modifications.
What Is American in American Art: 1775-1875
This course provides a survey of American art, including paintings, drawings, and sculpture, from 1775 to 1875.
What Is American in American Art: 1875-1925
This course surveys American art, including paintings, drawings, and sculpture, from 1875 to 1925.
Islamic Art History: A Focus on Cairo
Explore the history, architecture, and artistic importance of Cairo.
A History of New York City
Gain an understanding of the history of New York City, including politics, finance, architecture, and arts, from its Native American roots to today.
Art in the Public Domain
Learn about important examples of public art in New York City and about the process behind selecting, creating, and managing these works.
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo: Icons of Modern Mexican Art
Track the lives and works of this most extraordinary couple, as well as their intense engagement in art, politics, and personal exploration.
From Impressionism to Modernism: The Making of the Modern Art Market
Look at the intersections of history and art history from the 1870s to WWII that reveal the origins of impressionism and modernism.
Manhattan History: Post-Revolutionary War to World War I
Catch the excitement of 19th-century New York City in this course, which features four illustrated lectures and four walking tours.
New York City Real Estate: A Social and Architectural History
Learn about the best and the meanest of New York City housing history, from tenements to Billionaires’ Row.
New York's Great Structures: Buildings, Bridges, Tunnels, and More
Through lectures and at least two walking tours, take a look at the best—and worst—of some quintessentially New York structures.
Seeing Things Our Way: Art as Propaganda
Explore how art has been used as propaganda from early Greece to the United States in the 20th century.
The Philosophy of Art
Explore timeless questions about art from a philosophical perspective: What is the significance of art? How is it meant to be understood?
Religion and Architecture in New York City
Explore how religion has impacted the history of New York City and the role of religion in the City today.