Although very popular as a degree subject, either by itself or as one component of a combined qualification, Art History is only offered at ‘A’ level by one examining board. This choice-cancelling arrangement could be somewhat irritating but for the fact that the board in question has done a very good job of course design. The AQA syllabus sets out to produce students of Art History who know a little about everything and lots about a few things, and, to that extent, it serves the purposes equally of those who take the ‘A’ level with a view to putting in place a secure foundation for subsequent, more advanced study of the subject, and of those who have a different career trajectory in mind but are likely to remain casual gallery-goers in adult life.
Module One takes the form of an ‘unseen’ paper which calls upon the student to comment critically on three works of art, reproduced in colour on the paper and drawn from diverse sources. The student is as likely to be confronted by a Lascaux cave painting as by a YBA installation, and must be ready for anything. Only those who have acquired a wide-ranging general knowledge of art in all media across the ages can approach the paper with confidence.
Modules Two to Five are all period-specific and similar in format. Each requires the student to write three essays on particular artists or movements, and together they undertake the task of developing the extensive but superficial knowledge imparted by Module One.
Finally, Module Six completes this process of progressive specialization. A piece of coursework on an artist of the student’s own choice, it gives him an opportunity to become a mini-expert in one particular area.
