History of Art
Dear History of Art First-Year Students,
Congratulations once again on being offered a place on the degree course! Please find your Welcome Letter and Summer Reading below. Click each of the links to load each resource.
Welcome Letter
Summer 2023 Reading List
Online resources at Oxford
The History of Art Department
Events: Watch the 2020 Terra Lectures in American Art and this year’s Image and Object workshop.
Twitter:
Ashmolean Museum
Young Rembrandt online exhibition: Take a virtual tour of the Ashmolean’s current show.
Stories: Watch short videos about works in the Ashmolean’s collection.
Treasures: Read more about collection highlights.
Collections: Explore the complete collection online.
Pitt Rivers Museum
Virtual Tour: Tour the museum’s galleries in 3D.
Research projects: Scroll to the bottom for fascinating online research.
Bodleian Libraries
The Art of Advertising online exhibition: Learn about British advertising design through Oxford’s archives.
Stories: Explore the curated content about the Bodleian’s rich collections.
Sounds of the Bodleian: Listen to the library’s sonic landscape.
Modern Art Oxford
Blog: Explore the online content at Oxford’s only public contemporary art space.
Online resources from around the world
Art UK: Extensive digital resource on works in public collections in the UK.
We Are Culture 24: Research and outreach hub for museums and the heritage sector in the UK
Google Arts and Culture: Explore the world’s museums virtually.
The Palace Museum in Beijing: Experience one of China’s finest museums through an immersive digital reconstruction.
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark: Watch short video interviews with artists.
Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Oslo: Watch avant-garde performances online.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles: Follow Getty curators through a Michelangelo exhibition, as filmed on an iPhone just moments before lockdown.
The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis: Read about the impact of the pandemic on contemporary art.
The Welcome Collection, London: See images of quarantine through history.
The Frick Collection, New York: Enjoy cocktails with curators.
Study skills for incoming undergraduates
As an Oxford student, you have many great opportunities ahead, but studying here can also be very challenging. To help you prepare for this, we have put together some resources that will help you develop your study skills before you start at Oxford, no matter your subject.
Starting at Oxford
Starting a course at Oxford can be very daunting, but there are many resources out there to help you succeed! Here are some useful guides from across the University that you might want to check out:
- Study skills and training: Here you can find advice on academic good practice including avoiding plagiarism, managing your time, reading, note taking, referencing and revision.
- Student life: It’s not all about academics at Oxford; here you can find out about the range of other opportunities available to you as a student, as well as tips on how to navigate student life with your workload. If you prefer podcasts, much of this information is available in that form here!
- Managing the cost: Undergraduate students Helena, Joe and Dan, have teamed up with the University’s Undergraduate Admissions team to discuss the financial support available to students and how they manage the cost of studying at Oxford.
Useful contacts
If you have any questions that aren’t answered on this page, you can get in touch with the following people:
| Contact | Questions they can answer |
| Admissions Office: Sarah Jones | Anything to do with offers, visas, UCAS issues, reading lists and preparatory materials |
| Accommodation Office | Accommodation, what to bring, insurance, electoral roll issues |
| Bursary | All things financial |
| College Office | Practical arrangements, bank letters, etc. |
| Disability enquiries: Elaine Eastgate | Any issues relating to disability or special requirements |