Four reasons why you should study history of art

<p paraeid="{d4382178-c400-42af-906e-51256b3231b5}{197}" paraid="587840768">In a world with endless possibilities to create visual imagery, there is so much to learn about the relationship between people and art and its influence on the world we live in today.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{d4382178-c400-42af-906e-51256b3231b5}{221}" paraid="531444087">The <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/courtauld-institute-art" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Courtauld Institute of Art</a> defines history of art as “the study of art across the world…which covers virtually every aspect of human history and experience. This is because it looks at works of art not just as objects, but as a way of understanding the world, and the societies in which they were created.”&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{d4382178-c400-42af-906e-51256b3231b5}{248}" paraid="214641682">History of art incorporates all objects that are open to interpretation, from paintings and sculptures to pottery and manuscripts. If you find yourself thinking about an artist’s use of lines, shape, texture and composition, as well as its impact, then history of art may be the right subject for you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{21921fb2-46b6-4a60-b571-8b64336fa348}{31}" paraid="1310641293">Read on as we run through four reasons why you should history of art, along with the top-ranked institutions you can study at according to the <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings/2023?qs_qp=topnav" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 700px;">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3" scope="col">Top universities for <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2023/art-history">history of art</a></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">Rank</td>
<td style="width: 408px;">School</td>
<td>Location</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/royal-college-art" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Royal College of Art</a>&nbsp;</td>
<td>London, United Kingdom&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/columbia-university" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Columbia University</a>&nbsp;</td>
<td>New York, United States&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">3</td>
<td style="width: 408px;">The Courtauld Institute of Art&nbsp;</td>
<td>London, United Kingdom&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/national-university-singapore-nus" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">National University of Singapore (NUS)</a>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Singapore</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/tsinghua-university" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Tsinghua University</a>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Beijing, Mainland China&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/harvard-university" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Harvard University</a>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cambridge, United States</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/rhode-island-school-design-risd" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)</a></td>
<td>Providence, United States&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">8</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-cambridge" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">University of Cambridge</a></td>
<td>Cambridge, United Kingdom</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/new-school" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The New School</a></td>
<td>New York, United States</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46px;">10</td>
<td style="width: 408px;"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/pratt-institute" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Pratt Institute</a></td>
<td>New York, United States</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<p>&nbsp;

<p paraeid="{55c33695-f172-4bc8-8703-e36d898e3387}{69}" paraid="78447593">Studying art history allows you to examine artworks through a variety of psychological, cultural and social contexts across different historical periods. </p>

<p paraeid="{55c33695-f172-4bc8-8703-e36d898e3387}{106}" paraid="1858814346">The programme at the National University of Singapore (ranked fourth globally) offers modules which straddle different geographies, time periods and materials such as Chinese Painting: Styles and Masters, Collecting Art in Europe and Asia (1500 CE -2000 CE), and Islam and Modern and Contemporary Art in Southeast Asia. </p>

<p paraeid="{55c33695-f172-4bc8-8703-e36d898e3387}{140}" paraid="372016781"><a href="https://courtauld.ac.uk/study/meet-our-students/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Hannuri</a>, a student at the Courtauld Institute of Art, said that the programme opened his eyes to a broad range of art historical discussions: “From Medieval Reliquaries to Contemporary Asian photography, I have developed an interest in diverse forms of art and how they could express reoccurring ideas beyond time and space. </p>

<p paraeid="{55c33695-f172-4bc8-8703-e36d898e3387}{167}" paraid="1802381725">“The lectures and research reflect the institute’s progressive aims, acknowledging marginalised voices and highlighting the dominant frameworks at work in the writing of art history.” </p>