Art History

The Art History study programme offers students the opportunity to understand visual objects in all areas of the discipline of art history (architecture, sculpture, painting, applied arts, and visual culture) in their various historical and contemporary forms, styles, and functions.

The three-year Bachelor’s degree program in Art History aims to prepare its graduates to make use of their knowledge of architecture and the fine arts in a wide area of professional positions in the artistic, cultural ,and public spheres.

The subject of art history is concerned with the understanding, analyses, and historical comprehension of works of art. It studies their artistic formation, style, and function, and their later critical reception. It also examines the creators - artists and patrons, art movements, and 'the operations of art history' (gallery institutions, monument care, and art criticism). In terms of the most general spectrum of interests, art history currently provides a general historical study of images and hermeneutics of visual images.

The central focus of the Bachelor’s degree study program involves obtaining basic knowledge and practical skills concerning understanding works of art from the late Classical period to the present. This culminates in the student having the ability to provide descriptions and analysis of visual works of art and comprehend them in all areas of the discipline of art history. The subject is conceived in a fashion that provides students with a complete overview of the area of art creation and also a basic overview of those skills required for working in the field of art in practical operations of cultural institutions.

Graduates from program develop not only a basic knowledge of the history of architecture, visual arts, and visual culture but also exercise the primary principles of the art-history ‘craft’ when interpreting works of art, depending on independent work with theoretical literature and finally making use of their knowledge and skills.

Great emphasis is put on 1) the ability to communicate the results of the research to specialized as well as large audience; 2) the passive knowledge of at least four foreign languages (English, German, French and Italian) ; 3) on important skills in team-working.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• be acquainted with the foundations of art-history disciplines, basic research techniques, and methodological approaches;
• recognise and analyse the most important works of art from World, European, and Central European art;
• analyse selected art works from the perspective of the material aspects of the work, the technical treatment of the work, stylistic criticism, iconography, and function, and the ability to localise it in the period and location;
• seek out and critically evaluate information which influenced the appearance and direction of the stylistic transformations (commissioner, confession, function, changes in technology, etc.);
• communicate various expressions of artistic and visual cultural to the public (written work, presentations accompanying pictures, small publications, articles, etc.)
• document and catalogue works of visual culture and understand the various basic methodological approaches (interpretation of form, iconography-iconology, reception-aesthetics and cultural-historical approaches)
• utilise the obtained skills of the art-history craft for writing their final Bachelor’s thesis.
• To share his or her knowledge to specialzed as well as large audience

Graduates of the Bachelor’s degree programme of Art History will be able to work in all professions requiring the application of a basic knowledge of the history of works of art both in the past and at present. These kinds of professions primarily consist of lower work positions in museum and gallery institutions, in monument care, and in additional cultural and educational institutions, or even in local administration bodies.

As a result of the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies, graduates will be able to work first and foremost in administration and documentation of artistic artefacts (for example, as an assistant to a curator, documentalist, or custodian of a historical building) or in mediating art (as a guide in the area of tourism or a cultural editor in the area of the media, television, or radio).

Although the degree in art history prepares students for careers in the art world, it also equips them with intellectual and practical skills applicable to many different spheres of employment. At present when visual culture and an understanding of it play an increasingly important role in society, graduates can make use of their abilities in a range of additional professions (for example, in trade in art and antiques or in presentation and propagation of art work, and in publicity).

Bachelor students having very good results have the opportunity to continue with the Master’s degree program of Art History.

For students of Art History as unique field, a series of courses related to communication with specialized and public audience is obligatory. Part of the study will be a (collective) curatorial experience of an exhibition for the public and its professional and media presentation. Students can participate, as non obligatory courses, to internships at home and abroad.

The standard bachelor's thesis range is from 72,000 to 90,000 characters, including footnotes, cover sheet, content, index, list of literature and annotations. The bachelor's thesis does not have the character of independent empirical research (the possible exception must be approved by the supervisor). Students can work with already published texts and data accessible for secondary analysis. They should demonstrate the ability to critically work with expert texts, process the concepts and theories found in them, and find relevant answers to given question.

A graduate of a Bachelor's degree program may, after fulfilling the conditions of admission, continue in any Master's degree course at that faculty.