Art History

The subject of study in Art History is the historical development of objects in European and Western cultural history from the Early Middle Ages to the present. The objects of art history are divided into various specific categories: architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic arts and applied arts, as well as photography, film and the digitally created images of the new media. Art History examines the function, distribution and perception of images and the cultural processes by which they have acquired their status as works of art. The degree programme conveys various ways of viewing objects, working methods and ways to handle and examine the objects. The sources of art history, art criticism and art theory are also studied, as well as the history of the subject itself and its institutions.

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A speciality of the institute in Göttingen is curatorial training with the institute's art collection, ranging from use of the objects in teaching to training students to organise their own exhibitions. The courses offered include regular excursions inside and outside Germany and periods of study abroad at European partner universities. The art history department in Göttingen is a member of interdisciplinary centres, degree programmes and research associations. It also cooperates closely with the disciplines of archaeology, history and cultural sciences at Göttingen University.