BA Art History and History / Course details

This course addresses the relationship between visual art and its markets. With a roster of speakers that includes both art historians and art-world professionals, the course will provide a historical and conceptual grounding in art markets, while considering how expertise in visual art can be put to use in the contemporary economy beyond the academy.

The unit aims to: 

• Offer insights into the development of the market for old master, modern, and contemporary art
• Introduce key aspects of professional practice in the art market
• Address how modern and contemporary art has responded to commercial and economic constraints 
• Introduce students to the variety of career pathways associated with the art market and related commercial sectors

Be able to identify a diversity of current and historical art market practices. 

Be able to describe the work of art world professionals in a range of settings and address key aspects of how art world professionals carry out their work. 

Be able to research topics independently using a variety of learning resources. 

Be able to communicate their knowledge effectively through writing and oral presentation, conveying independent perspectives. 

Have the ability to manage and organise workloads for guided learning, independent study, the completion of assessed work. 

Be able to participate in discussions within a group context. 

Be able to respond to constructive feedback.

Topics may include: 

• Restoration and the Modern Market for Italian 'Primitives'. 
• Provenance and Auctions: the Dutch Art Market. 
• Connoisseurship and Value. 
• The Market for Modern Art: From Impressionism to Cubism. 
• Nazi Looting and Restitution. 
• The Artist as Brand Name. 
• Artists of Colour and the Market. 
• The Globalisation of the Art Market. 
• Conceptual Art and the Market. 
• Digital Art and NFTs. 
• Architectural planning, heritage and conservation. 

In addition, the course will include practice-based lectures and discussion with visting art world professionals. 

Possible topics include: 

• Running a non-commercial gallery. 
• Running a commercial gallery. 
• Organising a Biennial. 
• Organising an art fair. 
• Art advising. 
• Running a community arts institution. 
• Journalism and Art Writing. 
• Making arts documentaries.

In this seminar-based course unit students are required to prepare for collective discussion of set readings, questions and artworks. All teaching materials and activities will be available in advance on Blackboard.

• Account for the development of the market for old master, modern, and contemporary art. 
• Account for the ways in which modern and contemporary art have responded to commercial and economic constraints. 
• Understand a variety of professional roles for art history graduates.

• Account for the ways in which the markets for old masters, modern art, and contemporary art differ historically. 
• Understand and use research tools for provenance, attribution, sales, and collections. 
• Read and critically analyse primary and secondary sources related to the development of the art market.

• Engage with online learning materials in preparation of assessed work. 
• Examine scholarly readings of individual artworks. 
• Undertake supervised research to meet assessment requirements.

• Develop and complete assessments to specified deadlines.
• Present coherent arguments in written work. 
• Respond positively to constructive feedback.

Formative Assessment Task	Length
Essay Plan	500 words

Summative Assessment Task	Length	Weighting within the unit (if relevant)
Essay 1	2,000	50%
Project		50%

Preparatory tutorials, followed by written feedback.

Hulst, Titia. A History of the Western Art Market : A Sourcebook of Writings on Artists, Dealers, and Markets. Oakland: University of California Press, 2017.  

 

Belting, Hans, Andrea Buddensieg, Peter Weibel, and Zentrum fur Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe. The Global Contemporary and the Rise of New Art Worlds. Karlsruhe, Germany: Cambridge, MA ; London, England: ZKM/Center for Art and Media, 2013.

 

Handberg, Kristian and Flavia Frigeri. New Histories of Art in the Global Postwar Era: Multiple Modernisms. New York: Routledge, 2021.  

 

Harris, Jonathan. Globalization and Contemporary Art. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.    

 

Jones, Caroline A. The Global Work of Art: World's Fairs, Biennials, and the Aesthetics of Experience. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2016.

 

Feigenbaum, G. & Reist, I., eds.  Provenance: An Alternate History of Art (Issues & Debates).  Malibu: Getty 2013.