BA History of Art and English

The links between art and literature are fascinating and longstanding. Indeed, it is arguable whether it is possible fully to appreciate the one without the other.

When the ancient Greeks reflected on the role of the arts in society they did not separate painting and sculpture from poetry and drama – all were considered together. We find a similar attitude during the Renaissance when the skilled craftsman who fashioned the great cathedrals was re-imagined as the literate intellectual, giving us a new concept of ‘the artist’ as technician, designer, theorist and author. Alberti, Leonardo and Michelangelo are the most famous examples of this ‘Renaissance Man’, whose creativity ranged from painting, sculpture and architecture through to the writing of drama, poetry and philosophy.

Many later movements, such as Romanticism and Symbolism, encompassed both literature and art from the beginning, whereas others began exclusively as one art-form before taking on the other. The literary Surrealism of Breton and Aragon, for example, soon led to the painting of Magritte and Dali, while the painterly Cubism of Picasso and Braque influenced the novels and poetry of Woolf and Stein.

This course is designed to explore the links, influences and debates between literature and art. It is based on the simple assumption – uncontested throughout history – that one gets the richest understanding of art and literature only by studying them together.

You will take modules from both History of Art and Film and the School of English. These include core modules in both subjects and a range of options. In the third year you will take a number of special options and will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice. The dissertation may be in either History of Art or English.

History of Art and Film website

Summary of degree

Entry requirements

For the most recent information on our entry requirements please refer to our online prospectus - link below.

English prospectus