Art Appreciation Course

Start an Exciting New Hobby or Career

Features of the Course

The Art Appreciation Course is provided online.
You study at home in your own time and at your own pace.

Diploma Course

Art Appreciation Course curated and presented by Hilary Kay

Written by Leading Art Experts

12 different authors contribute their expertise

24/7 Support

Ask for assistance at any time

Facebook

An opportunity to connect with other students globally

Self-paced

No pressure to meet deadlines

Payment Options

Flexible payment options

Starting Dates

Start your course when it suits you

Guarantee

7 day money back guarantee

Personal Tutor

Tutors are drawn from major Art institutions and will guide you through the course

Excellent

Rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 102 reviews.

  • Angelica Boca

  • 26-Jul-2022

End of Module 5

The tutor Stephen Farthing is excellent. His feedback has been provided promptly and helpfully. Libby, his replacement for Module 3,...

  • J Cullum

  • 24-Jul-2022

An Enjoyable Experience

I have thoroughly enjoyed every module so far even those stretching which art I thought most appealing. Every module author...

  • Emma de Souza

  • 19-Jul-2022

Excellent art appreciation course

I’m really enjoying The Art Institute programme. I was interested in art before starting the course and now 10 modules...

  • Lee Sharon Kemp

  • 14-Jul-2022

Demanding but rewarding course

It is a demanding course which gets harder with each module but it does mean you have to keep going...

  • Jeremy Bettington

  • 09-Jul-2022

Great course so far!!

I am immensely enjoying the course so far. The materials are varied and interesting and I'm learning so much. My...

  • Sean McGranaghan

  • 05-Jul-2022

A well structured and balanced course

I was keen to improve my knowledge and understanding of art and tried a couple of free courses I found...

  • Lynn J

  • 14-Jun-2022

Excellent

I am loving every aspect of this history of art course. Really well organised and I am learning so much....

  • FG

  • 20-May-2022

Highly recommend art course

This is an excellent course and I have learnt so much. It would be good preliminary training for anyone thinking...

  • David

  • 22-Apr-2022

A Really Excellent Course

Having reached and completed Module 10, I am looking forward to completing the diploma course and continuing on with further...

  • Ms Bury

  • 03-Apr-2022

Am enjoyable and challenging course

The course is really comprehensive and expertly covers the complex story of the history of art. The assignments are marked...

  • EP

  • 01-Apr-2022

The Art Institute's online Art Appreciation Course

I have just completed module 10 of twelve, and have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. What has been a revelation...

  • Pat Howarth

  • 27-Mar-2022

Modules are interesting

Modules are interesting, informative and well constructed. Assignments are challenging to achieve a distillation of the wider reading that is...

  • snorth

  • 23-Mar-2022

For anyone interested in Art History I…

For anyone interested in Art History I can highly recommend this course, the modules are easy to follow with 3...

  • F MAC

  • 18-Mar-2022

An excellent course

I enrolled on the Art Appreciation Course in October 2021. Five modules in , this has been a very positive...

  • J Cullum

  • 11-Mar-2022

Very interesting and informative…

Very interesting and informative modules building a coherent chronology of the development of western art. As a newcomer to this...

The Course

The Art Appreciation Course is provided by The Art Institute, presented and curated by art and antiques consultant Hilary Kay. Hilary has brought together 12 passionate art specialists to create an introductory course, designed to provide you with a broad understanding of western art, its history and the world that surrounds it. The Art Institute is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers: UK Provider Reference Number is 10027300.

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Course Outline

The Art Appreciation course is delivered online, consisting of 12 comprehensive modules and 12 corresponding assignments. The course is designed to be self-paced. Normally you would expect to be dedicating on average about 4-6 hours per week for 24 weeks. However, many students take up to one year to complete their studies because of family or work commitments.

View Module Outlines

Advanced Modules

Students have the opportunity to delve deeper into specific areas of interest in art by purchasing Advanced Modules. These are similar to short courses and are specially formulated materials to challenge motivated students to achieve more.

