History of Art

Cambridge is home to one of the greatest concentrations of world-class art collections in the UK outside London.

The city also boasts a wealth of magnificent architecture from the medieval to the contemporary. This means our students engage with many of the buildings and objects they study first-hand.

The History of Art is concerned with the study of the visual: buildings, fine art, films, advertising, everyday objects, textiles, even gardens and architectural landscapes. We consider the role of great artworks and great artists, as well as the material culture of the everyday. We study anything made to be looked at in its cultural and historical contexts: uncovering what history can tell us about the objects, and what the objects can tell us about history, culture, society, and the human condition.

Magdalene has a strong tradition in the History of Art and we are one of a few colleges with two College Lecturers in the subject.

The recent gift of the book collection of the distinguished art historian and museum director Duncan Robinson (Master of Magdalene, 2002-12), means that we have an excellent art history library, with particular strengths in Italian Renaissance, and eighteenth- and twentieth-century British art. The College has also recently completed the building of its own art gallery, as a central part of our wonderful New Library building. The Cripps Gallery hosts exhibitions throughout the year and offers exciting opportunities for Magdalene students to gain some hands-on experience assisting in the care of collections and curation of exhibitions.

In addition to the College Lecturers in the History of Art (Dr John Munns and Dr Sophie Pickford), Mr Richard Calvocoressi CBE, former Director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and of the Henry Moore Foundation, is an active member of the Fellowship, and contributes to the running of the Robert Cripps Gallery alongside Professor Tom Spencer, the Gallery Registrar. We regularly welcome distinguished art and architectural historians to the College as Visiting Fellows; and our Honorary Fellows include the letter-cutter and sculptor Lida Cardozo Kindersley, contemporary artist Dame Rachel Whiteread, and the film director Mike Newell.

Graduates in the History of Art at Magdalene go on to a wide variety of careers. They may not be subject-specific, but those that are include further academic study and teaching, employment in art galleries and museums, heritage management, conservation, journalism, and arts administration. Our art history graduates include the broadcaster Loyd Grossman, and Laura Freeman, chief art critic for The Times, as well as current and former curators at Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, Harvard Art Museums, and the National Gallery of Scotland.

More details of the course and the optional papers available can be found on the University’s Undergraduate Study pages and the Department of History of Art website.

Enthusiasm, intelligence, and potential! If you are fascinated by the visual; how people express themselves through art; how those objects or buildings themselves convey ideas or evoke emotions; or what objects and edifices can teach us about the past or the present, then we are interested in hearing from you.

More specifically, we will be looking for a keen visual awareness. Do you notice visual details that other people miss? Do you find yourself wondering what those details might mean, or why they cause you to feel the way they do? Why the artist or architect chose to use the colours or materials, shapes or structures that they did? We are also looking for people who are interested in how art or the built environment relate to wider issues of history, culture, and personal or social identity. We want to see interest and enthusiasm, but also evidence that you have begun to think some of these questions through, and to explore ways in which you can learn more, perhaps through keeping a sketch book, visiting galleries or exhibitions, or reading around the subject.

The History of Art is not only about the analysis of images, but also the analysis of related texts; so we will want to see evidence of your ability to read relevant texts critically, to weigh and judge other people’s insights and arguments, and to formulate and communicate your own. Finally, we are looking for an eagerness and willingness to learn, openness to new ideas, and the intellectual curiosity to seek out more.

There are no set subject requirements for the History of Art, but it is usually expected that applicants will have studied at least one essay-based subject to A-level or equivalent. It is not necessary to have studied the History of Art at school. Useful subjects include History, a classical or modern language, English Literature, and Philosophy.

Minimum Offer

A-level: A*AA with the A* normally in an essay-based subject.

IB: 41-42 points overall, with 7,7,6 at Higher Level.

Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept

Candidates will normally have one interview of around 40-45 minutes.

The interview process aims to assess your intellectual ability, potential, and commitment to the subject.

We do not require a written work submission for this subject.

There is no admissions assessment for History of Art at Magdalene.

More information is available on the Interviews, Written Work and Assessments page.