History of Art/Latin

The history of art and Latin is an unusual but intellectually productive combination that brings together the visual analysis of objects, buildings, and images with the study of the language in which so much of Western cultural and intellectual life was conducted for more than a thousand years. Art history asks how and why works of art and design come to look the way they do, situating them within the social, cultural, and intellectual contexts of their creation. Latin gives direct access to the literary, philosophical, and documentary sources through which those contexts can be understood, and it is the language of a rich tradition of art-theoretical writing from antiquity through to the early modern period.

At the University of Glasgow this part-time Joint Honours programme allows you to develop both disciplines alongside other commitments. You will engage with the analysis of visual art and design across periods, from ancient and medieval works through to the early modern period when Latin remained the language of scholarship, and into modern art history where classical traditions continue to resonate. The Latin component develops your reading ability in the language alongside engagement with a range of literary, philosophical, and historical texts.

A year abroad is built into the programme, broadening your academic experience and giving you the opportunity to encounter different art historical and classical traditions.

Graduates of this combination pursue careers in museums, galleries, heritage organisations, auction houses, academic research, publishing, and arts administration. A background in both art history and Latin is particularly well suited to curatorial and research roles in institutions with significant classical or early modern collections, to academic careers in art history or classical studies, and to work in cultural heritage, conservation, and the art market. Further study at postgraduate level in art history, classical studies, or museum studies is a natural next step for those who want to develop expertise in a particular period or type of object.