Understanding Art: Modern Art from Impressionism to Pop (online)
At a Glance
- Live online course (also recorded)
- 12 weeks | October to February
- Wednesdays 18:00 - 19:30
- Fees from £135
- Tutor: Dr Caroline Watkinson
Enrolment deadline
Courses starting in October 2023
- 8 October 2023
Dr Caroline Watkinson invites you to join her on an exciting whistlestop tour of the sometimes bewildering world of modern art, starting with the Impressionists in the 1860s, and ending with art in the mid-twentieth century.
The journey is a facinating one, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, and always extraordinary - if you have ever wanted to understand the modern art in some of our most well-known museums and galleries, by artists ranging from Monet and Picasso, to Dali and Warhol, then this is the course for you!
Study of this period in art history is extremely enjoyable and rewarding, but you will end the course with a greater understanding of some most significant works of art to be found in museums and galleries across the world today.
From discovering how the Impressionists used the latest findings in science to select their colour palette, to how fear of the atomic bomb led to a whole new movement in sculpture, this course will give you a real insight into how modern artists have responded to the modern world, and how that world responded to them.
No previous knowledge of art, history, or art history is necessary, and your tutor is an expert at guiding both novices and the more experienced through the - sometimes shocking and sometimes comic - intricacies of modern art.
A classroom version of the course, taught by Dr Michael Paraskos, is also available at our South Kensington campus.
Class Recordings
Where feasible, for this course sessions will be recorded for subsequent viewing
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme and Additional Reading
Programme (subject to possible modification)
- Wednesday 25 October 2023 - Impressionism and the Birth of Modernism
- Wednesday 1 November 2023 - Post-Impressionism
- Wednesday 8 November 2023 - NO SESSION
- Wednesday 15 November 2023 - Matisse and the Fauvists
- Wednesday 22 November 2023 - German Expressionism
- Wednesday 29 November 2023 - Braque, Picasso and Cubism
- Wednesday 6 December 2023 - Futurism and its Offspring
** CHRISTMAS BREAK **
- Wednesday 17 January 2024 - Dada and Surrealism
- Wednesday 24 January 2024 - Constructivism, Suprematism and De Stij
- Wednesday 31 January 2024 - Building a New World: Reimann, Bauhaus and Vkhutemas
- Wednesday 7 February 2024 - Abstraction and the American Ascendency
- Wednesday 14 February 2024 - British and American Pop
- Wednesday 21 February 2024 - A Sad End of Modern Art?
Additional Reading
There is no compulsory reading required for this course and there is no set course text, but if you would like to read more on the subject we suggest:
- David Britt, Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism (London: Thames and Hudson, 2007)
- David Cottington, Modern Art: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005)
- Pam Meecham, Modern Art: A Critical Introduction (London: Routledge, 2004)
Your Tutor
Dr Caroline Watkinson is an historian of art, architecture, and political culture. She has written widely on representations of Women Religious, the history of art/architecture, LGBTQ visual culture, and heritage. She is currently researching on the Literary Home in the Visual and Architectural Imagination. Caroline is an experienced tutor and holds AdvanceHE Fellowship. She also teaches and works in the field of heritage and public history and has a keen interest in the representation of the past in museums and art galleries.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Early Bird: £226 Full price: £252 |
Early Bird: £135 Full price: £150 |
Early Bird: £178 Full price: £198 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates available 1 August to 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2023-2024
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Week commencing 23 October to week ending 9 December 2023 (6 weeks) | Week commencing 15 January to week ending 24 February 2024 (6 weeks) | n/a | |
| Term 1 and 2 are separated by the Christmas break | ||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023. Early bird discounts are available from 1 August to 30 September 2023
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Caroline Watkinson, caroline.e.watkinson@gmail.com
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk