Facts & figures
Art History
- #1 in Australia
- 2024 QS World University Subject Rankings
Art History
We’re immersed in the cultural complexity of art and architecture
Making sense of the visual art created today and by cultures of the recent and distant past.
We study the fabric of the visual world, how objects, images and symbols move across time and space, how they are displayed, viewed and interpreted. We chart the impact of visual culture on society, politics and life.
From art and culture of Australia’s First Nation’s people, the Islamic World, Asia and Europe to contemporary global art and the study of museums, galleries, cultural institutions and arts practitioners, we are experts in art history and visual culture, art curating, and museum studies.
Together with the Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney College of the Arts, and our world-renowned academics, we offer a unique learning environment that made us #1 in Australia in the 2024 QS World Subject Rankings.
Our study offering
Gain a sophisticated understanding of the full range of cultural, theoretical, social, political and economic issues underlying the art gallery and museum system.
In today’s image-saturated world, the ability to interpret critically the visual qualities of a given object is highly relevant. Study art history to gain skills in understanding and interpreting visual communication, expression and innovation. Explore the rich and fascinating history of creating, viewing and experiencing works of art and architecture. Understand and recognise how art is a profound and persistent human impulse.
*Available to all students studying the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Visual Arts, as well as all combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degrees.
For those aiming to compete for specialist and academic posts in museums and universities, a research degree is becoming increasingly important. The rewards of working on new material or bringing new approaches are great, and the University offers breadth and depth of supervisory expertise in Art History and related fields.
Museum and Heritage Studies will equip you with a contextual understanding of core historical and theoretical developments in museum and heritage studies. You will learn the frameworks for managing collections and sites and develop a practical understanding of the modes of interpretation used in the museum and heritage sector.
The research programs involve independent research work and the preparation of a thesis under the supervision of the director of the program, and other academic staff in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Our research
We are a leader in art history and theory research in Australia with strengths across a wide range of areas, including:
- Early modern Europe and Asia
- Visual culture and global modernities
- Australian art, includes the study of Indigenous painting, cinema, and new media
- Asian art
- Film history and theory
- Museum and exhibition studies
Research institutes and resources
Our people
- Professor Jennifer Barrett
- Professor Roger Benjamin
- Associate Professor Donna Brett
- Dr Keith Broadfoot
- Dr Lilian Cameron
- Dr Mark De Vitis
- Dr Peyvand Firouzeh
- Dr Katrina Grant
- Dr Anna Lawrenson
- Professor Mark Ledbury
- Dr Yvonne Low
- Dr Chiara O'Reilly
- Professor Mary Roberts
- Associate Professor Donna Brett, Chair of Discipline
- Dr Yvonne Low, Undergraduate Course Component Coordinator
- Associate Professor Sarah Gleeson-White, Honours Coordinator
- Dr Anna Lawrenson, Postgraduate Program Coordinator, Art Curating
- Dr Chiara O’Reilly, Postgraduate Program Coordinator, Museum & Heritage Studies
- Professor Mary Roberts, Research Director
- Dr Lilian Cameron, Academic Internship Coordinator, Art Curating & Museum and Heritage Studies
- Professor John Clark
- Dr Anita Callaway
- Dr Kathleen Davidson
- Professor Emeritus Ann Elias
- Professor Jos Hackforth-Jones
- Dr Kitty Hauser
- Dr Louise Marshall
- Dr Mariko Smith
- Professor Emeritus Terence Smith
- Dr Stephen Whiteman
Events
Visit the School's events calendar to see our upcoming events and seminars.