Hans C. Hönes
The debates about the need for a ‘skills-based’ education versus ‘theory-led’ approaches are much-discussed in research on the history of visual arts education. Considerably less attention has been devoted to the question whether art history as an academic subject has undergone similar discussions, leading to shifts in syllabus design. This paper aims to provide some preliminary reflections on the historic place of ‘skills-based’ education in art history at British universities. In particular, I will focus on the history of the Courtauld Institute of Art, the first UG programme in the subject in Britain (since 1932). Looking back on the history of the art history syllabus allows to reflect on the state of the field in a time when calls for ‘real-world learning’ to bolster ‘graduate outcomes’ are growing louder by the hour.
Hans C. Hönes is Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He has published extensively on the history of art historiography and has written and edited books on Heinrich Wölfflin, 18th century antiquarianism, and art historical (self-) translations; recent articles have been published in Minerva, Architectural History, Journal for the History of Modern Theology, and British Art Studies, among others. His most recent book, Tangled Paths. A Life of Aby Warburg has been published in spring 2024 with Reaktion Books, with translations (published and forthcoming) into Italian, German, and Greek.
This talk is part of the CRVC’s research theme for 2025-2026, The Art of the Syllabus
University of Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre Nottingham, NG7 2RD