Art history

Art History at Essex

You’re curious and impatient to interpret the stories behind each building you see. You endeavour to draw connections and understand the emotions and intent behind even the most abstract painting. You love a challenge and you want to explore the visual media which dominates our contemporary culture.

At Essex you will acquire a nuanced knowledge of art and visual culture and become an active participant in our complex visual world.

Essex scholars have developed influential new approaches to the study of art history since our foundation by pioneers in the field 50 years ago. We also offer one of the UK’s most cutting-edge programmes for curating, which includes the opportunity to curate an exhibition from scratch, helping you build an invaluable portfolio of skills. Our mission is to radically rethink how we engage with the visual world across a broad range of media, including digital art and design.

Regardless of the PhD you pursue, you will find yourself in an environment that is both intellectually challenging and supportive.

Based in the School of Philosophy and Art History you will be part of an active research community which pushes boundaries. We are also ranked 6th among art history departments in the UK for research excellence.

Read our academic biographies to find out more about us and use our research finder to find a topic and a supervisor to suit you.

Our research clusters