Prospects Postgrad UK 2007/2008 - (Page 42) 42 ARTS AND HUMANITIES www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK SPONSORED BY SCHOOL OF ARTS HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS At the centre of the bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code, is perhaps the most iconic work of art in the world - The Mona Lisa. Hanging in the Louvre in Paris, Leonardo’s painting has - almost to the exclusion of all other historic periods and media - come to stand for what art is. Tom Allbeson discovers postgraduate courses in the History of Art The history of art is the study of significant pieces like the Mona Lisa. It is also the study of how art has been received over the years and indeed what people think art is. Current perceptions of Da Vinci’s work are as relevant as the methods he used to create them. But with a long and colourful history stretching back to cave paintings and forward into the digital age, the study material on offer to the art historian can be dazzling - as can the range of postgraduate courses available. At the historic end of the spectrum are courses like the MA in the History of Art and Archaeology offered by the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Looking at cultures as diverse as China, the Islamic world, India and Africa, the course covers painting, sculpture, architecture and the decorative arts stretching back thousands of years. At the contemporary end of the spectrum is the History and Practice of Photography MLitt offered in partnership by the University of Dundee and the University of St Andrews (where Prince William studied History of Art as an undergraduate, incidentally). A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP Drawing on the role St Andrews played in the invention of photography in the 1800s, as well as the recognised photographic artists teaching at Dundee today, the course offers students a dynamic programme combining theory and contemporary practice at a time characterised by the evolution of photography and its recognition as a fine art medium. Another dynamic partnership addressing a relatively new discipline within the field of art history is that of the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London and the Victoria and Albert Museum, V&A. For the last 20 years they have offered an MA in the History of Design. Glenn Adamson trained as an art historian at Yale University and is now Head of Postgraduate Studies at the The School of Arts at Brunel University, West London A unique centre for innovative Postgraduate opportunities and PhD research welcomes creative graduates. www.brunel.ac.uk http://www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK http://www.brunel.ac.uk
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