View Advanced Module Outlines

About Hilary Kay

Hilary Kay is an art and antiques consultant, broadcaster, international lecturer and writer. She is one of the most familiar faces on BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow having joined this successful and long running programme as an expert in 1979. Hilary has featured in countless other television and radio programmes and, in 2010, she won BBC TV's Celebrity Mastermind. Her career in art and antiques began in 1977 when she joined Sotheby's, rising rapidly to head of department; the following year she became Sotheby's youngest ever auctioneer when she took her first sale at the age of 21.

Read more about Hilary Kay

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Accreditation

We are accredited and recognised by

The Authors

Each module has been written by a different author recognised in his or her area of expertise. All authors, including the tutors have been drawn from major art institutions, academia and from the international art world. They are all passionate about their subject; they have wide experience in teaching their chosen field to an eclectic audience and are keen to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with you.

Read more about the Authors

Our Tutors

Our handpicked tutors are not only great teachers but experts in their fields.
Libby Anson
Libby has been a lecturer in painting, life drawing, art criticism and professional development for various UK universities and has also worked as a life model. Her interest in the creative and professional development of artists, designers and writers has informed both her coaching, which she has delivered for various national arts and literary organizations as well as individual creatives, and also her current work with student employability and entrepreneurship.
Stephen Farthing

Stephen Farthing studied at St Martin's School of Art, London (1969-73) before taking his Masters Degree in Painting at the Royal College of Art, London (1973-76). Here he was awarded an Abbey Major Scholarship, taking him to The British School at Rome for a year from 1976. His teaching career began as a Lecturer in Painting at Canterbury College of Art (1977-79), after which he was a Tutor in painting at the Royal College of Art, London from 1980 to 1985.

Francesca Ramsay
Since graduating, Francesca has always worked at the interface between art and the public, leaving her adept at transforming complex ideas and academic jargon into something both accessible and entertaining. A varied career has left her with experience in both the commercial and public sectors. She is a trained art valuer, cutting her teeth at Dawson’s Auctions in Maidenhead and London, and has also worked as Press Manager at Frieze London.
View all our tutors

Student Testimonials

Take a moment to read some of our graduate testimonials.
Sofiia Di Beo

Kyiv, Ukraine

Thanks to this course and the priceless information it has provided me, I was able to be accepted to study for my Master’s degree in the subject I love in the UK!

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Eamonn McGuinness

Bedford

Having completed this course, I feel that I have new eyes that view art in a completely different way than before. I now know that I previously viewed art on a purely surface level.

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Sarah Jane Ross

Bridport, West Dorset

Each module has been carefully constructed by leaders in their field. I felt privileged to be guided by my tutor's vast wisdom, credentials and art world gravitas.

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Majella Horgan

London

Each module is beautifully presented in an easy-to-digest fashion, written by revered historians with a wealth of knowledge and experience. The recommended reading lists are second to none and are very beneficial for those wishing to expand their learning.

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Sally Christine Jefferies

Bath

This is a brilliant course if you want to appreciate art and its history, have a better understanding of the art world and be more curious about the context that precipitated changes in art.

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Alan Curragh

Wells, Somerset

A very enjoyable and instructive course - the modules are challenging but certainly give you much to think about, with suggestions for follow-up books, websites, museums, and galleries to visit.

Read More
View all our student testimonials

Course Fees

We offer a number of flexible payment options.

Most Popular

Pay in Full

Save £50.00

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£699.00

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Weekly Plan

24 Weekly Payments

£749.00

£31.21

per week

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Monthly Plan

6 Monthly Payments

£749.00

£124.83

per month

Enrol

All prices are displayed in GBP.

Money Back Guarantee

Not happy? Contact us within 7 days of your enrolment to receive a full refund.

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The Art Institute

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London WC2A 1LG

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For answers to our most commonly asked questions, read our FAQs.

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International locations

We offer our course in 8 countries around the world.

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